Graubart went on Facebook to declare “I find myself annoyed at the groundswell of good wishes for John McCain after his diagnosis of glioblastoma and have been thinking through why.” Professor Jonathan Graubart recently posted on Facebook about the Arizona Republican. He added:
“McCain is a war criminal and, more to the point someone who as a politician has championed horrifying actions and been lousy on state commitment to public health. So dying or not, he’s a risible public figure (I have no idea what he is like on the personal level and don’t care). But ultimately what troubles me is the urge to send such well wishes to an utter stranger as it reinforces the notion that some lives are more important than others. There are lots of people with glioblastoma and who have died from it (including my mother twenty years ago).”
Graubart’s comments are hurtful and hateful. It is a reflection of the incivility that has taken hold of our social and political dialogue. It is always sad to see a fellow academic rush to the bottom of our national discourse. However, we have free speech and academic freedom to protect unpopular, not popular, speech. Popular speech does not need protection. Graubart is expressing his deep political and social viewpoint on social media. He should be able to do that just as his critics have a right to denounce his views.
The San Diego State University spokesperson said the university “does not have a social media policy for faculty and staff.” It added that “As a public institution, we do not and cannot regulate the private speech of students, faculty or staff. However, that should not imply the university’s endorsement of any particular viewpoint.” That is precisely the position to take and, if the university applies its consistently regardless of the content of the speech, it would be an important act of restraint in favor of free speech.
Jonathan Graubart is an attorney who practiced before becoming a political science professor. He received his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002 and his JD from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall in 1989.
I am “troubled” by Graubart’s statement that “ultimately what troubles me is the urge to send such well wishes to an utter stranger as it reinforces the notion that some lives are more important than others.” Few people would view such expressions of sympathy in that way. Moreover, Graubart makes clear that his political and policy disagreements with McCain is a core reason why he is so “annoyed” by those expressing basic humanity and concern over the news. Politicians often become personifications for movements and groups even in their illnesses or deaths. The coverage often brings needed attention to illnesses like glioblastoma for groups like the American Cancer Association. However, the main reason for expressing sympathy is that he is a human being who is suffering. Graubart’s historical reference to the Nazis only highlights the amorality of his views. The answer to hatred is for people to transcend their differences and learn to embrace people as human beings — to identify with their suffering despite their differences.
Here is the whole statement:
I find myself annoyed at the groundswell of good wishes for John McCain after his diagnosis of glioblastoma and have been thinking through why. A great line from Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem comes to mind regarding the valuing of elite lives over ordinary lives:
“There are more than a few people, especially among the cultural elite, who still publicly regret the fact that Germany sent Einstein packing, without realizing that it was a much greater crime to kill little Hans Cohn from around the corner, even though he was no genius.”This analogy should not be interpreted too strictly. McCain is certainly no Einstein and I don’t mean just on brains. Einstein had very appealing humanist instincts, as a socialist, antiwar, anti-imperialist, and anti-statist Zionist. McCain is a war criminal and, more to the point. someone who as a politician has championed horrifying actions and been lousy on state commitment to public health. So dying or not, he’s a risible public figure (I have no idea what he is like on the personal level and don’t care).
But ultimately what troubles me is the urge to send such well wishes to an utter stranger as it reinforces the notion that some lives are more important than others. There are lots of people with glioblastoma and who have died from it (including my mother twenty years ago). I would much rather read random good wishes to contemporary little Hans Cohns than to politicians.