Member's children threatened by name, teacher's position under assault
Duluth, MN (PRWEB) July 2, 2006 --- The author of an article about the
attack on the World Trade Center has found himself under attack for having
published it in a new on-line publication, Journal of 9/11 Studies.
Entitled "The Flying Elephant", the article discusses evidence that a third
airplane was captured on video at the time of the WTC attack. He has now
received a thinly-veiled threat against his children, who are cited by
name, suggesting it would be a good idea if his article were to simply "go
away".
Scholars for 9/11 Truth is a non-partisan society of experts and scholars
committed to exposing falsehoods and revealing truths about the events of
9/11. The journal, which is archived at journalof911studies.com, is its
latest attempt to create forums for discussion and debate about these
important issues beyond its web site, which is archived at www.911Scholars.org. The
author, Reynolds Dixon, a writer and Professor of English, former lecturer
and Fellow at Stanford University, has withdrawn from the society.
"Threats of this kind have no place in a democratic nation", said James
H. Fetzer, the founder of S9/11T. "These are the tactics of brown-shirts
and totalitarians who fear the discussion of controversial questions that
threaten the government's control over the governed. This is a despicable
act and we are not going to back down!" He added that the organization
itself will assume responsibility for the study, which Reynolds has
relinquished. "We cannot allow advances in understanding what happened on
9/11 to be suppressed by threats to our members. The stakes are simply
too high."
In Wisconsin, another member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Kevin Barrett,
who has been active in efforts to inform the American people about
discoveries that have been made by Scholars--including that the Twin
Towers were destroyed, not by the impact of airplanes or the ensuing
fires, but by sophisticated controlled demolition; that Vice President
Dick Cheney gave a "stand down" order to not shoot down the plane
approaching the Pentagon; and that the FBI has now confirmed that it has
"no hard evidence" connecting Osama bin Laden to 9/11--confronts the loss
of his job.
A Wisconsin legislator, Stephen Nass, Republican of Whitewater, has called
for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to immediately fire him from his
teaching position. The UW Office of the Provost has announced that it will
conduct a 10-day review of Barrett's plans for an introductory fall course in
Islam and of his past performance as a teacher at UW-Madison. Provost Patrick
Farrell has endorsed his freedom of speech, but "We have an obligation to insure
that his course content is academically appropriate, of high quality, and that
he is not imposing his views on his students."
Prominent experts and scholars who are members of S9/11T include Steven Jones,
a professor of physics at Brigham Young University; Morgan Reynolds, former
Chief Economist for the Department of Labor in the George W. Bush
administration; Bob Bowman, who directed research on the "Star Wars"
program in both Republican and Democratic administrations; Andreas von
Buelow, the former director of Science and Technology for Germany; and David Ray
Griffin, professor emeritus of theology at the Claremont Graduate School and
author or editor of four books on the events of 9/11.
Concern about academic freedom at UW-Madison extends beyond the Scholars
group. Ron Rattner, an attorney from San Francisco, CA, for example, has
written to Provost Farrell with the observation that, "When teachers are
intimidated against seeking and speaking truth on a campus renowned for
its liberal and progressive traditions, we are in trouble". He added,
"Universities are for inquiries, not inquisitions. UW must operate in the
traditions of La Follette, not McCarthy". Robert La Follette was noted
as a progressive leader, while Joe McCarthy portrayed his opponents as
subversives.
Fetzer observed that the right wing is continuing to attack faculty who
speak out on 9/11. "During an appearance on Hannity & Colmes (June 22,
2006), with Ollie North sitting in for Hannity, I made points about controlled
demolition, the "stand down" order, and the FBI's position," he said,
"but but they were more interested in whether I was discussing these things with
my students than whether they were true." On a subsequent appearance on Laura
Ingraham's program (June 30, 2006), "She had her staff chanting about 'nutty
professors' before I was even introduced. Then, after I made some telling
points at the end of the program, they edited their archived copy and cut it off
after a long harangue attacking me. That is intellectually dishonest."
Many other members of S9/11T, including Morgan Reynolds and David Ray Griffin,
have spoken out in defense of academic freedom and in opposition to censorship
and curtailing research into 9/11. "These nasty threats against the children of
one member and the freedom of speech of another", Fetzer said, "make a sorry
statement about this nation on the eve of the 4th of July." Coincidentally,
Fetzer will appear with Barrett at the Mid-West Social Forum on Sunday, July 9,
2006, from 9-10:30 AM, at the Student Union of UW-Milwaukee, to discuss 9/11.
_____________________
Contact information:
James H. Fetzer, Ph.D.
Founder and Co-Chair
Scholars for 9/11 Truth
http://www.www.911Scholars.org
(218) 726-7269 (office)
(218) 724-2706 (home)
http://www.d.umn.edu/~jfetzer/