Re: the Campus Watch nonsense, Kent Johnson has asked me to post the following letter (apologies for any oddness in the formatting):

I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.
~ Voltaire
'We have our eye on you...so watch out'
~ Campus Watch?
Dear Campus Watch,
American Thinker,
Alyssa A. Lappen, and
Company:

In a recent article “Poetry, terror and political narcissism” published by American Thinker on March 4, 2005, Alyssa Lappen claims that “Poetry is a window on the human soul,” and when it happens she doesn’t like the view from this particular window she wishes to seal it… Great! I can’t help but applaud this genius decision. It is as democratic and in compliance with humanity and civil liberties as it gets!

Unlike Alyssa, I’ve been raised in a “communist” country, and I claim to know about the evil of communism better than she does. I lived there and saw it for what it was. I know that I should not believe my own eyes but Alyssa’s believes, but sometimes I’m tempted to ask questions… This time it’s: “What’s the kind of freedom you promote?”

About the claim that “Alcalay disseminates a mythical tolerance that never existed,” I would like to tell Alyssa and anybody who wants to know, that the mythical tolerance is not only possible, but was actually achieved in my country (Bulgaria) where Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived in peace until the ethnical differences were seen as a good dividing tool used to manipulate and segregate at times when the public attention had to be taken away from other immediate economical or political issues…

Since these questions:
“Is this really the kind of education that public, taxpayer-funded universities and parents should have to pay for? And is this the kind of poetry that will be of any interest even a year from now, much less for the ages?”
were asked, and as a member of all three groups (taxpayers, students, and parents), I feel obligated to say that I need my right to decide what is good for me and my children, and I don’t need protection from “above.” I’ll be honored to be able to be in touch with people like Ammiel Alcalay, Joe Safdie, and the like. As far as what will be read years from now… who may be so ignorant to claim to know? Why don’t just let people read and decide for themselves? Oh, you DON’T want them to read! I see – THAT’s what I call education!


Rosie Chkodrov