Why is Canada Afraid to Let Bill Ayers Speak?

[marmar]

from AlterNet:



Why is Canada Afraid to Let Bill Ayers Speak?


We got this press release and thought it worth sharing...

The organizers of the Worldviews Conference on Media and Higher Education are asking the Government of Canada to permit Bill Ayers, a prominent American academic, intellectual and critic, to enter Canada and speak in Toronto at their event. Prof. Ayers was previously prevented from entering Canada in 2009. No official reason was given for this refusal.

“ Prof. Ayers is scheduled to deliver a talk on ‘The responsibility of academics to contribute to public debates in the media’ on June 16, 2011. The irony of course is that the Canadian government could well prevent him from exercising that same responsibility,” said Prof. Mark Langer, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). “This is an issue of academic freedom, not one of a potential ‘threat’ to Canadian security. In the interests of open debate and the democratic exchange of ideas, Prof. Ayers must be allowed to speak.”

Ayers -- who was until his retirement last year Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago – is a widely respected education reformer and a sought after speaker on the relationship between education, politics, and the media. He was also a founder of the Weather Underground, a radical protest group active in the 1960s and 1970s. His past involvement in the Weather Underground and later participation with Barack Obama on the board of an anti-poverty organization became a controversy during the 2008 Presidential election. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/575242/why_is_canada_afraid_to_let_bill_ayers_speak/

[polly7]

1. Our neo-con minority gov't isn't 'Canada' and their stupidity represents

only their narrow-minded, fear-mongering selves. The rest of us, and the majority ... have no problem with anyone speaking. We did let Sarah Palin in, after all.

Stupid title by that author.

[Amonester]

2. Note to everyone: Do not confuse Canada with....

the harper control freak clique (remember: they are Canada's teabagsters and in minority).

[redwings40]

3. ya i mean he just bombed federal building.....

[Canuckistanian]

5. Extra cheese?

You got it.

[redwings40]

6. did he not bomb federal buildings?

its a simple yes or no question, but seems you still cant answer.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Did he?

He was never convicted.

[redwings40]

8. did he not admit he wished he could have done more?

[U4ikLefty]

10. At least pretend for awhile before shit like this. nt

[redwings40]

11. pretended... really, thats your execuse for him?

[U4ikLefty]

14. no that's my advice for a troll.

Go back to 3rd grade...they need you on thier debate team.

[redwings40]

9. defending him is just as bad as defending bush

[provis99]

12. Bush was never convicted of bombing anyoone either.

[scarletwoman]

13. What was the death toll?

[Exilednight]

17. a big fat whopping ZER0. n/t

[Cid_B]

18. Scuse me?

Is that a defense now? Are we only saying "No No" to people who's bombs kill people?

[Exilednight]

19. Maybe you should read up on past events before commenting on them. You'll find a great deal

of difference between Bush and Ayers.

[Cid_B]

21. I'm not talking about Bush...

I'm talking about the fact that you stated that Ayer's bombs didn't cause any deaths. The context seemed to be using that as a defense of Ayers and I just wanted clarification.

[Canuckistanian]

4. This has nothing to do with Canada

And everything to do with HARPER, our GOP-loving Prime Minister. We're working on that right now.

[Pterodactyl]

15. Maybe Canada is aware of his record: He was a violent jerk.

There is nothing "progressive" about planting bombs. I don't support him at all.

[marmar]

16. ............

:boring:

[Pterodactyl]

20. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!