[Buddha-l] Hindutva california textbook controversy #2

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Sun, 2006-01-15 at 21:31 +0100, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:

> I've read about this censorship in Hinduism Today and it's not an 
> isolated incident.

It should be noted that the Hindutva folks are not the only thought
police working the turf these days. Turning professors in to self-
appointed vigilantes is becoming a national sport in "the land of the
free and the home of the brave." Here is an interesting quotation from a
website dedicated to turning in UCLA professors who are perceived to
have "wrong views" about various topics. (See first paragraph below. For
a more complete account of the sorts of professorial crimes worth
reporting to the academic Gestapo, take a look at
http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/ )

\begin{quote}

*UCLA students:*
Do you have a professor who just can't stop talking about President
Bush, about the war in Iraq, about the Republican Party, or any other
ideological issue that has nothing to do with the class subject matter?
It doesn't matter whether this is a past class, or your class for this
coming winter quarter.
_ If you help UCLAProfs.com expose the professor, we'll pay you for your
work._

To see if we need information on the professors you've already taken, or
will be taking this winter quarter, call 310-210-6735, or email*
bruinalumni (AT) bruinalumni.com* today, and you could be paid tomorrow.

The following are materials we need for past or ongoing classes, along
with rates of compensation.
* * Full, detailed lecture notes, all professor-distributed materials,
and full tape recordings of every class session, for one class: $100*
(Note: lecture notes must make particular note of audience reactions,
comments, and other details that will properly contextualize the
professor's ideological comments. If the class in question is ongoing or
upcoming, UCLAProfs.com will provide (if needed) all necessary taping
equipment and materials.)

* * Full, detailed lecture notes and all professor-distributed
materials, for one class: $50*
(Advisory: without tape recordings, detailed note-taking is crucial.
Particular care must be taken in transcribing the professor's
non-pertinent ideological comments as closely as possible to direct  
quotes.)

* * Advisory and all professor-distributed materials: $10*
Even if you didn't take detailed notes or attend class regularly, you
can still help UCLAProfs.com by alerting us to a problem professor not
already in our database or target list (below). This is a particularly
attractive option for students wanting to report past classes in which
their notes and attendance did not match UCLAProfs.com's high
record-keeping standards. Simply provide us the name, your notes from
the class (or substitute your current recollections), and any other
materials you still retain, and we'll pay you $10 for the tip.
_ NOTE: The foregoing advertised rates for future, ongoing or past
classes are contingent upon Bruin Alumni Association approval of both
the particular professor, and student materials. For ongoing classes,
payment will be tendered only upon timely delivery of all needed  
material._
All payments are contingent upon Bruin Alumni Association pre-approval,
and all decisions are final. Email bruinalumni AT bruinalumni.com for
full details._
_ * Targeted Professors*
UCLAProfs has a special interest in the notes and/or voice-recordings
for upcoming or recently taught classes by the following professors:
_* ALL PROFESSORS ALREADY PROFILED...*_*
AND:
Philip Agre* - Information Studies
* Walter Allen* - Education
* Edward Alpers* - History
* Maylei Blackwell* - Chicano Studies
* Sue-Ellen Case* - Theater
* Mary Corey* - History*
Alicia Gaspar de Alba* - Chicano Studies
* Raul Hinojosa* - Chicano Studies
* Darnell Hunt* - Sociology
* Arthur Little* - English
* Reynaldo Macias* - Chicano Studies
* Ruth Milkman* - Sociology
* Chon Noriega* - Film and Television*
* * Victor Narro* - Labor Studies
* Jeannie Oakes* - Education
* Jonathan F. S. Post* - English
* Jorja Prover* - Social Welfare
* William Rubenstein* - Law
* Otto Santa Ana* - Chicano Studies
* Miriam Silverberg* - History
* Clyde Spillenger* - Law
* Stephen Yenser* - English
* Maurice Zeitlin* - Sociology

Fundraising letter of the Bruin Alumni Association from the BAA website:
http://www.bruinalumni.com/aboutus.html

The BAA has a three-part plan to turn our campus around:

* Step 1:*
Fully document the overwhelming policitization of the undergraduate
experience - by professors, radical student groups and leaders, partisan
academic centers and majors, and the administrative offices which
tolerate these abuses. It's not going to be enough to talk in anecdotes.
Only methodical, comprehensive documentation can fully pinpoint the
problems and their solutions.
*
Step 2:*
Publicize the problems, and our proposals for solving them. While it's
tempting to keep UCLA's problems 'in-house,' we've tried that, and it
doesn't work. Instead, we will take our case public - to alumni like
you, to Los Angeles residents, and to all Californians, whose tax
dollars are directly supporting UCLA.

After enlisting the support of concerned alumni and members of the
public, we willŠ

* Step 3:*
Undertake a reform campaign. Several issues - politicized undergraduate
education, campus anti-Semitism, and a corrupt undergraduate student
government - are already being documented and attacked. However, the
majority of the campaign will be based on issues pinpointed and
clarified during the initial research phase. In addressing these issues,
we expect cooperation, not condescension, from UCLA's decision makers.
If the issues are not addressed on the campus level, we will take our
case to the University of California Board of Regents and the State
Legislature.

The Bruin Alumni Association's plan is reasonable, and desperately
needed. But it faces an entrenched set of status quo interests. As an
intelligent and generous supporter of UCLA, you've already made at least
one financial commitment to UCLA's future. Now that you know what's
really happening on campus, we're asking for another investment.

_ Can we count on you for a donation?_ Any amount you could give would
make a huge difference in pursuing our common goals, and would be deeply
appreciated.

Thanks again for your consideration, and please don't hesitate to
contact me with any questions you might have.

Sincerely,

Andrew Jones, B.A. '03
President, Bruin Alumni Association
_ P.S. All donations are fully tax-deductible and, per IRS regulations,
are kept strictly confidential. Please give today!_

\end{quote}

-- 
Richard Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico