Comments on: Academic Freedom Scores at U of I; Get’s Smacked at Loyola U

By: ADF Alliance Alert » Academic Freedom scores at U of I; gets smacked at Loyola U

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:55:27 +0000

[...] Chicago Daily Observer: “U of I-Champaign adjunct professor Kenneth Howell will return to the university classroom to teach ‘Catholicism’ in next Fall’s semester. Attorneys representing the university contacted the Alliance Defense Fund that he can teach once more in the Fall semester after having been fired for explaining the Church’s position on homosexuality which prompted one anonymous letter-writer (who didn’t take the class) to object on behalf of an anonymous class-member that Howell was homophobic.” [...]

By: John Powers

John Powers — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:53:47 +0000

Mr. Brandt,

Thank you for your response. It is our job, however, to question these sorts of things, or as you put it “manufacture” a “controversy”.

Begrudging our publication as being on some kind of hunt for “Commies”, for having the audacity to question the balance of political speakers at Loyola University is why we have a comment section which is separate from our editorial policy.

As stated, no, there is under-bed checking going on, but yes, an occasional dose of academic and intellectual freedom would be cheerful at our universities.

Thanks for taking the time to act as a trustee, rather than an opponent, in your response.

JBP

By: Bill Brandt

Bill Brandt — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:50:45 +0000

While I can’t aspire to Pat Hickey’s glowing tribute to Joe Power, I can say this about my good friend, and fellow Loyola Trustee, Joe. Normally, decisions like this are not even brought to the Board’s attention. In this case, I am blissfully unaware that Karl Rove was ever asked to speak at Loyola and although, given the fact, as Mr. Roeser points out, I’m a card-carrying member of the Democratic Party, I am married to one of Senator Percy’s former press secretaries. Additionally, I count as one of my lifelong childhood friends Duf Sundheim, who formerly chaired the California Republican Party and is currently the architect of Meg Whitman’s California gubernatorial campaign. All that said, I’m a strong believer in a two-party system and the lively, necessary and vigorous debate that has to accompany it. I’ve admired Karl Rove’s organizational work with a great deal of envy over the years, as there is no doubt he is very good at what he does. Accordingly, I would be more than happy to see him participate in the education of the next generation of American leaders by joining the political debate and speaking at Loyola. While I certainly can’t speak for my fellow Board members, I can certainly tell you of the other names mentioned in Mr. Roeser’s piece, Pat Arbor, Joe Power, and Shirley Madigan, none of them is at all afraid of political debate and all, to my knowledge, welcome it.

Unaware, as I am, of a controversy that Mr. Roeser is trying to manufacture here, I will at least enquire about this topic today, while I also check under my bed for Commies.

By: John Powers

John Powers — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:17:21 +0000

I am going to take the small victory here Tom, and include the Bishop, Chancellor, the Catechism, and the Newman Movement on the winning team.

I don’t know all the details, but the results are good enough. Raising the issue, which required a huge amount of heavy lifting, against the anti-intellectual bigots at the U of I, worked well enough here.

JBP

By: Pat Hickey

Pat Hickey — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:33:59 +0000

“Joe Power? Do you think he’d object to a civics speech by Karl Rove at the University where he sits as trustee? You’re getting paranoid you know!”

Not the Joe Power I know, Don Tomas! Joe Power walks thru the jungle tearing limbs offa trees! Joe Power is Canaryville Irish – a St. Gabe’s Man; Leo Man!

Once, a pharmeceutical company found itself on the wrong side of a Joe Power suit in defence of a young woman and her family. The Company’s records for its product were subpoenaed by Joe Power.

Time passed and eventually the company gave all of the R&D records hundreds of boxes of records and All In German!

Thinking Joe was just another lawyer with a passion to settle, the company sat back and waited for Joe’s call . . .nothing.

Trial Date! Joe has All of the Records Translated and thoroughly studied – His client received something like six times over what she and her family had asked.

Joe Power afraid of Karl Rove? Not by a jug full.

By: Dan Kelley

Dan Kelley — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:32:47 +0000

Invoking the possible loss of tax exempt status is the first refuge of cowardly Catholic pastors and administrators throughout the Chicago archdiocese. More often than not it is a form of prior restraint by a liberal church official who uses it as a ruse to censor forms of political and social discourse that the individual privately opposes.

If the Internal Revenue Service was really cracking down upon religious churches and organizations for blatantly political speeches and sermons, how do St. Sabina’s or the Trinity United Church of Christ continue to operate?