Har.
Dear members of the University Community
I am disappointed to have to inform you about an issue that arose Tuesday night on campus which we are working hard to address.
During lecture at the Archer Library, where author and commentator John Gormley was invited to campus to speak about his new book, he – and an audience of university community members – were subjected to a protest staged by a group of aboriginal protestors who disrupted the speech and, with drum banging and tactics of intimidation, attempted to prevent the guest from speaking. Universities are an historic cradle of free speech and these actions — whether participated in or supported by participants, faculty or students at the U of R – are offensive and completely inconsistent with the values of this University.
On learning of the events last night, I immediately took steps to apologize to Gormley; and I have directed the University’s executive lead on indigenization to meet with faculty or students who may have been present, and to determine if disciplinary action may be required.
In particular, I am asking the U of R’s Lead on Indigenization to determine that, as part of our curricula of indigenous studies, we have correctly addressed the issue of appropriate protest and civil discourse within the context of both Canadian and First Nations values of tolerance and free expression. If these aspects are missing within our in studies, I have asked the Lead on Indigenization to prepare a proposed set of recommendations to remedy this shortcoming.
I wish, specifically to address the comments of one young aboriginal woman at the event, who identified herself as a U of R student and said aloud that this type of protest and prevention of free speech is something that regularly happens in U of R classrooms and that she supports preventing people with whom she disagrees from speaking.
I wish to state categorically that as a University we have a proud record of promoting and protecting free speech and we in no way countenance or support, on university property, a protest – whatever its aims – designed to prevent a citizen from exercising their constitutionally entrenched right of freedom of expression.
On behalf of the university I want to apologize for this incident. In particular, I want to apologize to all people who were in attendance at the speakers event. They have a right to expect better of our institution.
Going forward, I will continue to make every effort to support free speech and the expression of points of view in a way that fosters respect for diversity and we will work together as a campus community to ensure that Tuesday nights event is an isolated incident. IT is only through working together that we will truly demonstrate to the university community and the nation at large that a positive learning experience – and the promotion of public dialogue on issues of public policy – does not just require the protection of free speech but the cherishing of it within the walls of our university.
As a campus community, please join me in this effort by working every day to make the university an open and welcoming place for all.,
Sincerely…
Courtesy, John Gormley.
Lead on Indigenization? Some job title.
Whatever they get paid, it’s too much.
Isn’t “Lead on Indigenization” missing a comma and, perhaps an “oh”?
“Lead on, oh Indigenization” looks better, more inspiring, and might even make more sense.
Ooooh Kate, wouldn’t it be more PC to call them Bovinepersons and Firstnations? Cowboys and Indians is so -you know- last century.
Seriously, the perpetrators of that little “demonstration” need to be outed and subjected to ridicule for their inability to understand and accept basic concepts of civilization.
Wimp-ism has infected everyone, from the universities to our beloved political Leaders.
Nowhere in that apology does it state the perpetrators will be expelled from the university,and charged with trespass if they return to disrupt events again.
The demonstrators are nothing more than fascist thugs who bully anyone they don’t like.They operate outside the laws and should be treated as what they are;criminals.
But no one has the balls to do anything more than splutter and bloviate, just like the top guys in Washington.
As a U of R graduate I am embarrassed. Not at all surprised, just embarrassed.
This sort of activity with leftists of various shades attempting to shut anyone who does not parrot their worldview is an epidemic across Canadian, and American, universities, and the mostly leftist university administration does nothing to curb it.
When did our universities become bastions of Marxist intolerance?
Don Morris is spot on. This Brown Shirt strategy used by all the want-to-be little fascist totalitarians will continue unless they face the consequences of their action, and it isn’t only some of the Indians using it.
Don, that was satire, not an apology.
Oh wow. At my next job interview, I’m totally going to ask to have the title “executive lead on indigenization.”
Think of how that’ll look on a business card. Think of how popular it would make you with the ladies…
CLICK THE LINKS
Nothing short of a wrecking ball and a bulldozer will ever fix the problem with our modern post secondary institutions. They are no longer institutions of learning but marxist indoctrination centers. The sooner we stop funding them, the better.
I’m reminded of the saying/warning “Never engage in a war of words with a man that buys his ink by the barrel” (or something like that).
Kevin “Say-Whatever-You-Want-To-Say-To-My-[Masked]-Face” Daniels’ friends on FB seem to think that Gormley’s radio show should be cancelled or “shut down”… I don’t think they even comprehend that they’ve re-lit the fuse allowing Gormley greater opportunity to spout his position. Unintended consequences…
One of the better responses by a university administrator to these kind of fascist tactics. Good on Dr. Timmons.
Slactivists like to focus on statistical and practical non-problems because if there is nothing to fix, they are just the people who are qualified to be highly paid to fix it! Why concentrate on directing FUNDS and ENERGY and WORK to actually teaching first nations children how to read and write, which along with learning how to Show Up on Time, as dynamic Canadian leader Chief Clarence Louie (true and sincere praise be upon him), says would mean certain jobs and much needed self-respect for the next generation of First Nations people? Because,whereas, Chief Louie has chosen to invest the wine industry many (certainly not all) of our First Nations leaders prefer the whine industry.
It was satire.
“It was satire.”
Well how the hell was I supposed to know that?
Not good enough!!
The feathered asshat should be treated with a good dose of tar to co-ordinate with his plumage.
Ooops! Me too 🙁
For goodness sake, man (or woman as the case may be)! Use your satire detector.
Just kidding. I clicked on the link.
I thought you’d be pleased to be put on the right track, rabbit, but you sound angry?
As long as we continue to treat Indians like irresponsible children, the more they will act like petulant irresponsible children.
When you make any group ‘special’ they will expect their demands to be met …. simply because they are special.
Indians invented nothing of value and lived like a gang of roving idiots forever, crapping in the woods because the concept of a toilet was more than they could handle.
We really need to stop this Indian crap and the politically correct crap that is applied to many other weirdoes, GBLTers, imports and others of one color or another … just not white please…. I don’t know which of those groups offend me the most, But university students are right up there with the Indians.
We are either all equal under the law and in our social structures or we are a caste society … which is it?
We all have freedom of speech or we do not …. which is it?
There should be big punishment for preventing someone from freely speaking. That would make more sense.
What is most indicative of these Idle No More types is that they try and act intelligent and talk about rights violated etc. but none of them bothered to apologize on behalf of their movement that this idiot interrupted the evening.
We have to think that they believe these actions are acceptable.
Did any one of them get up and tell the intruder that he behave and be civil?
We are encouraged to accept that this guy represents their attitude since they don’t condemn it – so how long before we begin to think this is stereotypical and for good reason.
Why wasn’t the campus immediately locked down and the SWAT team called in when this fool with unknown motives and wearing a big baggy disguise first appeared on the scene?
Dear Don;
When I did my last stint in an publicly funded academic institution back in the early 1980s very few folks were being ‘indigenized’. By the late 1980s the aboriginal industry was in full swing, somebody had turned on the money. If you want to get rid of the T&D (tolerance and diversity) police, who fuel the aboriginal industry, you have to turn off the funding spigot. When the money dries up the idiocy will go elsewhere.
I say put the money back into the Crazy Bins and that way we can keep the crazies off the street. Putting the money in the Universities is keeping the crazies there where they can pester too many productive people.
Money in industry run work progams might also work. But keep it out of the publicly funded institutions. They are too far gone, actually, we could convert them into crazy bins as they have already self selected all of the loonies. I remember a colleague telling me when I was in Grad School that many Graduate degree programs were funded to keep the smart lunatics off the street. I thought he was joking but now I can see he had a point.
Turn off the spigot.
Academia reaping what it sowed.
Well you are forgiven because art so closely resemble reality……
This University “apology” was about the “Idle No More” getting ridiculed/satirized….it seems that the extreme FN fringe is now a protected element.
The many remarks about the left’s policy of shutting down/ shutting up others opinions/speakers is noted….it is communist not facist behavior.
This is not new The National Socialists reacted to this tactic by forming the Schutzstaffel (SS){hall guards}. A practice we may soon have to employ.
Why did no one call PETA about the dead chicken on that fools head?
I don’t know who wrote it Kate but it is marvelous. I hope it actually got sent to Vianne Timmons. Makes her look like an utter fool. A real teaching moment on how she should properly be doing her job.
A bit O/T, but as one who has lived in the Queen City, I can repeat the joking semi-truism:
Regina started off as a pile of rotting buffalo carcasses and went downhill from there.
Ken (Kulak) writes: “When did our universities become bastions of Marxist intolerance?”
In the USA, I can date time to between 1967 and 1969. During that period, old line liberals showed themselves too weak or too corrupt to stand up to “New Left” thuggery, and the flood-gates opened. In time, those spoiled thugs became, in Roger Kimball’s words, “Tenured Radicals” and re-made universities in their own image.
Peter wrote: “We have to think that they believe these actions are acceptable.”
My thoughts exactly. Otherwise, why did not those attending not deal with this buffoon themselves? Are we so fearful that we’ll accept intimidation rather than taking action? I can’t understand why they didn’t have the cojones to simply approach, surround and move the guy out through numbers.
Unless they’re fellow travellers.
God and Man at Yale, William F. Buckley, Jr., 1951
I finally clicked the link, Kate. Bwaha! Good one! 🙂
While we’re on the topic of ”poor me I’m a victim of British Colonialism,” a group of Quebec Mohawks want non natives ”off” of the reserve.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/09/18/quebec-mohawk-reserve-looks-to-enforce-law-requiring-anyone-living-with-a-non-native-to-move/
Ehh–what would happen if a city were to post a sign that said: ”All natives–please lave town!”