Emory profs want debate during upcoming Carter appearance

[Judi Lynn]

Emory profs want debate during upcoming Carter appearance
The Associated PressPublished: February 16, 2007

ATLANTA: Eleven faculty members at Emory University have written a letter to the campus newspaper to protest an appearance next week by former President Jimmy Carter, who is scheduled to speak about his controversial book on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The nine professors and two professors emeriti say the university should have made the Thursday appearance a debate, not a speech, and speculate that Carter might be afraid of having somebody authoritative tell him he is "simply wrong" when he "blames Israel for everything," according to the letter published Friday in The Emory Wheel.

"Jimmy Carter is a big boy," said Deborah Lipstadt, a professor in Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies who wrote the letter and collected the signatures from other faculty. "I would like to see Jimmy Carter saying he's willing to discuss it."

Lipstadt said a group of professors advised the administration that the best format for Carter's appearance on campus would be a debate because his latest, best-selling book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," has created a storm of criticism.
(snip/...)

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/16/america/NA-GEN-US-Carter-Book-Emory.php

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. He has refused to debate Alan Dershowitz on this subject

[youngdem]

6. Good. Dershowitz is a gas bag.

Watching him try to take on Chomsky was hilarious.

What a dick.

Carter is a fine man, knows a ton, and only has good intentions at heart. Israel's apologists are rabid with ANYONE who questions their version of events.

[niyad]

2. more zionist bs? jimmy carter is NOT a coward. WHY should he have to prove anything to the

professors at emory? they want a debate, let them schedule one.

[tishaLA]

3. PRES. Carter is no kind of "boy"

Ms. Lipstadt. He's a former president and a Nobel Prize winner, mothafucka! If you want a debate, have someone come to campus who wants to debate this, but don't impose your phony rules on Pres. Carter.

[Divernan]

4. These profs simply want lots of PR on Carter's coat tails.

I'm sure they could arrange a class, a seminar, a conference or whatever to present two points of view on the Israeli/Palestinian/Lebanese situation. Debates are about convincing audiences. President Carter's purpose is to get his message out to as many people as possible. Students come to hear HIM. If these professors can't generate their own audiences, why should Carter give up any of his time with the students? He will be taking questions from students.

The article mentions that Carter comes to the campus about once a month to talk to various groups. I very much doubt he's getting paid anything for these visits. Student groups just don't have that kind of budget. Other former presidents have been known to collect huge "honorariums" from wealthy corporate/special-interest groups.

[AX10]

5. Carter has called for a peaceful two-state solution.

That is all. These "professors" are militant zionists and will attack Carter. There will be no real debate.