Lawyer threatens suit over canceled Ayers speech

[sabra]

Source: AP

LARAMIE, Wyo. — A Denver lawyer says he'll sue the University of Wyoming unless it lets former 1960s radical William Ayers speak on campus.

David Lane sent the school a letter Monday saying he had been retained by student Meg Lanker. He contends the university violated the First Amendment when it canceled a speech Ayers was scheduled to give in March.

He gave the university until noon Wednesday to respond.

A university spokesman didn't immediately return messages left after business hours Monday seeking comment.

Lane previously represented former University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill, who was dismissed for alleged plagiarism and research misconduct following criticism of an essay in which he compared some 9/11 victims to a Nazi.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inIVIaITvCLIsLbsZ-rCjt6H0dzgD9F1U5AO0

[virgogal]

1. Now THIS should be interesting, I'm speechless (pardon the pun)

[Jim__]

2. I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but ...

... Ayers wrote a column about the cancellation of his speech.

[Doctor_J]

3. Why can't we call them fascists?

:shrug:

[alp227]

4. Ayers, not Sarah Palin, should probably speak at CSU Stanislaus.

As long as speakers are not advocating racism/violence against others/stupidity, they should be allowed to speak at public universities.

[EFerrari]

5. I'd give just about anything to hear Bill Ayers.

He's a great speaker.

They don't deserve you, Bill.

[Doctor_J]

6. Here is why we continue to lose to the fascists

From the HufPo piece

What makes education in a democracy, at least theoretically, distinct is a commitment to a particularly precious and fragile ideal: every human being is of infinite and incalculable value, each a unique intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, and creative force. Every human being is born free and equal in dignity and rights; each is endowed with reason and conscience, and deserves, then, a sense of solidarity, brotherhood and sisterhood, recognition and respect.

The wingers don't believe this. Until we start to treat them with the disdain with which they view us, they will continue to defeat us in the media, and at the ballot.

This is war, people. We need to either fight them, or get used to living in their fascist world.

[flyarm]

7. even people who are responsible for bombing other people?

1981 “Guilty as hel*. Free as a bird. America is a great country,” Ayers said when interviewed by David Horowitz.

September 11, 2001 “I don’t regret setting bombs. I feel we didn’t do enough.” Ayers is quoted in NYT article


That fucker is a pig and should have spent his life in prison!


if he had been a poor kid or middle class kid he would have!

[Doctor_J]

8. Immaterial to the current setting

UW is being terrorized by right-wing donors and media, and when you give in to terrorists then you lose.

BTW quoting Horowitz reduces your credibility to zero

[flyarm]

9. ahh that is a direct quote from Ayers! In an interview he gave to Horowitz

he gave..not me..

and I lived through the terror that fucker committed in this nation..I stand with my opinion ..that fucker was and is a terrorist..a domestic one. He terrorized this nation..time does not diminish his crimes.

I would never ever want that fucker speaking to my son..ever!

some Doctor you ARE..EVER HEAR OF "DO NO HARM?"

[susanwy]

10. Do you allow your son to make that decsion?

Look, I don't agree with Ayers tactics that he and the Weather Underground used in the past, and your right, he has not exactly been contrite or distance himself completely from the violent tactics he advocated in the past. It is ironic to me that we see the exact kind of intimidation and threats of violence now from the RIGHT and not the LEFT -- and who gets all the press? It wasn't right when Ayers did it and it won't be right when the inevitable acts of violence and terror come from the tea baggers who go off the reservation. And it absolutely isn't right that bomb threats were made against UW if the originally scheduled speech was allowed.

However - the reason he was not convicted of a crime was not because of $$ it was FBI maleficence - i.e. the government lied and tried to make more of case then they actually could prove. You can't fault Ayers because the government screwed the pooch. Plus - it has been 40 years - even if he had been convicted I doubt he would still be in jail. The group never killed anyone, except themselves.

Finally, don't you think your son should be allowed to make the decision to hear him speak or not? I know I will let my son, a student at UW, make that decision if Ayers gets to speak. By canceling the speech UW caved to the very threats of violence (and $$) that you seem to so deplore. He will speak about education, not his actions in the 1960/70s, and I would think that as part of education we should let our children think and decide for themselves. Part of the right's argument is that he would somehow indoctrinate the "children" - bullshit, no one in a two hour speech can "indoctrinate" anyone.

Peace

[Doctor_J]

12. Then tell your son not to listen to him

but allowing the wing nuts to decide who gets to speak and who doesn't is cowering before terrorists - exactly how we got to the disastrous state that we're in.

It seems that ou were on the side of Nixon, Cointelpro, and Hoover in the 1960's. Cheney is also a terrorist - would you want that fucker to speak to your son? Certainly the U of Wyoming would not ban him.

Every victory won by terrorists like Cheney, Fox News, Sludge, Blankenship, and their ilk is one more step toward fascism. People like yourself are aiding those terrorists, even though you don't realize it.

[susanwy]

15. And of course

Cheney did speak and has spoken several times at UW, despite many, many objections from faculty, staff and citizens of the state. I know because I protested him! I walk my dogs all the time through "Cheney Plaza" and I encourage my dog to piss on the plaza bench all the time. :hi:

[Webster Green]

16. Do your homework. They never hurt anyone.

Watch the documentary, and get back to me.

I supported him then and I support him now.

Watch it, and learn something:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6078589535743610981#

[susanwy]

11. Not only did UW cancel but

you know what infuriates me about this whole thing, and I live here, was the statement by UW Police that said there was no on-going investigation of the threats made against UW. I'm sorry, but last I checked, bomb threats were ILLEGAL, but UW Police said no one in the administration asked them to investigate. DID THEY HAVE TO ASK!!!

Its one thing to cave to the pressure (wrongly IMHO), it is another to not at least hold the people who made the threats accountable. You can't call in a bomb threat to any school and not face consequences!!

Mr. Lane should add THAT little tidbit to his law suit. And I hope Meg Lanker is successful in bringing Ayers back.

Cheers.

[Doctor_J]

13. Threats by right wingers are rarely investigated

and almost never prosecuted.

[susanwy]

14. Until they fly small planes

into the IRS building.