Talk about “political correctness” run amok!
Bruce Duthu has declined the position of dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Dartmouth College. Duthu had been appointed to assume the position this summer.
Economics Professor Alan Gustman raised a ruckus over Duthu’s appointment by issuing an open letter declaring Duthu an “unacceptable choice” based on Duthu’s alleged past support of a boycott of Israeli academics. The issue arose because Duthu endorsed a letter considered by Gustman to be related to ” . . . the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions’ movement (BDS), an international group that aims to pressure the Israeli government over alleged human-rights abuses of Palestinians.” I must note that using the word “alleged” in this context is a bit of journalistic overreach in an effort to be fair and balanced. Human rights abuses are well documented on both sides of this intractable dispute.
Duthu has denied specific support for BDS but has not denied and should not deny his concern for the plight of Palestinians whose lands, or the lands they have reasonable claim to, have been occupied and colonized by Israel. I don’t write to take a side in the complex Israel/Palestine issue, but Duthu’s support for Palestinian rights is neither radical nor misplaced. Taking a position on this issue has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, yet the main thrust of Gustman’s repeated attacks is precisely that; he intentionally conflates a reasonable human rights concern with an ugly global history of anti-Semitism. To do so is intellectual malpractice.
Gustman wrote, “I have no reason to believe that Professor Duthu is anti-Semitic,” a rather backhanded concession. And I have no reason to believe Gustman is an unreasonable partisan, using an inflammatory political issue to undermine the credibility and reputation of a good man. I do have reason to believe Duthu is a good man. I worked at Vermont Law School during the “Duthu years,” when he was on the faculty, knew him personally (not well) and professionally as a man of deep integrity with a powerful sense of social justice and an impeccable reputation.
I know only what I’ve learned in Valley News reports and in offensive headlines like “Dartmouth Appoints Anti-Semitic Terrorist Enabler As Its New Dean” from FrontPage magazine, but it is quite clear that Duthu’s reputation has been sullied. I know this experience, having been the object of a right-wing attack campaign several months ago.
So where are the protests in the streets or the op-ed pieces in The New York Times or Washington Post over this egregious example of political correctness?
As I’ve written many times, the national teeth- gnashing over political correctness, safe spaces or free speech is misplaced. Politicians and pundits on the right — and some on the left — are nearly apoplectic when folks like Ann Coulter or Richard Spencer are shut down or disinvited to campus because students (and many faculty) don’t want to validate their gratuitous, racist sensationalism. Yes, students have occasionally erred on the side of immaturity and needless violence, but these incidents hardly comprise repression of the free flow of ideas in society.
As the saying goes, keeping an open mind doesn’t mean that you need to let your brains fall out. Similarly, protecting free and open academic discourse doesn’t mean subjecting yourself to offensive, gratuitous, sensation-seeking opportunists. They have every right to spew venom and they don’t suffer from lack of a megaphone with which to do so. Coulter, Spencer and a brigade of other offensive right-wingers have nightly spots on cable news and the ability to draw a crowd of hungry microphones to every appearance.
Conventional wisdom suggests that pressure to disinvite such speakers is a mortal sin against the First Amendment even though it has no material impact on society and sets no legal precedent. It is clearly the right of any organization or institution to invite or disinvite any speaker they wish. America’s colleges and universities are not soapboxes in the public square and the idea that these bullies contribute to important intellectual discourse is absurd on its face.
But where is the apoplexy now?
This is the real political correctness. This attack on Duthu is far more dangerous than the silly debates over commencement speakers or pseudo-intellectual celebrities on panels. This effort to undermine Duthu intentionally aroused a deeply partisan assault on his integrity and, in his estimation, undermined his ability to lead the faculty of arts and sciences.
I completely understand why Duthu would say, “No thank you.” But it is a shame.
Steve Nelson lives in Sharon and New York City, where he is the head of the Calhoun School, a private school. He can be reached at steve.nelson@calhoun.org.