[Vision2020] Doug W's letter to Gov. Kempthorne

thansen@moscow.com thansen@moscow.com
Thu, 22 Jan 2004 16:50:56 GMT


General information note:  Governor Dirk Kempthorne is a University of Idaho 
alum.

Tom Hansen

> The University Place Fiasco is without doubt a terrible thing for almost all
> (except some lawyers and accountants).  Worse revelations and judgments may
> be yet to come.
> 
> However, the analogy with Enron is not an accurate one.
> 
> Those at the top of Enron lied, cheated, manipulated, etc. in large part for
> their own personal huge monetary gain.
> 
> Dr. Hoover was an ambitious person and he and his slavish minions performed
> very seriously unethical and illegal actions whose consequences have been
> dire.
> 
> People do not act generally for one reason alone; I do not know Hoover's
> total motivation.  Perhaps in part he believed what he was doing was in the
> greater interest of the University and the citizens of the state.
> 
> All this said, I doubt that Dr. Hoover took his regretful actions for
> personal monetary gain.
> 
> That's where the Enron analogy breaks down.  Analogies are cute rhetorical
> tricks seldom being isomorphic or even homomorphic to the relations between
> the objects to which they are applied.  Analogies often generate heat, but
> unless they are honestly constructed and footnoted with their shortcomings,
> they often obfuscate the truth and even stifle the search for such.
> 
> Wayne Fox
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Carl Westberg" <carlwestberg846@hotmail.com>
> To: <sslund@adelphia.net>; <DonaldH675@aol.com>; <vision2020@moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 7:22 AM
> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Doug W's letter to Gov. Kempthorne
> 
> 
> > I would like to address the "University of Enron" comment Mr. Wilson made
> in
> > his letter to the governor.  99 and 44/100 % of University of Idaho staff,
> > faculty and administration had absolutely nothing to do with the
> University
> > Place fiasco.  The people responsible could, almost literally, be counted
> on
> > the fingers of one hand.  They are also gone, leaving good, hard-working,
> > dedicated people to clean up the mess left behind.  The University of
> Idaho
> > is still a remarkably quality institution despite the inbroglio in Boise.
> > And, whatever Mr. Wilson's beef with Dale Graden may be, I would point out
> > that Mr. Graden was one of the leading dissident campus voices against the
> > University Place project.  Yes, I am also a U of I employee, just as
> > digusted by what happened as anyone.  Left, right, or middle, there's no
> > argument that the arrogance and hubris of the previous administration left
> > us a problem.  No less a leftist than Rose Huskey has posted to this forum
> > referring to the Enronesque nature of what happened.
> >
> >
> >
> >              Carl Westberg Jr.
> >
> >
> > >From: "Saundra Lund" <sslund@adelphia.net>
> > >To: <DonaldH675@aol.com>, <vision2020@moscow.com>
> > >Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Doug W's letter to Gov. Kempthorne
> > >Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:18:28 -0800
> > >
> > >Oh, Ms. Huskey, you trickster, you!  Have you been taking secret lessons
> > >from wilson et al in deceit?  You almost had me going there until I
> > >realized
> > >that even wilson wouldn't be silly enough to send such a whiny,
> > >manipulative, deceitful letter to Governor Kempthorne . . . I'm sure he
> > >knows he'd give them too big of a laugh to be taken seriously.  Oh, I get
> > >it:  you're *really* one of those ridiculous Penguins.
> > >
> > >Besides, if he really sent such a silly letter, then I want to know where
> > >my
> > >paycheck is!  Since Mr. wilson states that "the driving force behind the
> > >controversy is coming from certain offices at the University of Idaho, I
> > >must have a stealth job even I'm not aware of, and so, too, must a bunch
> of
> > >other community members.  Show me the money  ;-)  Have any other
> community
> > >members speaking out about Christ Church et al's shenanigans gotten their
> > >paychecks?  If so, please let me know because I'm feeling economically
> > >deprived.  There must be a slush fund . . . oh . . . wait . . . I get it:
> > >there wasn't really a problem with Boise Place -- that money was really
> > >targeted to fund those of us in the community to "incite" outrage.  Ah .
> ..
> > >.
> > >I guess I'm just a little slow.
> > >
> > >Oh . . . wait . . . he *seriously* sent this letter?!?!?  Are you
> kidding?
> > >Surely he didn't really send such a letter . . . please, Please, PLEASE
> > >tell
> > >me it ain't so!
> > >
> > >Well, I guess I'm not really surprised.  In his letter to Gov.
> Kempthorne,
> > >wilson wrote:
> > >"This last weekend, Dr. Graden, another history professor, wrote an op-ed
> > >piece for the Daily News in which he accused us of creating a climate
> which
> > >would lead to the murder of gays and the burning of synagogues. (!)"
> > >And, on the Christ Church Web site, wilson's response to Dr. Graden
> > >includes:
> > >"Actually, when you consider the statistics on life expectancy for
> > >homosexuals, the inevitable conclusion is that it is the gay lifestyle
> that
> > >wants to kill gays, not us. Just imagine the controversy if cigarettes
> > >reduced the life expectancy of smokers to the same extent that the common
> > >homosexual lifestyle does for homosexuals."
> > >
> > >Honestly, that's what he wrote!  Check it out for yourselves!  Go to:
> > >http://www.christkirk.com/
> > >Then, click on "Press Releases: It Isn't About Slavery."
> > >
> > ><sigh>
> > >
> > >Well, I guess I'll have to join Ms. Huskey in being speechless for right
> > >now.  wilson claims "the diversity police" are after them (whoever "them"
> > >is
> > >. . . he mentions Logos, but has since tried to distance himself from
> > >Logos), but it seems to me that wilson et al are after all those who
> don't
> > >agree with their particular "flavor" of Christianity, and that includes
> all
> > >of us who are for ***human*** rights.
> > >
> > >BTW, does anyone know the story Wilson returning Gov. Kempthorn's
> > >necktie???
> > >I *hate* to think what that's about  :-(
> > >
> > >
> > >Saundra Lund
> > >Moscow, ID
> > >
> > >The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
> > >nothing.
> > >-Edmund Burke
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] On
> > >Behalf Of DonaldH675@aol.com
> > >Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 3:38 PM
> > >To: vision2020@moscow.com
> > >Subject: [Vision2020] Doug W's letter to Gov. Kempthorne
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Governor Dirk Kempthorne
> > >
> > >Office of the Governor
> > >
> > >700 West Jefferson, 2nd Floor
> > >
> > >PO Box 83702
> > >
> > >Boise, Idaho 83720-0034
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >December 30, 2003
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Dear Governor Kempthorne,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Greetings from the north, and I hope that this letter finds you well.  I
> > >wish my tone could be as light as the one of a few years ago in which I
> > >returned your necktie from the Logos auction, but the seriousness of
> recent
> > >events has precluded that.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >I am writing you with an important request.  A controversy has been
> boiling
> > >here in Moscow for the last several months, a good deal of it resting on
> > >the
> > >back of inaccurate and defamatory material that is being circulated
> against
> > >us and out ministries here in Moscow.  Some of this is the result of the
> > >incompetence of the Daily News, but the driving force behind the
> > >controversy
> > >is coming from certain offices at the University of Idaho.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >What it boils down to is that the diversity police are after us.  We have
> > >sponsored an annual history conference here in Moscow for a number of
> > >years,
> > >a conference that has brought in hundreds of people from all over the
> > >country.  The average attendance at this conference is about 800 people.
> > >The Daily News reported (erroneously) that the conference this year was
> > >going to be on slavery, which started the public outcry.  But since that
> > >time, much of the defamatory gasoline that has been keeping the
> slanderous
> > >fire alive has come from the UI.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >In particular, Raul Sanchez of the Office of Diversity and Human Rights
> has
> > >used his office's web site to help circulate defamatory material against
> > >us.
> > >I have included with this letter a copy of a letter I sent to President
> > >Michael and Provost Pitcher a week or so ago on that issue.  The
> incendiary
> > >essay referred to in my letter is by Drs. Quinlan and Ramsey, both of
> them
> > >on the faculty of the history department at the UI.  This last weekend,
> Dr.
> > >Graden, another history professor, wrote an op-ed piece for the Daily
> News
> > >in which he accused us of creating a climate which would lead to the
> murder
> > >of gays and the burning of synagogues. (!)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >The actual circumstances are the reverse of this.  The businesses of some
> > >of
> > >our people have been vandalized, and the attacks on us are growing
> > >increasingly brazen.  UI professors are using time in class to incite
> > >students against us, and consequently, since the response of the UI
> > >administration has been positively anemic (e.g. allowing Raul Sanchez to
> > >use
> > >his UI web site to circulate defamatory material), I am very concerned
> > >about
> > >what may happen this February at our conference.  If there is violence or
> > >harassment of any kind (and there has already been quite a bit), it would
> > >not be difficult at all to show how the UI nurtured the climate in which
> > >this developed.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >In the best of times, I would find it problematic for individuals at a
> > >publicly funded university to use their position to attack Christian
> > >ministries for their failure to be secularists.  But in the current
> > >climate,
> > >for anyone up there at the University of Enron to set themselves up as
> > >moral
> > >arbiters is a bit thick.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >As you no doubt know, liberals and progressives love diversity until they
> > >actually start getting some.  In writing this letter, I am not asking
> that
> > >anyone's legitimate freedom of opinion or expression be restricted in any
> > >way.  But I am asking that the UI be removed as the base from which they
> > >launch their mortar rounds.  I am also asking that the Office of
> Diversity
> > >apologize to us and to the public for this gross misuse of the resources
> of
> > >a public university.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >This should go without saying, but I want to assure you that we have
> > >nothing
> > >whatever to do with racism, white supremacy, white separatism, or any
> other
> > >disease coming out of the fever swamps of the right wing.  I do not want
> to
> > >weary you with any details here, but we would be happy to answer any
> > >questions you might have in this regard.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >As I said at the beginning, I wish the occasion for this letter was
> > >something else.  But there it is.  I appreciate any attention you can
> give
> > >to this matter,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Cordially,
> > >
> > >Douglas Wilson
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >cc:  Gary Michael, Brian Pitcher, Blake Hall, Raul Sanchez
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Rose's note:  If you would like to see this on the original letter head,
> as
> > >usual, I urge you to stop by the office of Christ Church and ask for a
> > >copy.
> > >Otherwise, for the time being words fail me.
> > >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
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> >
> 
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