[Vision2020] Reply to Wilson on NSA Accreditation

[Nick Gier]

--Boundary_(ID_uareWnj7Jn+07gCe7K6CkA)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

      I see that Doug Wilson has replied to my concerns about the 
accreditation of New St. Andrews College (NSA).  His reply is appended 
below and my letter to the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges 
and Schools can be read at www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/nsaccred.htm.

      First, Wilson blithely misses the point about the academic sin of 
hiring his son Nathan, his brother Gordon, and his son-in-law Ben Merkle as 
NSA faculty.  Flip Wilson's thin humor about NSA hiring him and his family 
relations despite their UI degrees disguises the fact that NSA is Wilson's 
creation and he hires and fires everyone in his vast Calvinist empire.

      He and his family could all have Harvard doctorates, but the problem 
would still be the same.  Confucius was right to reject Mohist (and by 
implication Christian) unconditional love because of the plain fact that 
humans will naturally love their family more than non-family.  This basic 
issue of accountability and impartiality is the reason why reputable 
schools do not even hire their own PhDs, no matter how good they may be.

      Second, Wilson tries to make a joke about academic publishing and 
again ignores completely the sin of creating his own press to publish 
anything that he wants, including a defense of Southern Slavery that even 
his own Calvinist friends want him to retract.  I would rather sell 28 
copies of a book that has been blind reviewed than to sell thousands of 
copies of anything that I would want to self publish.

      I'm certain that Wilson is insincere in his request for my 
publisher's address, but I will provide it anyway:  State University of New 
York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207-1707.  (By the 
way, my book on Wittgenstein sold 2,500 copies, not 28.) Your reasoning 
ability seems to be slipping considerably, Doug, especially in this 
particular blogg.  Could it be the fact that you've set yourself up so that 
no one can judge you, and that you are used to saying anything you want 
without correction or censure?  I think this would make the mind a little 
lazy and ultimately irresponsible.

      Third, Wilson presents us with a good example of the informal logical 
fallacy of "turning the tables."  Somehow he thinks that it's improper for 
a legitimate academic institution to speak out against his outrageous 
slavery booklet and to protest using a campus venue to hold "history" 
conferences that don't bother to invite professional historians.  It would 
of course be a dereliction of duty for a university not to declare academic 
fraud when it discovers one right in its midst.  I'm just thankful that, 
although Gov. Kempthorne once received a tie from Wilson, that the good 
governor chose not to defend Wilson's phony claim to academic respectability.

North of Riggins
Topic: General Ruminations
A retired philosophy prof from the University of Idaho (the largest 
educational body north of Riggins, also in Idaho) has taken up a new hobby. 
Nick Gier, for that is the gentleman's name, has some correspondence going 
with TRACS, the body from which New St. Andrews is seeking accreditation.
His concerns are three-fold. First, I have apparently hired a boatload of 
my relatives to teach at NSA. Secondly, most of the faculty publications 
come from Canon Press, my very own creation it seems. And third, NSA has 
attacked the UI administration and faculty and is now pursuing something 
called "legal discovery" with regard to the UI Black History Month.
With regard to family, the real concern (and thanks, Nick, for this 
opportunity to come clean) is not the DNA issues at all. The real concern 
is that between the four of us, we have five degrees from the University of 
Idaho. We are all thunderstruck that NSA was willing to touch us, even with 
a barge pole. But the quality of mercy is not strained, but falleth as a 
gentle rain from heaven. Or something like that.
On the Canon Press titles, we have to admit gross heteroclite behavior as 
well. Although well-aware of the academic requirement to have all serious 
publications done by publishing houses that agree to sell no more than 28 
copies, we went ahead and let Canon sell books written by our faculty to 
tens of thousands of people. Who knew that was going to happen? We will try 
to do better in the future, and would appreciate it if Dr. Gier could give 
us the contact info for the folks that published his book.
On us attacking UI administration and faculty, this is the one place where 
we cannot really confess all our little maxima culpas. We are afraid that 
Prof. Gier (in his role as research professor) has gotten the facts upside 
down and backwards. It was the UI that spent (some sixteen) thousands of 
dollars to generate opposition to Credenda's history conference, and even 
offered a (for-credit) class to instruct students in how to be good, little 
protesters against us. Did we retaliate? Not us! But even though this is a 
boom time for the UI, and we know they have money and to spare, it still 
seemed a little inadvisable to us.
Posted by Douglas Wilson - 5/11/2004 5:41:29 PM



--Boundary_(ID_uareWnj7Jn+07gCe7K6CkA)
Content-type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT

<html>
<font face="Courier New, Courier" size=1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</font>I see that Doug Wilson has replied to my concerns about the
accreditation of New St. Andrews College (NSA).&nbsp; His reply is
appended below and my letter to the Transnational Association of
Christian Colleges and Schools can be read at
<a href="http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/nsaccred.htm" eudora="autourl">www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/nsaccred.htm</a>.<br><br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First, Wilson blithely misses the point about
the academic sin of hiring his son Nathan, his brother Gordon, and his
son-in-law Ben Merkle as NSA faculty.&nbsp; Flip Wilson’s thin humor
about NSA hiring him and his family relations despite their UI degrees
disguises the fact that NSA is Wilson’s creation and he hires and fires
everyone in his vast Calvinist empire. <br><br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He and his family could all have Harvard
doctorates, but the problem would still be the same.&nbsp; Confucius was
right to reject Mohist (and by implication Christian) unconditional love
because of the plain fact that humans will naturally love their family
more than non-family.&nbsp; This basic issue of accountability and
impartiality is the reason why reputable schools do not even hire their
own PhDs, no matter how good they may be.<br><br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Second, Wilson tries to make a joke about
academic publishing and again ignores completely the sin of creating his
own press to publish anything that he wants, including a defense of
Southern Slavery that even his own Calvinist friends want him to
retract.&nbsp; I would rather sell 28 copies of a book that has been
blind reviewed than to sell thousands of copies of anything that I would
want to self publish.&nbsp; <br><br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I’m certain that Wilson is insincere in his
request for my publisher’s address, but I will provide it anyway:&nbsp;
State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany,
NY 12207-1707.&nbsp; (By the way, my book on Wittgenstein sold 2,500
copies, not 28.) Your reasoning ability seems to be slipping
considerably, Doug, especially in this particular blogg.&nbsp; Could it
be the fact that you’ve set yourself up so that no one can judge you, and
that you are used to saying anything you want without correction or
censure?&nbsp; I think this would make the mind a little lazy and
ultimately irresponsible.<br><br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Third, Wilson presents us with a good example of
the informal logical fallacy of “turning the tables.”&nbsp; Somehow he
thinks that it’s improper for a legitimate academic institution to speak
out against his outrageous slavery booklet and to protest using a campus
venue to hold “history” conferences that don’t bother to invite
professional historians.&nbsp; It would of course be a dereliction of
duty for a university not to declare academic fraud when it discovers one
right in its midst.&nbsp; I’m just thankful that, although Gov.
Kempthorne once received a tie from Wilson, that the good governor chose
not to defend Wilson’s phony claim to academic respectability.<br><br>
North of Riggins<br>
Topic: General Ruminations<br>
A retired philosophy prof from the University of Idaho (the largest
educational body north of Riggins, also in Idaho) has taken up a new
hobby. Nick Gier, for that is the gentleman's name, has some
correspondence going with TRACS, the body from which New St. Andrews is
seeking accreditation.<br>
His concerns are three-fold. First, I have apparently hired a boatload of
my relatives to teach at NSA. Secondly, most of the faculty publications
come from Canon Press, my very own creation it seems. And third, NSA has
attacked the UI administration and faculty and is now pursuing something
called &quot;legal discovery&quot; with regard to the UI Black History
Month. <br>
With regard to family, the real concern (and thanks, Nick, for this
opportunity to come clean) is not the DNA issues at all. The real concern
is that between the four of us, we have five degrees from the University
of Idaho. We are all thunderstruck that NSA was willing to touch us, even
with a barge pole. But the quality of mercy is not strained, but falleth
as a gentle rain from heaven. Or something like that.<br>
On the Canon Press titles, we have to admit gross heteroclite behavior as
well. Although well-aware of the academic requirement to have all serious
publications done by publishing houses that agree to sell no more than 28
copies, we went ahead and let Canon sell books written by our faculty to
tens of thousands of people. Who knew that was going to happen? We will
try to do better in the future, and would appreciate it if Dr. Gier could
give us the contact info for the folks that published his book.<br>
On us attacking UI administration and faculty, this is the one place
where we cannot really confess all our little maxima culpas. We are
afraid that Prof. Gier (in his role as research professor) has gotten the
facts upside down and backwards. It was the UI that spent (some sixteen)
thousands of dollars to generate opposition to Credenda's history
conference, and even offered a (for-credit) class to instruct students in
how to be good, little protesters against us. Did we retaliate? Not us!
But even though this is a boom time for the UI, and we know they have
money and to spare, it still seemed a little inadvisable to us.<br>
Posted by Douglas Wilson - 5/11/2004 5:41:29 PM<br><br>
<br>
</html>

--Boundary_(ID_uareWnj7Jn+07gCe7K6CkA)--