University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dear Chancellor Wiley —

I realize that the University of Wisconsin-Madison has always prided itself on being a liberal institution, but certainly even the most liberal of academics at your institution must be terribly embarrassed by the statements and conduct of part-time Professor Kevin Barrett. Drafting an article likening George Bush to Adolph Hitler — and then making students purchase such tripe — is simply astounding for a professor at a respected institute of higher learning such as UWM. Frankly, I’m surprised that the university would permit its reputation to be tarnished by allowing this sort of incendiary, ludicrous nonsense to be taught its classrooms. Simply, Mr. Barrett and his ridiculous theories about 9/11 are bringing ridicule to your institution.

Please do not regurgitate the old line about “all voices and points of view” being welcome on campus. I do not see UWM hiring neo-Nazis who might actually possess teaching credentials to teach classes. Such opinions, while entitled to First Amendment rights, do not belong in the curriculum and certainly do not deserve the imprimatur of respectability that a UWM classroom automatically imparts. Kevin Barrett and his ridiculous views fall into the same category. I’m surprised your institution, by giving Mr. Barrett access to its students, is tacitly endorsing such nonsense. For myself, I can never again look at UWM — or its graduates seeking jobs — with the same amount of respect.

— Chicago, IL

I read with growing disgust the AP article published on Yahoo News titled: “UW instructor compares Bush to Hitler,” expecting to see some minor issue raised to a mountain by the rabble rousing news media. Instead I see the following: “A university instructor who came under scrutiny for arguing that the U.S. government orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks likens President Bush to Adolf Hitler in an essay his students are being required to buy for his course.”

While it is important to teach students to think, question, postulate and then be able to defend and substantiate their thoughts and ideas, and as a former student who participated in many a protest march and demonstration in the late 60’s and early 70’s I still find this comparison to Hitler beyond poor taste. It casts a shadow over all other positives of your school. Hitler was and is a monster who orchestrated the mass murder of millions, and was certainly at best a madman. While I do not require all to like or agree with our President, I do expect a modicum of good taste. Burn him in effigy, taunt him in the press, organize a demonstration or protest ...

To stoop as low as Kevin Barrett is to dishonor all Americans and all the Americans who served and or died, did so idiots like Barrett could be free to disagree. From Crispus Attucks to those dying today in Iraq, all of them sacrificed for our freedom and careless and thoughtless acts such as Barrett’s cheapen their memory.

You sir, and those that stand with you defending this repugnant act, have had their individual honor, morality and courage sullied by someone who would not have survived under a leader such as Hitler. It is time for UW to stand collectively as an American Institution and individually as those that condemn such a comparison. Even though as Americans we are bound by our constitution, our morals, our very American-ness to allow such sickening things we are not required to stand by silently, and therefore approvingly.

Remember we are allow to dissent, but not only with our rulers our government, but also crackpots like Barrett.

Thanks you for considering my thoughts.

— No hometown listed

I was shocked and dismayed to learn of the actions of one of your professors regarding his teachings and views of the events on September 11, 2001.

In a news article today on the Twin Cities.com web site it is stated that Mr. Barrett is requiring students to purchase a book called “Islam: Religion and Culture,” which is to include an essay written by Barrett entitled “Interpreting the Unspeakable: The Myth of 9/11,” where he compares President George Bush to Adolph Hitler.

In the essay he writes: “Like Bush and the neocons, Hitler and the Nazis inaugurated their new era by destroying an architectural monument and blaming its destruction on their designated enemies.” This radical, twisted ultra-leftist view of the sacred memory of those who lost their lives in the hideous attack on September 11 should never be used to espouse personal views by those who hate our country and our president.

It is my hope that your University will do the right thing, relieve Barrett of his duties at your university and issue a statement to the people of the United States apologizing for making a mockery of September 11 and the President. I have a nephew who attends your school and I shudder to think he may be exposed to the drivel, lies, and disgusting views of this man.

— No hometown listed

While we do enjoy the right to free speech, I was appalled that the University of Wisconsin-Madison would allow Mr. Kevin Barrett to require his students “purchase” an essay he has written which says the U.S. government orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, as well as comparing President George W. Bush to Adolph Hitler. This is crossing the line, and were I the parent of a student of the university’s, I would withdraw my child and ask for a refund of all monies. This Mr. Barrett doesn’t even deal in reality, nor is government/politics his area of supposed expertise. I would say his area of expertise if Socialism, at best. This man should be reprimanded publicly and asked to return all money he has collected for this untruthful and sick essay.

— Roswell, GA

Provost Farrell’s decision to retain Dr. Barrett on staff (albeit for only one course) is based on allowing and protecting academic freedom. I unequivocally believe in free speech and fully support the right of American citizens to express their views. I dedicated nearly 30 years of my life in the U.S. Navy and my family endured many hardships while I was helping to defend those rights and the principal of free speech. However, having witnessed Dr. Barrett talk on Fox News this morning (3 Aug 2006), I feel compelled to add my opinion to your collection of e-mails opposed to keeping this man on the faculty. My opinion is that the man came across as a complete idiot and I can’t believe that you are paying him to teach in a major university.

Donald Downs asserts that academic freedom protects the right as well as the left. That is not the issue here. Rather it is the fact that the University of Wisconsin has obviously hired a person who is not qualified to teach. He proclaims that his course is not about 9/11 yet that is all that he would discuss during the Fox interview. He failed to defend the question as to why he was qualified to teach the Islam course but instead launched into his diatribe about 9/11. Again, the man is laughable! Let him promote his views by running for political office or making speeches wherever, etc. but to use tax payer dollars to fund someone who has no more intelligence than he displays is a travesty.

— Albuquerque, N.M.

“With freedom comes the greatest responsibility”

This statement was made because an institution, government and each individual needs to know when to say enough is enough, or I should keep that to myself, or that will not help just harm.

Maybe the University of Wisconsin is thinking that “bad press is better than no press at all.” I beg to differ. In the circles that I associate with, that is those that can afford and expect our children to go the best colleges, your University has been significantly an irreversibly damaged from employing and allowing such ranting to exist among the staff that influences the views of young adults. Last time I checked, aren’t young folks rather rebellious, think they know it all although they’re actually kinda clueless and oh yeah...extremely impressionable.

It reminds me of another old saying that goes something like this...”If you’re 20 and not a democrat you have no heart. If your 50 and you’re not a republican you have no brain.” I’m assuming that the University’s Provost, Dean and Executive Board are mostly 50 or older...well....you get the point.

Best of Luck!

— Clarkston, Mich.

Obviously, Kevin Barrett is not capable of performing his duties. Anyone who can see the pain and suffering of the people of New York City and say that our own government was the cause is out of touch with reality and beyond reason. He is beyond reasoning because of the sheer number of people on the ‘inside’ it would take to perpetrate a disaster of this magnitude. Nixon couldn’t even get away with a simple theft, let alone Bush being able to stage an attack with airplanes.

This is just more extreme liberal Bush administration bashing, and it’s not right to twist facts and present them as truth to impressionable college students. Some college professors (although apparently Kevin is not a professor), especially those in the liberal arts (but not limited to the liberal arts), continually have to find ways to make themselves useful to someone just to justify their employment. I have a graduate degree from Texas A&M University in Atmospheric Sciences, and believe me, I have seen this firsthand. This whole incident is just Kevin Barrett’s way of making himself appear useful to someone (i.e., gullible college students), because in reality, he is useless and he knows it. He is just another parasite in academia feeding off the taxpayers. I say fire him and make him a get a ‘real job.’

— No hometown given

How absolutely pathetic.

There is a difference between worthwhile, factual academics and the delusional fantasy of some pitiful outcast. This is yet another example of a professor toiling in lonely, worthless obscurity making some ridiculous claim just so someone might notice him.

I suppose we should dismiss the overwhelming evidence of how the 9/11 plot originated overseas. I suppose the countless videotapes that tracked the highjackers and the blatant connections they had to extremist groups should be ignored. I suppose the U.S. government flew a plane into the Pentagon too just to add more drama to its’ covert operation.

I myself am quire familiar with higher education holding two Masters and graduating magna cum laude from two of the best schools in the country for my discipline. What you’ve allowed Barrett to do is make a mockery of academics but much, much worse it is a disgusting insult to the sacrifices Americans are making in the war against terror.

Certainly my children will never consider an education at the University of Wisconsin. As well, I’m sure the vast majority of Americans who agree Kevin Barrett is a moron would question the quality of an education there.

— No hometown given

It is rather appalling to see, what I always felt was a fine academic institution, University of Wisconsin, provide continued support for this disillusioned educator, Kevin Barrett. I see no problem with the university sponsoring a class on Islam and culture as long as they also do the same for the other major religions in all fairness. And it is clearly acceptable to present multiple perspectives on religions and their history. What I have an objection to is the rather warped conspiracy views about the government being behind the 9/11 attacks. This is absurd as the Northwestern University professor, Arthur Butz, who denies the Holocaust existed. Mr. Kevin Barrett, you are in the same league as him.

I have personally visited and seen first-hand the quality of the engineering college at UW and always had high regards for the University of Wisconsin. I even considered it a potential university for my daughter to attend when she is of age. Not so anymore. My opinion has changed. A first class and respectable educational institution should be held accountable for upholding the quality of education and standards of its teachers. Teachers are representatives of the university, therefore Mr. Barrett represents the University of Wisconsin. For the University of Wisconsin to support and defend of man of this caliber and not enforce decency and academic professional standards leaves me with a loss of respect for the university. The issue not only reflects the quality of the administration’s decisions but also the degrading integrity of the institution.

— No hometown given

I just saw a FOX news interview with the goofball professor who is adamant about teaching kids that this country is responsible for 911. This is disgusting. I couldn’t believe my daughter when she explained the content of an ethnic studies class she was required to take. Now we see the type of professors you see fit to hire to teach. This is unbelievable for such a prestigious institution to allow a guy like this on the staff. Please correct this situation or, at a minimum, restrict his teaching to the topic that he’s qualified to teach.

— No hometown given

Once again the Halls of Higher education display their absolute hatred of good and decent Americans, when it condones and supports such radical thinking as does Mr. Barrett. It is no surprise that critics such as Ann Coulter, continue to warn against the sordid crap, in the name of Education. One more liberal University, and another load of leftist crap.

How sad for America’s future!!!

When will your institutions learn about and teach a more middle of the road curriculum. I am sure we could all benefit immensely by learning the tenants of the “Muslim religion of Peace”.

— No hometown given

If this guy Barrett is the kind of teacher you offer at Wisconsin then NO STUDENT should ever attend your school nor should you receive any financial support from hard working Americans. You can always go to the Taliban for a donation.

This guy is a complete IDIOT and from what I’ve seen of him he appears to have a serious mental impairment. He was on FOX NEWS this morning and he was implying that the hijackers on 9-11 NEVER GOT ON THE PLANE???? His reason was the pictures of them boarding were false because “ALL THE SHADOWS WERE WRONG FOR THAT PART OF THE DAY. What a MORON!!!!!!!!! He was saying all this while rudely ignoring the host’s questioning him and was insanely ranting about some strange web site — all the time TWITCHING!!! What a NUT!!

This is the kind of person you let run around the country representing your University???? What the hell are the rest of you like??? Your students I imagine must all be on PROZAC. This jerk is not only treasonist but is an insult to every family who had a loved one die in those towers. President Lincoln, during the civil war, would of had this mutt SHOT! Oh, I’m sorry the CIVIL WAR did’nt happen either, did it?

FIRE THIS FOOL and then lock him in a rubber room and throw away the key. Thank-you and have a nice day destroying the minds of some of this countries young people

— No hometown given