Cabron!!

[Ghostrider]

Originally posted by Solid

I think too much emphasis is put on 'experience' in many of these fields. While those teaching the sciences SHOULD have experience, many say that those teaching politics etc should also have real-world experience in their field. I disagree. While it can help to bring insight, it can also corrupt and [further] bias their viewpoint.

JMO,

Solid [/B]

Well you know what they say: "Those who can, do, those who can't, teach."

Seriously, the point is there needs to be a BALANCE. To stay in academia "permanently" does not give one a real perspective. AND academia IS biased. It's no coincidence that most universities are hotbeds of liberalism. Education provides tools for future endeavors but it cannot be a "be all/end all". Trust me on this one, I see kids out of college expecting that because they are "educated" that everyone should listen to them/they've got the newest/latest/greatest way of doing things or they should be given outrageous starting salaries....then they get a huge reality check that knocks them on their ass.

As far as politics, well politics ARE biased.....that's the whole point of it, so regardless of experience vs. education a person's view is probably not going to "changed" dramatically based on their exposure to either (ie. if they're a "liberal" they would have continued along that path, if they're a "conservative" they would do the same). imho.

[Solid]

I agree, the best academics have tenure but also take time off to travel and work. However, I don't like the 'no real world experience' equates to ineligibility argument. That was my real point, the example I gave was simplistic. Theory is important, too.

Solid

[DunbarFC]

Should I even dare to mention that I had Mike Dukakis as a professor..............

[Ghostrider]

Originally posted by DunbarFC
Should I even dare to mention that I had Mike Dukakis as a professor..............

No.

[Sacamuelas]

Originally posted by Solid

I think too much emphasis is put on 'experience' in many of these fields. While those teaching the sciences SHOULD have experience, many say that those teaching politics etc should also have real-world experience in their field. I disagree. While it can help to bring insight, it can also corrupt and [further] bias their viewpoint.

JMO,

Solid

It is not surprising to find that opinion coming from someone who has had no "real world" life experiences yet.

Ask a lawyer, doctor, police officer, soldier, musician, or teacher how important their past experiences are to them when performing at the highest level possible in their respective fields. Ask them how much of their expertise that they use daily can be learned by books alone.

Not trying to slam you, just getting you to possibly rethink your position. There are a couple of books I could recommend to you if you want to become an expert on value of Life experience and wisdom too! LOL

[Ghostrider]

Unfortunately, I cannot respond to the various emails and phone calls I've received. It has been very disconcerting to receive death threats and so much hatred. I hope this email clarifies my views better. Please take this as an honest attempt from someone trying to right a wrong misunderstanding.

Clearing up the misconceptions in the Pat Tillman Article

I wrote an article entitled "Patrick Tillman is not a hero", in which I tried to contradict the American society viewpoint that Pat Tillman was a hero for his service in Afghanistan. I disagree with the conflicts that he took place in, but that's not why I did not think he was a hero. I thought (and still think) that there is an unhealthy tendency in the American public to knee-jerk into
hero worship, but instead of persuading people to look at this issue, I just inflamed the hero worship and the situation. Re-reading my words, I did come to the conclusion that my words were inflammatory and tainted the meaning of my article. I do admit I was partly sarcastic on an issue that seems to be dear to
a lot of people. I did not write my words with sufficient "political
correctness" to make them palatable. For the insensitivity, I apologize.

I mean no disrespect to the family of Patrick Tillman, and I would be very distraught to learn they were hurt by my comments. That was not my intent. My intent was to open up a debate on whether or not serving in the U.S. military is a de facto reason for considering someone a hero. I've been quite bothered by
the continued calling of U.S. soldiers as "heroes", especially in conflicts that I find nothing to be proud of.

Regardless of that, I stated clearly that if Pat Tillman had been defending the East coast of the United States from invasion, I would have thought his service to be heroic and laudable. I think the same of soldiers who fought in conflicts like World War II. However, I'm not proud of dishonorable American
interventions throughout history (Vietnam, Bay of Pigs, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Haiti, Grenada, Panama, The Philippines, Iraq 2004), and I adamantly refuse to consider soldiers in those wars, heroes. Every American intervention and every American soldier's action is not automatically heroic, and that was my point.
Each case must be examined critically, and I don't feel the American public is undertaking any critical examination of the legitimacy of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, nor the legitimacy of the actions of the troops there.

I did learn one lesson, though: there is freedom of speech in this country, but not much toleration for its expression. Freedom of speech exists only for those that parrot the "party line". For those that even peep a dissent, only scorn is awaiting them.

I hope this letter clears up the misconceptions that have arisen. My criticism was not for Patrick Tillman (who may have been the most honorable man alive) or his family, or even soldiers serving the United States today. It is to the society back home, which seems to be unable to distinguish between honorable
American interventions and honorable American soldiers, and soldiers who served in dishonorable interventions and, therefore, dishonored themselves. And, for the reasons outlined above, I cannot support troops that have dishonored themselves by serving in a dishonorable war, and much less consider them heroes.

Rene L. Gonzalez Berrios, M.A.
Political Science / University of Massachusetts
renegonzalez7@hotmail.com


Nice "apology" fucktard not only insulting the troops but also the American public.....apology NOT accepted.

[DunbarFC]

I'm hopping on the Mass Pike and heading west as soon as work is over

[DoctorDoom]

x

[Ghostrider]

I couldn't stand it anymore so this is what I sent to the young "lady".

Rene,

After reading your "apology" I've got to say: NOT ACCEPTED! If you think that your backhanded, insincere drivel of an apology is going to fool anyone, you are as insipid as you are arrogant. Not only have you insulted the service people of this country but you have now slapped the American public right in the face.

Being an "educated" university student you probably think you are among the intellectual "elite" and that the average person is too stupid to see right through you. The unfortunate thing about this whole episode is that an insignificant little twit like you is actually getting attention that you clearly crave.

I tell you what, since you feel that strongly why don't you visit Ft. Benning, Ft. Bragg, Ft. Knox, Ft. Lewis, and the other military bases to express your First Amendment rights. Better yet why don't you personally visit Ranger Tillman's family and offer a face to face apology for dragging their son's name through the mud. At least then we would know that you actually have some conviction. Oh wait, that would require some integrity and fortitude which you sorely lack.

Personally, as a UMASS Graduate School Alumni ('93) myself , you have brought shame on to the University of Massachusetts.

John

[The Reaper]

Weak, weak, weak.

The men he decries as "not heroes" did not choose to fight in those conflicts, they were sent there by a democratically elected civilian government.

Obviously his studies at UMass of Afro-American Music did not include sufficient unbiased History or Political Science courses for him to understand the nature of the conflicts, or to provide an intelligent and informed commentary.

I wonder if he would prefer that PR still be a Spanish colony, or in the condition of the Spanish colonies that were cut loose or revolted, like his neighbors, Cuba or the Dom Rep. Last time I checked, people were fleeing those former Spanish colonies for PR and eventually, the CONUS.

I suppose that he should ask the citizens who survived the INVASION of South Vietnam by the North, the citizens of Cuba who are political prisoners today after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the people of Nicaragua under the kindness of the Sandanistas who were turned out in the first Democratic elections after seizing power in a bloody coup, the citizens of Haiti who have only known freedom and prosperity when U.S. troops secured their nation from internal despots, the citizens of Grenada who were being forcibly taken over by a Cuban supported Marxist minority, Panamanians who were being killed and tortured by Noriega, The Philippines which last time I checked, were a free nation at the cost of tens of thousands of American lives paid on several occasions, and Iraq 2004, where Sadaam had killed and tortured millions.

It would appear that young Rene has no problems ignoring colonialism and dictatorships, as long as they are hostile to the U.S. To review, he would prefer Ho's Communist Vietnam violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, Castro's Communist Cuba also violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, the Sandanista's Communist Nicaragua violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, Cedras (or Baby Doc's) military dictatorship in Haiti violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, Bishop's military dictatorship in Grenada violating the human rights of thousands with no democratically elected government, Noriega's military dictatorship of Panama violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, the Spanish colonial government and Japanese military governments of the Phillipines violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, the Spanish colonial government of Puerto Rico violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government, and Sadaam's military dictatorship of Iraq violating the human rights of millions with no democratically elected government while supporting terrorism and developing (and using) WMD. Notice a trend here?

Let us poll the citizens of those nations and see whether they would prefer to return to the regimes which we helped them depose, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Americans and untold billions of dollars of U.S. citizen's tax money. What have we gotten in return?

He needs to look at the cover of Time's Man of the Year issue and reflect how many millions of people on this planet live in freedom, security, and under a representative democracy ONLY BECAUSE OF the men he labels as "not heroes."

Clearly, he deserves whatever happens to him, and should flee the evil U.S. to an oppressed third world country to liberate it, rebuild it, and offer the people a democratic elected government without any interference from American "not heroes".

Can UMass revoke his degrees on grounds of his lack of intellectual capacity?

TR

[Solid]

Mission to remove head from liberal ass- failed.

He still equates dishonest political ventures through military force with the soldiers fighting in them being dishonest... A simple look at the chain of command shows that he is plainly wrong. As long as the soldiers abide by the rules set forward by the UCMJ and the fully amended Laws of Land Warfare, they have fought honorably for their country, regardless of the political motivation behind their deployment.

Pat Tillman is a hero. There is no contradicting this point.

Solid

EDIT- Great post, Reaper. I would say that the backlash from this will have had his career tanked. Even the liberal schools of thought will disapprove of his socially-sensitive false-logic. UMass doesn't need to do anything but protect their own rears, this sucker's academic life is done.

[Ghostrider]

Yeah, a little childish on my part, but..........

[Team Sergeant]

Scroll down to the list of "students" and guess who's on there....

I'll bet he's real sorry.


http://www.westmasspac.org/signatures.html

[Ghostrider]

Originally posted by Team Sergeant
Scroll down to the list of "students" and guess who's on there....

I'll bet he's real sorry.


http://www.westmasspac.org/signatures.html

Why does that not surprise me?

[SOGvet]

Let's review.. Mr. Gonsalez bad-mouth's a fine young American man, and a honest to God American hero, and then he has the balls to post his bio on the internet self-proclaiming that he's a eff'ing communist!... this boy isn't nearly as smart as he give himself credit for.

http://www.celluloid-wisdom.com/pw/archives/002994.html - be sure to dbl-click on his pic so you can read the bio. Also take a moment to scan his feedback...

This boy is quickly becoming a candidate to take a dive off the Verazanno Narrows Bridge..

My guess is that there's probably a rental car full of really short-haired guys with some really bad attitudes from somewhere in Georgia headed north on I-95 right now - fixin' to pay this boy back for what he's said about their brother.

Kick 'im once for me, gents...