The Rachel Corrie Award
I wasn’t aware that such a thing existed, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Eugene Volokh reports that one
Matthew Abraham, assistant professor of English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, is the recipient of the 2005 Rachel Corrie Award for Courage in the Teaching of Writing.
“Courage in the Teaching of Writing”. Roll that around on your tongue for a bit. I wasn’t aware that it was such a hazardous profession. “Take care Jones! Those mis-placed modifiers are loaded for bear!”
It seems his nomination was bulldozed through by none other than Noam Chomsky, who said
“Abraham not only organized the symposium, but was also its guiding participant. The leading themes were topics that particularly concerned Edward Said–and Rachel Corrie. That takes a good deal of courage in the public domain in the US, including an academic setting. It includes extremes of abuse and vilification, and for younger people, threats to possible appointment; and in fact more direct threats, including death threats, many taken seriously by police on campuses and in communities….Abraham handled all of this with skill, care, sympathetic understanding, and admirable courage. The same has been true of other initiatives of his in defense of freedom of speech and academic freedom, and of suffering people. It is an admirable record, one of which, I am confident, Rachel Corrie would have very much approved, as I do, very much….In brief, I cannot think of a more worthy candidate.”
Who knew Chomsky was a deconstructionist?
Heh.
Humanity...or the Lack Thereof | Mr. Bingley | 
March 7, 2005 8:56 pm
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Hmm. I thought IHOP gave out that award.
And once again, Gnome Chumpsky demonstrates the perils of hallucinogens.
Rachel Corrie was too stupid to move away from a bulldozer. This alone speaks volumes of Matthew Abraham.
And Chomsky.
“threats to possible appointment”
Say what? Conservatives control the Academy? I think Chomsky’s having a flashback to 1964.
I think Chomsky’s having a flashback to 1964.
Yes, when all of the leftists started getting their tenured positions. The only threat that they are facing now is that administrators are trying to introduce HMOs…
Must be an LSD flashback. Can’t be stress related.
I don’t know, JeffS, all his preconceptions are getting hammered on the hard rocks of reality. Even for someone as deep in drug-induced haze as Noam, that’s gotta hurt on some level.
[sound of little Chomsky feet stamping] You must listen to me! Not listening to me is fascist!
Hmph, I thought they were the Catties…
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as in CATerpillar. Geez, do I have to explain everything?
No you don’t, my Deere…