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"Racist" professor found dead in home

Started by Wahoo Redux, July 24, 2020, 10:20:09 AM

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nebo113

Quote from: writingprof on July 24, 2020, 04:46:23 PM
Quote from: Caracal on July 24, 2020, 04:34:23 PM
Quote from: writingprof on July 24, 2020, 01:03:02 PM

Modifying to add: Women's Studies is indeed nonessential.  We lived without that field of academic inquiry for almost all of human history. 

True enough. (The first women's history departments were in the early 1970s) but the same is true for sociology (1890s), computer science (1950s), and Religious Studies (late 19th century) and lots of other fields you probably aren't grumbling about.

How little you know me.  Sociology?  Marxist hokum.  Computer science?  All the smart kids drop out before graduation.  Religious Studies?  A swamp of heresies, in multiple flavors.  Give me some more fields; I can go on.

Please don't.

nebo113

Quote from: dismalist on July 25, 2020, 02:15:05 PM
Quote from: writingprof on July 25, 2020, 02:11:45 PM
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on July 25, 2020, 01:21:45 PM
Quote from: writingprof on July 24, 2020, 01:03:02 PM
Modifying to add: Women's Studies is indeed nonessential.  We lived without that field of academic inquiry for almost all of human history.  Please don't kill me for agreeing with this guy.

Almost all our fields of academic inquiry are new to human history.

Oh my goodness.  Now you're just being a silly troll.

Engineering and agriculture are pretty old.  The rest: nonessential.

Most new knowledge is wrong! :-)

writingprof

All right, the minor moral panic on this thread can now cease.  I was only defending the assertion of the murdered professor that Women's Studies is "nonessential."  That doesn't (necessarily) mean that I (or he) think it worthless. 

Parasaurolophus

I know it's a genus.

Wahoo Redux

Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 06:04:23 AM
All right, the minor moral panic on this thread can now cease.  I was only defending the assertion of the murdered professor that Women's Studies is "nonessential."  That doesn't (necessarily) mean that I (or he) think it worthless.

I think it is more "disdain for adolescent attitude" than "minor moral panic" on this thread.  I see no moral panic whatsoever, actually.
Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

writingprof

Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

RatGuy

Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 09:06:58 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Parasaurolophus

Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 09:06:58 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

Quote from: RatGuy on July 26, 2020, 09:54:04 AM

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Yup.

There isn't really any point to the thread, or the original story. It's masquerading as something else, for reasons.
I know it's a genus.

marshwiggle

Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 10:25:46 AM
Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 09:06:58 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

Quote from: RatGuy on July 26, 2020, 09:54:04 AM

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Yup.

There isn't really any point to the thread, or the original story. It's masquerading as something else, for reasons.

If it were a professor from some marginalized group, it would probably be presented as being due to bullying or bigotry.
It takes so little to be above average.

writingprof

Quote from: marshwiggle on July 26, 2020, 10:41:03 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 10:25:46 AM
Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 09:06:58 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

Quote from: RatGuy on July 26, 2020, 09:54:04 AM

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Yup.

There isn't really any point to the thread, or the original story. It's masquerading as something else, for reasons.

If it were a professor from some marginalized group, it would probably be presented as being due to bullying or bigotry.

If he actually was a racist, he was a member of a marginalized group.  If he was just a "racist," he's smack dab in the middle of the American mainstream.

Wahoo Redux

Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 10:25:46 AM
Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 09:06:58 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

Quote from: RatGuy on July 26, 2020, 09:54:04 AM

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Yup.

There isn't really any point to the thread, or the original story. It's masquerading as something else, for reasons.

What I found interesting is the cultural position of the "professor."  Suicide and racism are not particularly unusual, but when it is a professor (and not even a prominent scholar) it is somehow newsworthy.

Folks decided to debate the curriculum instead.
Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

writingprof

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on July 26, 2020, 12:47:29 PM
What I found interesting is the cultural position of the "professor."  Suicide and racism are not particularly unusual, but when it is a professor (and not even a prominent scholar) it is somehow newsworthy.

If we're not going to be paid as if we matter, at least let us enjoy the occasional ministrations of a news crew, even in death.  When I commit suicide* one day, I expect no less.

*read: am murdered by my ideological opponents

mahagonny

#42
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 10:25:46 AM
Quote from: writingprof on July 26, 2020, 09:06:58 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 26, 2020, 08:01:33 AM
He wasn't murdered.

He wasn't?  Admittedly, I haven't been reading very closely, but what is the point of this thread if he died of natural causes?  I look forward to the sequels: "'Racist' Professor Dies in Nursing Home", "'Homophobic' Professor Dies in Plane Crash", and "'Sexist' Professor Dies in Amusement Park Accident".

Quote from: RatGuy on July 26, 2020, 09:54:04 AM

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Yup.

There isn't really any point to the thread, or the original story. It's masquerading as something else, for reasons.
Sure, there could be. Questions that occur to me: do people see tenure as an opportunity to express their more serious thoughts if they calculate that this particular time it makes sense to, or do they see tenure as an obligation to be never be less than totally candid about them? Isn't that a burden?  Or is it less serious: they calculate that they can cultivate enough opposition to bring themselves down, then exploit the protections of tenure for a nice buyout contract, retire early, but then find out when it's all done, they don't feel the way they expected to?
Or a question about all of us, tenured or not: many seem to be enjoying arguing about politics, LGBTQRSTUVXYZ issues, etc. and ridiculing those who disagree with them, and have a flair for it, but how is it not stressful activity that takes its toll eventually?

QuoteWhat I found interesting is the cultural position of the "professor."  Suicide and racism are not particularly unusual, but when it is a professor (and not even a prominent scholar) it is somehow newsworthy.

Well, aside from the voyeurism found in human beings generally, don't you think his death is welcome news for some? He may have been run out of academia, but could have gone on publishing.

Wahoo Redux

Quote from: mahagonny on July 26, 2020, 06:32:59 PM

QuoteWhat I found interesting is the cultural position of the "professor."  Suicide and racism are not particularly unusual, but when it is a professor (and not even a prominent scholar) it is somehow newsworthy.

Well, aside from the voyeurism found in human beings generally, don't you think his death is welcome news for some? He may have been run out of academia, but could have gone on publishing.

Somebody is happy, I am sure.  He was a hatemonger, he got hate back, and he will undoubtedly get hate in the afterlife until this particular cultural moment has faded.

Obviously he was mentally ill---and I would think that anyone who follows his chains of thought would reconsider their allegiance to his ideas with this context in mind.

But again, why would this generate more than local interest?  I'm sure Conservapedia will cover it on their "professor crimes" page, otherwise why would anyone particularly care?
Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

mahagonny

#44
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on July 26, 2020, 07:26:52 PM

Obviously he was mentally ill---and I would think that anyone who follows his chains of thought would reconsider their allegiance to his ideas with this context in mind.


You mean you think they should. But that's not a settled issue. Anyone can opine about which disciplines are essential and which are not, especially in the current environment. A person who you are certain is mentally ill could still be saying something valid.

If you could delete the lives of all mentally ill scholars, inventors and artists from history, would we have less knowledge than we have now? I suspect so.