Still More From Van Jones on Social Justice

For my Facebook readers, the material is here.

A Little Bit More on Van Jones

Tomorrow Pomona's Student Union (PSU) will be bringing radical environmental activist and admitted 9-11 Truther, Van Jones, to its campus as part of its "distinguished" speaker series. (I guess they are using that word rather loosely, but hey, if Claremont McKenna can have directors of their programs that support the genocidal Hezbollah, why not invite someone who believes 9-11 was an "inside job"?)

Here's something he recently said about how environmental justice is social justice, which is, as we know, a code word for left wing activism.

Two Comments Take The Port Side's Sloppy Article To Task

The Claremont Port Side still hasn't posted up my comment asking for a correction of their shoddily researched story, but until they do, let's look at one such comment, which has been proofread by me. The most damning bit is the part where The Claremont Port Side's Jeremy Merrill CMC '12 (who probably wrote the piece) is shown not to have even read the "1940 Statement of Principles and Academic Tenure". 


Of course we know that Merrill -- and Heiney -- don't read emails sent to the Port Side that detail Frangieh's views in his own words. 


Anyways, here's the first comment from "A Concerned Parent": 

First off let me say I am glad that you published your article. However I could not disagree more.

1- You refer to the “1940 Statement of…” Did you read it?

It states:

As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.[4]

Really! Outright public support of terrorist groups that kills innocent people, profess their desire to wipe out the West and infidels. How many pieces of the above does he violate?

2- Your sycophantic phrase “Further, Hamas and Hezbollah are not purely military groups” is pandering! If you had a son fighting in the Middle East I rather doubt you’d see them as saints and saviors.

3- If the Port Side were really concerned about academic freedom and accuracy, you might actually have taken the time to have these Arabic writings mentioned translated. Perhaps you may have discovered something on your own.

4- Doing a cursory web search on Frangieh one learns that he is educated in Arabic poetry and literature- No more. Does that make you a candidate for a department head or even to teach Middle Eastern Politics? My sister has a degree in English Lit. She taught English as a Second Language at a Junior College. She’s out of work, Is CMC looking for someone to head their Governmental Affairs Department. Seems she’s equally qualified.

5-As to your argument of the protection Frangieh’s hawking his political views and openly supporting these murderous groups- academic free speech, you call it. If another Prof of say US History, frequently referred to American Indians as “barbaric savages” or Black slaves as “ignorant tribesman” would that fly with you? Much the same as having a pro-terrorist poet pontificate his propaganda to the students.

CMC made a mistake hiring this guy. I find it hard to believe that a school like CMC would have a rough time replacing him with a much more solid candidate. Admitting their error, another story. President Gann has been quite silent on this, don’t you think? What leadership!

Here's the second comment: 

I would respectfully like to point to the third paragraph as sloppy journalism. The author posits many reasons why Chuck Johnson “might” be wrong, but never once does s/he give evidence that contradicts Johnson’s claims. (The fact that Frangieh signed petitions that he did not author is not evidence, as it it commonly held that if you sign your name to a document, you are responsible for everything in that document.) The final sentence of the paragraph is absolutely false; the veracity of the claims CAN be independently verified, should someone take the time to read through the pertinent documents. Johnson did. If you do not like his interpretation or translation, please give me another interpretation or translation, instead of a place-holder paragraph.

A Very Simple Solution to the Bassam Frangieh Scandal -- And Why I Suspect It'll Be Ignored

More alumni write in to question administration's handling of Bassam Frangieh. Here's what Steven Casselman CMC '80 writes in to John Faranda. He hasn't received a response yet, but I'll publish it if -- unfortunately not when -- I get it.

John [Faranda],

Hello, I have been receiving emails concerning an new professor of Arabic Studies.  I too am extremely concerned as an alumnus('80), an American and as a Jew.  But, I have a simple solution which should be acceptable to all parties, have Mr. Frangieh make a public statement both written and verbal denouncing Hamas and Hezbollah and condemning them as terrorist organizations.  If he will do that then we know where he stands today, but if he won't make such a statement, then I will assume he supports my death, Hamas, and Hezbollah and it is my responsibility as an American to let everyone know what CMC stands for.

I look forward to your response and hopefully a public statement from Mr. Frangieh,

Steven Casselman('80)

The emphasis here is my own, but the language speaks much for itself. I am not optimistic that Frangieh will issue a public apology for his hateful views, given how silent he has been since I released the first article in April 2010.

Nevertheless, I think he should apologize to Claremont McKenna and the wider community. He'd do well to do it. After all, though, Professor Frangieh has said that he detests life in America, run as it is by soulless machines, so perhaps we can all show him that America is a land of second -- and oftentimes third -- chances so long as someone is actually repentant.We are, after all, a spiritual people, as well as "superficial, artificial, material," as he would have us believe about ourselves.

But the clock is ticking. Americans do not tolerate a cover up, as Mr. Richard Rodner of PR learned well. The college can't claim as some have that they are "defending his academic freedom." If they were, why was their first reaction to censor his Wikipedia page and to soft pedal it? 

The Claremont Port Side Releases Correction (Of Sorts) On Bassam Frangieh Story

After I wrote this piece pointing to the fact challenged Port Side piece in the comment section and on this website, The Port Side released this "update", which is, for all intents and purposes a "correction". 

Update: Charles Johnson has published some of his sources (nine to be precise). These are also the sources he provided the Port Side privately prior to this editorial being published. However, he has promised “several dozen” (and “dozens” in private conversation) sources. Johnson admits “I have not released all of [the material] yet online.” That’s exactly our point: some of his source documents, in Arabic and the translations into English, aren’t publicly available yet. They should be. We’re glad he has posted some of his sources, but we’re still waiting for the remainder.

Here's what I have to say to that: Patience, dear Port Side writers. I paid a pretty penny to have these documents all translated and I'm not about to release them all at once so that the college can run its PR machine and spin away all the work.  Rest assured, everything will be released, but I do appreciate you letting your readers know that I did approach you about working together, even if you did bury that fact all the way down at the bottom of the story.