An Open Letter to the Members of the Diversity Task Force of Loyola University New Orleans
Open Letter (well, as open as I can get it) to the members of the Loyola New Orleans University Diversity Task Force:
Ted Quant (Twomey Center), Lydia Voigt (Sociology), Wing Fok (Management), Lisa Martin (Mass Communication), Alvaro Alcazar (Twomey Center), James Hobbs (University Library), Kurt Bindewald (University Ministry), Artemis Preeshl (Theater Arts and Dance), Karen Reichard (Women’s Resource Center), Anthony Decuir (Music and Fine Arts)
In your open letter report concerning me you trashed my reputation, implied I am a racist and a sexist, and that I "marginalize" my black and female students. You did so on the basis of a newspaper report about a lecture I gave in Baltimore, MD, on 11/6/08, which none of you attended. Anyone who has ever been misquoted in a newspaper or in any other way had his actions misrepresented can speak to the folly of relying on such reports, without verification from independent source(s) of the underlying events. Before you acted, did any of you contact any eyewitness to the relevant events to the end of determining if the newspaper report was an accurate depiction thereof? Well, here is your chance to hear my views directly, right out of the horse’s mouth so to speak. On this coming Wednesday, March 25, 2009, in Nunemaker Hall, at 7 p.m., I will give virtually the same lecture I gave before. If you attend, this will be an opportunity for you to condemn me (unless you are convinced otherwise) not for what others have said about me, but for what I, myself, say.
I have made gentlemen’s bets with several friends as to whether any of you will attend or not. They all take the view that none of you will appear at this event. But, don’t ask me why, I have a higher view of your academic integrity than they. So, please show up and help me prove them wrong, regarding your willingness to hear for yourselves a point of view you do not support, and that you have condemned without a fair hearing, or, indeed, any hearing at all.
One of the members of your Task Force, Prof. Wing Fok, went so far as to claim that the burden of proof in cases of this sort rests not with the accusers, but with the accused. I vehemently reject such a juridical viewpoint. But, suppose, arguendo, that it is correct; that the burden rests with me to prove that I am not guilty of the charges leveled at me by this task force. Well, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 I shall be attempting (in effect) to do precisely that. I am therefore of the opinion that you, the members of this Task Force, have at least a moral obligation to attend, and listen.
March 25. New Orleans, LA. Loyola University New Orleans, Economics Club. "Is the capitalist system guilty of racism, sexism? No.: Walter Block responds to his politically correct critics." Nunemaker Hall, 7 p.m.
Yours truly,
Walter E. Block, Ph.D. Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and Professor of Economics Joseph A. Butt, S.J. College of Business Loyola University New Orleans 6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 5, Miller Hall 318 New Orleans, LA 70118 tel: (504) 864-7934 fax: (504) 864-7970 [email protected]
PS. Request to all of my former students, whites, blacks, males, females: please write me a letter stating your views as to whether or not, based on your classroom experience with me, I "marginalize" female and black students. I intend to use such letters to defend myself against charges of racism, sexism. Do, please, indicate what you are doing nowadays, if you have graduated.