Nov 14, 2011
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A Suffolk University law professor has issued a blistering e-mail calling plans to collect care packages for U.S. troops “shameful.” Professor Michael Avery also questioned the intent of an American flag hanging in the law school’s atrium
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“I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings,” Avery wrote in an e-mail to his colleagues. “The United States may well be the most war prone country in the history of civilization.”
The professor was critical of a program called, “Packages for the Troops.” It was an effort within the law school to collect care packages for the nation’s military. The e-mail has generated complaints from students and alumni.
Jeff Katz, the morning host on Talk 1200, the Fox News Radio affiliate in Boston, said his telephone lines have been jammed with outraged callers.
“He’s probably not somebody who’s going to be the featured speaker at the American Legion or the VFW any time soon,” Katz told Fox News & Commentary.
“I very much disagree with the sentiment expressed in that email,” student Brandon Tower told MyFoxBoston. “That’s academia for you, I guess.”
Local professor: Collecting care packages for troops is ‘shameful’: MyFoxBOSTON.com
Barry Brown, the university’s acting president and provost posted a response on Suffolk’s website, backing both the professor and the care packages.
“We respect the right of our faculty members to exercise academic freedom and support all members of our community in speaking freely and expressing their opinions,” Brown wrote. “A consequence of this open dialogue is the articulation of many points of view. As a diverse community, no one opinion or perspective is representative of the views of the whole community.”
Brown said Suffolk University has a “long and proud history of supporting our men and women who have served their country in the armed forces.”
But Professor Avery said the email requesting care packages was a “political statement.”
“The politics of that solicitation are that war is legitimate, perhaps inevitable, and that patriotic Americans should get behind our troops,” Avery wrote.
Camille Nelson, the dean of the Suffolk University Law School, voiced her support for the professor on the university’s website.
“While I personally intend to donate a care package for our troops, I respect the right of others to hold a differing perspective,” Nelson wrote. ‘Ultimately, it is this robust exchange of ideas that makes for great university.”
“I don’t think that represents the feelings of Suffolk law in general,” added student Marisa Roman. “I mean clearly, we’re a patriotic school. We have a huge American flag in the atrium.”
As for the American flag – Avery accused the university practicing “excessive patriotic zeal.”
The flag has been hanging in the law school atrium since 2001.
“This is not a politically neutral act,” Avery wrote. “Excessive patriotic zeal is a hallmark of national security states.”
Katz said his team has been in touch with the university to try and help students collect care packages.
The talk radio host did have some words of wisdom for the professor:
“Even as you are busy hating our troops, there are many of us standing with them and it doesn’t pain me to say, God bless America,” he said.
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Of course "patriotic"americans support the troops you blithering idiot, it's the troops who fight for the rights of even socialist morons like yourself to speak. I personally believe that commies like you should be detained as traitors.You are in the same catagory as Avery and the nation of islam.
If this fool wants to see something shameful he need only look in the mirror.
If this fool wants to see something shameful he need only look in the mirror.
F these F LOSERS
People like this should not be 'teaching' at an American school.
People like this should not be 'teaching' at an American school.
I bet this joker would defend the terrorists at Guatanamo "pro bono" I'm surprised Obama hasn't appointed him to the Dept. of Justice
Ron Paul and Rick Perry are correct. It IS time to shut down the department of education. Haven't we seen enough damage by the propaganda, hate, and lies being spewed from the mouths of these liberal "educators"? Pee on 'em.
I wouldn't pee on em…if they were on fire.
According to the good professor freedom is free so lets all just sit in the drum circle and pick cooties off each other at the local OWS protest.
They were raised here that is why they can say and do the stupid things they say and do. They are just so blind that they cannot see that their freedom to dissent was not bought by them but by men and women in uniform who keep the barbarians outside gates. They in their arrogance do not realize that the barbarians would kill them first if they ever got inside that gate.
My veteran Marine son is looking at various law schools to attend. This will NOT be one of them.
This guy is just jealous that nobody ever sends care packages to sheltered academics.
Every time an "American" says something against the Troops, the Flag and anything else that is Good and American, I want to meet the subhuman and commit Justifiable Homicide.
This Creature can leave the United States and never return if he finds this Nation to be SOOOOO BAD!
So right, this piece of sh*t should be deported.
this is some of the same shameful stuff we heard during and after Viet Niam. Rubbish. People like this are left wing idiots.
He is a perfect example of why no one should have tenure.
he's a perfect example of why some people should not reproduce
sorry sack of shit. Let him defend himself in his warm bed comfortable home food and family around. see how he would last. This is not excessive zeal we are showing respect. but not to YOU.
He is the same nucklehead that was out there protesting against the troops rather than the government during the Vietnam War. A little confused then and now. dw
Suffolk sucks anyways, bunch of bubbleheads ahhh, errrr, teaching there!
this man is shameful, hopefully he will see how wrong he is. What would that take you, arrogand ass?
This guy is an unpatriotic POS. He can hide in his safe ivory tower and brain wash the students to bend them to HIS twisted thoughts. An American flag as "excessive patriotic zeal" WTH? Maybe he would better appreciate a "Peoples banner of appreciation for their collective anti-American Zeal" Get a real job, go out to some of these countries that have NO freedoms, you'd be crying like a little baby if you lived as some of these folks do. I think you should be to a professorto China or Russia and don't bother to come back, stay with your comrades.
Yep, a true POS
He looks like a Barney Frank "fudge-packer."
Most war prone country? Have you spent so much time in your little office that you have not taken a look around the world? Africans have been fighting for decades! Muslims have been fighting for centuries! For an educated man, you're an idiot.
This man apparently is still living in the '60s, and also has NO knowledge or understanding of history.
Please, please I implore you, since you clearly are not behind the men and women of the armed forces, GET IN FRONT OF THEM! Shameful excuse for an American.
Nothing a 38 cal aspirin wouldn't cure.
Why don't we send this POS to Iran it might make him feel at home and see what he has left behind and maybe he would change his views.You know what is the difference between a liberal and a conservative? a liberal hasn't got mugged yet.
This guy should be sent to one of these hellholes, and leave him there, complete idiot!
Don't they throw people in prison for treason, anymore? They should arrest him, Jane Fonda and Sen. John Kerry.
Mr Avery should thank men like my son who have fought for his right to babble on with his idiotic ideas…
God Bless America, including this piece of work.
What a douchebag!
AMEN!!!!!
Wow, the um, learned Professor does not have much of a working knowledge of the "history of civilization" does he?
No kidding. Sparta? Persian Empire of Darius & Xerxes? Bismarck's Germany? Nazi Germany? The Roman Empire? But then I'm the kind of guy who respects a "Rancher's wife" a hell of alot more than some dippy academic.
The Professor's lamentable position is doubtless the product of stringent historical revisionism, without the benefit of schooling in logic… he is to be pitied, as are those under his influence!
Vickie Blum-Ezell Save the pity, send him to detox.
The sad thing is that we have people like this teaching our young.
As a member of the academia and as a teacher myself I think this individual should move back to a country where freedom is not accepted. Jerk.
I agree with what Ed Hedrick says.
Michael Avery is just the kind of sniveling ignoramus that shames our country every time he opens his mouth. Anti-patriotism is common place in academia. These blockheaded liberals spend their days whining about how terrible life is in this free country of ours, but they never have anything of substance to offer to make their case. I put four kids through college, and we looked long and hard to find schools where this kind of vermin wasn't welcome. Think about this one parents. It's a good lesson learned for us all!
Somebody needs to take his academic A$$ out behind the woodshed and teach him in a manner he appatently is not famailiar with.
This is what happens when higher education is afforded to essentially ignorant and bigoted people. They are able to rant their bigotry and ignorance with eloquence.
As a law professor, I respect this professor's right to express such a wrong-headed opinion. I don't respect the substance of his opinion, which has little basis in something called REALITY. He needs to get out of the Ivory Tower a little more often. I wonder if he actually even knows a member of the armed forces or has a clue what they actually do.
As a member of the military, I shake my head and smirk every time I see something like this. It amazes me that a “scholarly” person would think that I wish to go to war. Then to do something like this, instead of criticizing the “leaders” of this country that bring us into these situations, is despicable. I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, not the politicians. Does he think that our leaders are oblivious to the word domestic in that oath? They’re not, and they know that my fellow service members and I will defend that document with our lives and in turn, his right to spew this garbage. Lastly, this guy hasn’t hurt anyone in the military. He has just reaffirmed that we’re all still doing what we all swore to do, support and defend the Constitution of the United States for all Americans. (Especially the ones with diarrhea of the mouth.)
Another idiot in the education system. Shameful!
Give him a stick and a uniform and ship him over to spend a few months with our troops.
He's a law professor? Didn't he have to take basic civics? Doesn't he know where our freedoms started from? Hello…remember 1776? England ring a bell?
He's a law professor? Didn't he have to take basic civics? Doesn't he know where our freedoms started from? Hello…remember 1776? England ring a bell?
Whoever this professor is he needs to consider what veterans go through. He lives in a posh house with a posh job, and has rights to say what he wants to becaue of those overseas to keep that freedom going! I am an Army veteran and I take GREAT offense at this idiot's opinion! Professor, go to Russia and speak your mind there and see what happens! Call Putin any offensive term you want and REALLY see what happens! You won't survive. Consider that, Professor!