[Vision2020] Doug W's letter to Gov. Kempthorne
DonaldH675@aol.com
DonaldH675@aol.com
Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:37:58 EST
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Governor Dirk Kempthorne
Office of the Governor
700 West Jefferson, 2nd Floor
PO Box 83702
Boise, Idaho 83720-0034
=20
December 30, 2003
=20
Dear Governor Kempthorne,
=20
Greetings from the north, and I hope that this letter finds you well. I wis=
h=20
my tone could be as light as the one of a few years ago in which I returned=20
your necktie from the Logos auction, but the seriousness of recent events ha=
s=20
precluded that.
=20
I am writing you with an important request. A controversy has been boiling=20
here in Moscow for the last several months, a good deal of it resting on the=
=20
back of inaccurate and defamatory material that is being circulated against=20=
us=20
and out ministries here in Moscow. Some of this is the result of the=20
incompetence of the Daily News, but the driving force behind the controversy=
is coming=20
from certain offices at the University of Idaho.
=20
What it boils down to is that the diversity police are after us. We have=20
sponsored an annual history conference here in Moscow for a number of years,=
a=20
conference that has brought in hundreds of people from all over the country.=
=20
The average attendance at this conference is about 800 people. The Daily Ne=
ws=20
reported (erroneously) that the conference this year was going to be on=20
slavery, which started the public outcry. But since that time, much of the=20
defamatory gasoline that has been keeping the slanderous fire alive has come=
from the=20
UI.
=20
In particular, Raul Sanchez of the Office of Diversity and Human Rights has=20
used his office=E2=80=99s web site to help circulate defamatory material aga=
inst us. I=20
have included with this letter a copy of a letter I sent to President Michae=
l=20
and Provost Pitcher a week or so ago on that issue. The incendiary essay=20
referred to in my letter is by Drs. Quinlan and Ramsey, both of them on the=20
faculty of the history department at the UI. This last weekend, Dr. Graden,=
=20
another history professor, wrote an op-ed piece for the Daily News in which=20=
he=20
accused us of creating a climate which would lead to the murder of gays and=20=
the=20
burning of synagogues. (!)
=20
The actual circumstances are the reverse of this. The businesses of some of=
=20
our people have been vandalized, and the attacks on us are growing=20
increasingly brazen. UI professors are using time in class to incite studen=
ts against=20
us, and consequently, since the response of the UI administration has been=20
positively anemic (e.g. allowing Raul Sanchez to use his UI web site to circ=
ulate=20
defamatory material), I am very concerned about what may happen this Februar=
y=20
at our conference. If there is violence or harassment of any kind (and ther=
e=20
has already been quite a bit), it would not be difficult at all to show how=20=
the=20
UI nurtured the climate in which this developed.
=20
In the best of times, I would find it problematic for individuals at a=20
publicly funded university to use their position to attack Christian ministr=
ies for=20
their failure to be secularists. But in the current climate, for anyone up=20
there at the University of Enron to set themselves up as moral arbiters is a=
bit=20
thick.
=20
As you no doubt know, liberals and progressives love diversity until they=20
actually start getting some. In writing this letter, I am not asking that a=
nyone=E2=80=99
s legitimate freedom of opinion or expression be restricted in any way. But=
=20
I am asking that the UI be removed as the base from which they launch their=20
mortar rounds. I am also asking that the Office of Diversity apologize to u=
s=20
and to the public for this gross misuse of the resources of a public univers=
ity.
=20
This should go without saying, but I want to assure you that we have nothing=
=20
whatever to do with racism, white supremacy, white separatism, or any other=20
disease coming out of the fever swamps of the right wing. I do not want to=20
weary you with any details here, but we would be happy to answer any questio=
ns you=20
might have in this regard.
=20
As I said at the beginning, I wish the occasion for this letter was somethin=
g=20
else. But there it is. I appreciate any attention you can give to this=20
matter,
=20
Cordially,
Douglas Wilson
=20
cc: Gary Michael, Brian Pitcher, Blake Hall, Raul Sanchez
=20
=20
Rose's note: If you would like to see this on the original letter head, as=20
usual, I urge you to stop by the office of Christ Church and ask for a copy.=
=20
Otherwise, for the time being words fail me.
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<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff=
f">
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Governor Dirk Kempthorne</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Office of the Governor</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>700 West <st1:place>Jefferson</st1:place>, 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Flo=
or</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:address><FONT size=
=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><st1:Street>PO Box</st1:Street> 83702</F=
ONT></FONT></st1:address></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:place><FONT size=3D3=
><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><st1:City>Boise</st1:City>, <st1:State>Idaho=
</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode>83720-0034</st1:PostalCode></FONT></FONT></st1:=
place></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:date Month=3D"12" Da=
y=3D"30" Year=3D"2003"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>December 30,=20=
2003</FONT></st1:date></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Dear Governor Kempthorne,</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Greetings from the north, and I hope that this letter finds y=
ou well.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I wish my tone could=
be as light as the one of a few years ago in which I returned your necktie=20=
from the Logos auction, but the seriousness of recent events has precluded t=
hat.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>I am writing you with an important request.<SPAN style=3D"mso=
-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A controversy has been boiling here in <st1:Ci=
ty><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> for the last several months, a g=
ood deal of it resting on the back of inaccurate and defamatory material tha=
t is being circulated against us and out ministries here in <st1:City><st1:p=
lace>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =20=
</SPAN>Some of this is the result of the incompetence of the <I style=3D"mso=
-bidi-font-style: normal">Daily News</I>, but the driving force behind the c=
ontroversy is coming from certain offices at the <st1:place><st1:PlaceType>U=
niversity</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName>Idaho</st1:PlaceName></st1:place=
>.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>What it boils down to is that the diversity police are after=20=
us.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have sponsored an annu=
al history conference here in <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:C=
ity> for a number of years, a conference that has brought in hundreds of peo=
ple from all over the country.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPA=
N>The average attendance at this conference is about 800 people.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: no=
rmal">Daily News</I> reported (<I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">erro=
neously</I>) that the conference this year was going to be on slavery, which=
started the public outcry.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>B=
ut since that time, much of the defamatory gasoline that has been keeping th=
e slanderous fire alive has come from the UI.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>In particular, Raul Sanchez of the Office of Diversity and Hu=
man Rights has used his office=E2=80=99s web site to help circulate defamato=
ry material against us.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hav=
e included with this letter a copy of a letter I sent to President Michael a=
nd Provost Pitcher a week or so ago on that issue.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spaceru=
n: yes"> </SPAN>The incendiary essay referred to in my letter is by Dr=
s. Quinlan and Ramsey, both of them on the faculty of the history department=
at the UI.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This last weekend=
, Dr. Graden, another history professor, wrote an op-ed piece for the Daily=20=
News in which he accused us of creating a climate which would lead to the mu=
rder of gays and the burning of synagogues. (!)</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>The actual circumstances are the reverse of this.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The businesses of some of our people ha=
ve been vandalized, and the attacks on us are growing increasingly brazen.<S=
PAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>UI professors are using time i=
n class to incite students against us, and consequently, since the response=20=
of the UI administration has been positively anemic (e.g. allowing Raul Sanc=
hez to use his UI web site to circulate defamatory material), I am very conc=
erned about what may happen this February at our conference.<SPAN style=3D"m=
so-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If there is violence or harassment of any ki=
nd (and there has already been quite a bit), it would not be difficult at al=
l to show how the UI nurtured the climate in which this developed.</FONT></P=
>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>In the best of times, I would find it problematic for individ=
uals at a publicly funded university to use their position to attack Christi=
an ministries for their failure to be secularists.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spaceru=
n: yes"> </SPAN>But in the current climate, for <EM>anyone</EM> up the=
re at the <st1:place><st1:PlaceType>University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:Place=
Name>Enron</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> to set themselves up as moral arbiter=
s is a bit thick.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>As you no doubt know, liberals and progressives love diversit=
y until they actually start getting some.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&=
nbsp; </SPAN>In writing this letter, I am <EM>not </EM>asking that anyone=
=E2=80=99s legitimate freedom of opinion or expression be restricted in any=20=
way.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But I am asking that the=
UI be removed as the base from which they launch their mortar rounds.<SPAN=20=
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am also asking that the Office o=
f Diversity apologize to us and to the public for this gross misuse of the r=
esources of a public university.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>This should go without saying, but I want to assure you that=20=
we have nothing whatever to do with racism, white supremacy, white separatis=
m, or any other disease coming out of the fever swamps of the right wing.<SP=
AN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I do not want to weary you with=
any details here, but we would be happy to answer any questions you might h=
ave in this regard.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>As I said at the beginning, I wish the occasion for this lett=
er was something else.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But th=
ere it is.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I appreciate any a=
ttention you can give to this matter,</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Cordially,</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Douglas Wilson</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>cc:<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Gary Micha=
el, Brian Pitcher, Blake Hall, Raul Sanchez</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p>Rose's note: I=
f you would like to see this on the original letter head, as usual=
, I urge you to stop by the office of Christ Church and ask for a copy. =
; Otherwise, for the time being words fail me.</o:p></P></BODY></HTML>
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