OPINION & EDITORIAL
Misunderstood?
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:
- A security fee-for-all (December 11, 2007)
- Farewell, Chancellor (December 10, 2007)
- $$FC (December 6, 2007)
- In a bind (December 5, 2007)
- Entitlement Town (December 4, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Kaplan's remarks need clarification (March 5, 2007)
- Racism has consequences at UW (February 27, 2007)
- Kaplan's remarks not racist (February 26, 2007)
- Due process overdue (March 7, 2007)
- Barrett: Free speech hypocrite (October 24, 2007)
by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
From Richard Ely in the late 1800s to Kevin Barrett in 2006, the University of Wisconsin has a long, proud history of protecting unpopular ideas and promoting the principles of free speech and academic freedom.
Last week, controversy descended on UW again — this time on law professor Leonard Kaplan, over comments he allegedly made about the Hmong community in a Feb. 15 lecture.
According to an e-mail sent to several law students, which was acquired by The Badger Herald last week, Mr. Kaplan made several eye-popping statements, including "Hmong men have no talent other than to kill" and "All second-generation Hmong end up in gangs and other criminal activity."
While it may be easy to lash out and condemn Mr. Kaplan as a racist, we urge restraint — especially among those who did not hear the comments firsthand — and accordingly commend UW administrators and students for responding in a civil and reasonable manner.
Although Mr. Kaplan has since distanced himself from these comments — he told the Capital Times he was "misunderstood" and has "nothing but great respect" for the Hmong community — his right to make such provocative statements must not go undefended.
As UW political science professor Donald Downs, a prominent defender of academic freedom and rights, told The Badger Herald last week, "We want professors to speak with what they see as their truths." And though Mr. Kaplan's comments might have been used to simply illustrate stereotypes, this incident should not dissuade other professors who may seek to express their own controversial views.
Hmong students concerned with Mr. Kaplan's remarks held a meeting on campus last Wednesday. Another more public forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in room 2260 of the Law School, to which Mr. Kaplan has reportedly been invited to attend.
We hope he accepts their invitation and presents his honest views on the Hmong community, and we also hope he makes perfectly clear the example he attempted to illustrate in lecture last week. While issues of race rightly invoke emotional responses from members of the campus community, it is crucial we maintain our commitment to civil discourse and the principles of academic freedom.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 4:16am):
Good editorial. Keep up the good work.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 7:12am):
The students who labeled Kaplan a racist shoudl apologize to him for clearly misrepresenting his beliefs and the context of the discussion. Kaplan was making an effort to integrate cultural differences into the legal process class in arguing that formal legal rules should be sensitive to cultural differences. This type of an argument, which is common in the law, requires making generalizations about cultural practices. Unfortunately, the students decided to engage in a witch hunt, and perhaps even more unfortunately, the dean of the law shool threw Kaplan under the bus without any consideration of the academic freedom ramifications of the law shool response to this incident.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 9:37am):
Nice articles. Thing is, this isn't an academic freedom issue. Is it not clear yet that Kaplan was misunderstood. Let's assume those in the class who are calling his statements racists are acting in good faith. It seems clear that Kaplan would present the material differently now in order to make the points he inartfully made. No one can seriosuly claim he is a racist. This is not a speech or academic freedom issue.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 11:25am):
Oooh, I hope someone hurts my feelings next. I can't wait to call someone out on it. Witch hunt in 3...2...1...
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 1:28pm):
What a big dummy.
He needs to learn to communicate better.
Can the jokes, and think what the point is you mean to convey.
He should re-do that lecture and deliver it at 6:30 on Thursday in Room 2260. Either stand by what was said, or correct the facts and delivery in making the point he was attempting.
With a Hmong audience, I wonder if he will be courageous enough to again present those examples as "truths" and bring his evidence when he confronts expected objections.
More likely, he will behave more tactfully and think about what he really is saying when there is not just an accepting sea of law students sitting before him as a captive audience.
It would be fun to see him try to stick to the old script though as the Herald editorial suggests, with a new audience ready to quibble with the stereotypes and facts. I imagine it would be quite a wake-up call, and really be and exercise in academic freedom and learning.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 6:34pm):
Hey I think everyone needs to wake up to the reality of the situation. As far as educational points go, it's one thing to say "the Jews of Germany were persecuted for x, y, and z" but it's another to say Europe would have been better off if the Nazi's would have been successful. If you don't see the difference than you need to keep your mouths shut on the situation.
Additionally, in response to the comment above about having students who have labeled Prof. Kaplan a racist should apologize, there has been no student who has publicly called Prof. Kaplan a racist, so who would you like to apologize. In fact there has been next to no negative push or name calling on this issue on behalf of the student's part. The overly defensive position that many students are taking on this issue seems to be indicative of their own inability to except that they are also as ignorant as Prof. Kaplan has made himself out to be.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 7:18pm):
Congratulations you stole my editorial, but you did make it sound better.
-Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 7:35pm):
To those who claim this nobody called Kaplan a racist, here is the initial email from kashia moua, which I believe clearly labels Kaplan a racist:
"This email concerns racist and inappropriate comments made by Professor Kaplan to his class last week on 2/15.....these are just some of the incredibly offensive and racist remarks that Kaplan made. whether Hmong or not, i hope you see how Kaplan's remarks are damaging to our entire law school community. I strongly urge you to attend the meeting to discuss how our student body can proceed in holding Kaplan and our administration accountable for these comments. kaplan has violated our rights as students. he made the unfortunate choice to turn his classroom into a public platform for him to spew his racist and close minded beliefs about the Hmong. we will not tolerate his actions!"
This email amounts to calling kaplan a racist. Those who say this is about ignorance and not racism forget the nature of the email triggering the controversy.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 7:44pm):
If you believe there has not been a negative push against Kaplan you are delusional.
Anonymous (February 27, 2007 @ 8:03pm):
The law school dean should apologize for failing to reiterate the commitment of the law school and the university to diversity of opinion and for failure to encourage an environment of vigorous debate of difficult issues. Instead Davis simply encouraged students to believe academic freedom is determined by the will of the easily-offended minority and activist law students who think the solution to this problem is hiring scholars who focus on critical race theory (which is more ideology than scholarship).
Anonymous (February 28, 2007 @ 6:24am):
"If you believe there has not been a negative push against Kaplan you are delusional."
Though it sounds like, he brought it on himself. With his own words and views. So... only he can get himself out. With his own thoughts and words. Perhaps more carefully chosen this time.
This is how free speech works, folks. Bring it on. Instead of a passive group of young students, the taxpaying community hears what is being taught and how. And they respond, postively or negatively. It's not a negative "push", it's free speech -- counter speech, not passivity.
Anonymous (February 28, 2007 @ 9:28am):
can anyone recount his exact comments with context?
Anonymous (February 28, 2007 @ 9:34am):
we shouldnt call him a racist until we know the true intentions of what he was saying. Though he did say really mean things about the Hmong community. I hope that he knows what he's doing. I dont know him, alot of students dont know him personally, so we have no right to assume things about him.
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
