October 4, 1997

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

One of my ZGram readers did something civilized: he thanked Northwestern University for being the web page provider for Dr. Arthur Butz, author of "The Hoax of the Twentieth Century" and one of the early Revisionist pioneers.

Below please find two letters that need to go into the Revisionist archives as testimonies to the times.

The first is a statement by Northwestern University President Henry S. Bienen regarding Associate Professor Arthur Butz and his Web page. It also refers to a matter that played to some controversy about a year ago, as I remember it, when a young adjunct professor by the name of Brian Epstein, obviously Jewish, tried to incorporate Holocaustaumania into an engineering class he taught, and was speedily and unceremoniously terminated.

In other words, as many Jews do who are just as deceived as the Gentiles when it comes to the Holocaust, Epstein tried to rush in where angels fear to tread and was speedily "corrected".

Here is President Henry S. Bienen's position paper:

"The issue of limitations on the use of Northwestern University computing facilities for communications raises important and complex issues. However, before addressing those issues, I want to emphasize what I and other Northwestern officials have said on many occasions regarding Associate Professor Arthur Butz and his views on the Holocaust: There is no question that the Holocaust is a well-documented historical fact. In fact, Northwestern faculty have collaborated with the Center for Holocaust Studies and the University has made facilities available to the Center.

The attempts by Mr. Butz and other Holocaust "revisionists" to deny history have no factual basis whatsoever and are a contemptible insult to all who experienced the horrors of that time and to their families. The Holocaust is not an issue for debate any more than the issue of whether the earth is round is a matter for debate.

Having said that, let me address the issues of whether the University should restrict Mr. Butz in the expression of his personal opinions, particularly on the Internet pages that are linked to the University pages, and why the University did not renew the appointment of Sheldon Epstein, an unpaid part-time instructor of engineering, after he assigned materials related to the Holocaust in class.

The University's policy on intellectual freedom as it relates to computer usage states:

Intellectual Freedom: The network is a free and open forum for the expression of ideas, including viewpoints that are strange, unorthodox, or unpopular. The network administrators place no official sanctions upon the expression of personal opinion on the network. However, such opinions may not be represented as view of Northwestern University.

Mr. Butz does not claim that his views are those of the University, and I emphasize again that they are not. His statement says explicitly that the Web site exists for the purpose of expressing views that are outside his purview as an Electrical Engineering faculty member. In addition, at no time has he discussed those views in class or made the issue part of his class curriculum. As a result, we cannot take action based on the content of what Mr. Butz says regarding the Holocaust without undermining the vital principle of intellectual freedom that our policy serves to protect.

In regard to Mr. Epstein, it is important to note that Mr. Epstein first discussed the issue of Mr. Butz's Web site with Jerome Cohen, Dean of the School of Engineering, who warned Mr. Epstein not to make the issue part of his class curriculum because it was not pertinent to the subject of the class. Mr. Epstein's decision to include materials not appropriate to the class in his discussion and assignments directly contravenes University policy, as well as the direction he received from the dean. As a result, his appointment, which ended Dec. 31, was not renewed. He held a temporary appointment, which can be renewed, or not, by the dean.

To be sure, these events raise complex and challenging issues of free speech in cyberspace and the role of a university in regulating such speech. A university, by its very nature, is a place where such issues are explored and debated fully and vigorously. I appreciate the thoughtful comments I have received on all sides of the issue and I anticipate that this discussion will continue at Northwestern."

All right. So far, so good. My ZGram reader followed up by writing to Northwestern in a letter addressed to a Ms. Remington, Office of the President. I quote this letter here, in part:

"The 16th of September, 1997, I was running the web and came across the site of Arthur Butz. Having read one of his books years ago, I looked in. [Hoax of the Twentieth Century]. I also clicked on the page provider and found it to be Northwestern University.

Since I consider most Educational Facilities little more than propaganda mills, I was not surprised to find the statement by President Henry S. Bienen, that the "Holocaust is a well Documented Historical Fact" contained therein.

What did amaze me, though, is the arrogance with which President Bienen made the following statement, and I quote: "The attempts by Mr. Butz and other Holocaust 'revisionists' to deny history have no factual basis whatsoever and are a contemptible insult to all who experienced the horrors of that time, and to their families. The Holocaust is not an issue for debate any more than the issue of whether the earth is round is a matter for debate."

It seems to me as though it wasn't very long ago that the earth was thought to be flat, and if one went very far, they would fall off the edge. But of course, we DO know that "FACT" to be false today, don't we?

Then, there is the policy of "Intellectual Freedom" promoted by Northwestern University, and again I quote: "The network is a free and open forum for the expression of ideas, including viewpoints that are strange, unorthodox, or unpopular. The network administrators place no official sanctions upon the expression of personal opinion on the network. However, such opinions may not be represented as view of Northwestern University."

Mr. Bienen says the University promotes free speech. Now, to the challenge:

If President Bienen REALLY believes what he says about the Holocaust, let him debate in a Public Forum, on the campus of Northwestern University, Dr. Arthur Butz, Dr. Ingrid Rimland, Bradley Smith, Eustace Mullins, David Irving, or any one of them, or one of the dozen or so other "revisionist" to let the PUBLIC and the media decide for themselves what the truth is.

This Public Debate should be well advertised, and all hecklers of either side removed from the area.

If President Bienen really believes in freedom of speech, and is sure of his position on the Holocaust, let him prove it to the WORLD!"

(Signed)
Johnny Lee

Thought for the Day:

"Nature expects from a moral being truth, not appearance."

(Houston Stewart Chamberlain in "Political Ideals")

Comments? E-Mail: irimland@cts.com

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