his summer the
feisty former Georgia congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, accepted a Frank
H.T. Rhodes visiting professorship position at Cornell University in
Ithaca, NY.
Under
her contract she is to serve as a guest lecturer for three years, taking
up such possible subjects as human rights, voting rights and the
political process.
Explaining why she was chosen, Porus Olpadwala, Cornell's
architecture, art and planning school dean who led the faculty selection
committee, called McKinney "a person of considerable achievement in the
political sphere." He said, too, "She is an internationally renowned
advocate for voting rights and human rights. She has taken clear stands
on a number of critical issues and been a strong voice in Congress."
It comes as no surprise that McKinney's appointment has garnered much
attention not only campus-wide but nationally. Unfortunately, too
much of the attention has been negative. There are people who have even
launched a letter-writing and telephoning campaign to prevent her from
teaching at Cornell.
This, in turn, has outraged fair-minded people all over the country
who respect Cynthia McKinney because she's had the courage to stand up
for what she sees as true - much of which has already been vindicated -
regardless of the political consequences. That includes the Rev. Herbert
Daughtry, senior pastor of Brooklyn's House of the Lord Church. He
stated, "I am deeply saddened and angry to learn that there is a
campaign to deny Cynthia McKinney the opportunity to teach at Cornell
University. She is highly qualified; there is no question about that.
She was a good congresswoman who did the things for her district that
she was supposed to do."
Daughtry
went on to say that those of us who care about freedom of speech and the
right of a person to earn a living need to mount our own letter-writing
and calling campaign. "Let me emphasize, I'm not even suggesting that
you have to agree with McKinney's politics," he said. "But
whatever her ideological position, she should not be denied the
opportunity to express her views."
In
addition to the fact that youth need to be exposed to legitimate views
of all kinds, Daughtry pointed out that the students at Cornell are
supposed to be capable of thinking for themselves. "Isn't that what the
university is for - to teach young people to think critically?" he
asked. "Denying McKinney the opportunity to teach shows a lack of
confidence in our children's mental abilities as well."
Therefore, Daughtry is asking that all decent people interested in
maintaining the right to free speech should write a letter or call
Cornell University supporting Cynthia McKinney's appointment. Letters
should be directed to: Mr. Jeffrey Lehman, President / Room 300, Bay
Hall / Cornell University / Ithaca, NY 14853. His phone number is (607)
255-5201.
People who would like to help organize a letter-writing and calling
campaign should get in touch with Rev. Herbert Daughtry at the House of
the Lord Church at (718) 596-1991.
