University of California-Irvine Middle East Affairs Professor Mark A. LeVine--isn't he dreamy?--is the latest campus radical to vent his spleen in support of Norman G. Finkelstein, the holocaust-minimizing DePaul professor who was denied tenure at the Chicago Catholic university earlier this month.
Like the professor who has been the most vocal supporter of Finkelstein, Peter Kirstein of Chicago's St. Xavier University, Levine--as well as Finkelstein--have places of "honor" in David Horowitz' 2006 book, The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America.
LeVine is also a musician, who has jammed with Mick Jagger, Johnny Copeland, and Albert King. Which is a shame, because it leads to confusion over Latin Jazz artist Mark Levine
(small "V").Back to "Big V." Dreamy boy announced on his History News Network blog that he is boycotting DePaul University over the Finkelstein issue.
Please know that this action will not go unanswered, at least by me, and I know many colleagues across the country and around the world who feel the same way. In good conscience I can no longer recommend another student apply to a graduate program at DePaul; for what university to which a newly minted Ph.D. might apply for a job would take seriously a Ph.D. from an institution that fires scholars in the manner Finkelstein was denied tenure? How can they assume that she or he will have obtained the most advanced and critical theoretical and methodological foundation for both research and pegagogy possible, when it is clear from the actions of most senior personnel at DePaul that these are considered a hindrance to, rather than a facilitator of, advancement at your university?
Nor will I accept any invitation to attend any sort of academic gathering at your university. I will also strongly oppose any invitation to Rev. Holtschneider or Chuck Suchar, and any other member of the DePaul administration involved in this travesty, to speak at my university, or to any event sponsored by any professional association of which I am a member. This should in no way be construed as a call to censor; I would never oppose their invitation to speak based on their scholarly views or research. It is their unethical and dangerous actions as university administrators that demands their censure by colleagues and the academic profession at large.
LeVine is approaching this in the wrong way. If he wants to acheive the almost-impossible--getting Finkelstein tenure--he should threaten to regularly appear at DePaul.
He sure is dreamy, though. He'd be even dreamier if he spoke out in support of Thomas Klocek's free speech struggle at DePaul. That goes for Kirstein as well.
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