Longmont Citizens for Justice and Democracy: February 2005 Statement on Ward Churchill

Archived historical material. The following summarizes a statement dated February 1, 2005 and published February 5, 2005, attributed to Longmont Citizens for Justice and Democracy and preserved on the former coloradopeace.org site. It is presented here as a historical record only. Nothing below describes current organizations, persons, positions, or availability.

Context of the Archived Statement

In early 2005, Longmont Citizens for Justice and Democracy, described in the source as a grassroots community organization, issued a statement of support for Ward Churchill, then a University of Colorado professor of ethnic studies. The statement responded to what the group characterized as a media frenzy and a disinformation campaign by right-wing pundits and some self-described progressives.

The Group's Argument

The organization contended that critics had misrepresented Churchill's position. According to the archived text, his essay—written while the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks were still unknown—sought to address the question of why the attacks occurred. The group said the essay recounted violence against civilians carried out through U.S. foreign policy, which it described as ill-advised and often illegal.

The statement argued that reading Churchill's analysis would lead to the conclusion that an attack of that type was inevitable, with only the timing and perpetrators uncertain. It further asserted that the essay drew attention to victims of U.S. foreign policy whom the group said were overshadowed by the World Trade Center losses.

Position on Sanctions and Academic Freedom

Longmont Citizens for Justice and Democracy stated its view that Churchill should not resign his chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies, leave his teaching position, or be sanctioned. The group framed the matter as one of academic freedom, arguing that institutions of higher learning should encourage critical thinking and the exchange of ideas regardless of popularity.

The statement compared efforts to stifle the discussion to a partisan "Students Bill of Rights" proposal from the prior legislative session and to attacks associated with the McCarthy era.

Statements on Violence and Policy

The group stated that it opposed violence and drew a parallel between civilian deaths caused by U.S. aircraft firing missiles and those caused by aircraft used as missiles. It said it mourned the victims of September 11 in the same manner as victims of U.S. military policies, and warned that continued support for past and current policies carried risks of retaliation.

The archived statement concluded that, taken to heart, Churchill's message could make people safer.

The source lists the group's website and coloradopeace.org and gives a publication date of February 5, 2005. This page preserves the substance of that archived statement for historical reference and makes no claim about any present organization, individual, or website.