6 Responses to “NewsGang Live 04.17.08”

1. J Wood Says:
   April 18th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

   Steve, I understand your concern over Bill Ayers, but this has been and will be completely blown out of proportion. I’d like to explain, and I can speak from some experience, since I’m very close to people who were working for the same foundation that both Ayers and Obama were on from 1999-2002 Chicago.

   First, a quick correction: The Weather Underground didn’t kill anyone except themselves (the 1970 Greenwich Village explosion, where the bombs they were making went off). No one ever took credit for the Golden Gate Park bombing, which did result in one death and a number of injuries. One person also died in the Sterling Hall bombing at U of Wisconsin – Madison, but Karl Armstrong, his brother Dwight and the third guy (The New Year’s Gang) were only inspired by the WU, not part of them, and they did their time. That said, they all blew up a lot of shit.

   Ayers currently holds a distinguished chair in the department of education at U of Illinois – Chicago. He has a master’s and doctorate in education. Ayers has written extensively about small schools; it’s been the concern of much of his professional life for the past 15 years or so. His wife, Bernadine Dohrn, is a law professor at Northwestern. Bernadine helped organize the small schools initiative in Chicago, which received direction and funding from the Woods Fund of Chicago. The Woods Fund began in 1941 and supports nonprofits that support less advantaged populations and try to create space for them in civic life.

   Both Ayers and Obama were on the board of directors of the Woods Fund at the same time (Obama was there from 1999-2002; I believe Ayers is still there). The small schools initiative was and is big in some progressive circles in Chicago, particularly in impoverished areas like Chicago’s South Side where Obama did much of his community work. Obama’s support of the small schools is the extent of the Ayers connection.

   My wife and I, both educators, toured a number of these Chicago small schools in 2001. That was when we first heard of Barack Obama; my friend (best man at our wedding) worked for Dohrn, met regularly with the board of the Woods Fund, and told me Obama was one of the most intelligent people he’d ever worked with — and he’s a Michigan Law grad, he’s been around a lot of smart people.

   Ayers’ support of Obama stems from Obama’s support of Woods Fund projects like the small schools initiative. Obama got behind the initiative, and Ayers supported that. The small schools project has been an interesting and generally successful experiment in bringing quality public education to inner-city kids who would otherwise be stuck in crumbling classrooms with 40 other students. Some amazing work was being done there.

   Ayers’ support of Obama stems from this. Just because some of their socio-political positions overlap doesn’t mean that Obama is a Marxist guerrilla, and I don’t think Obama’s accepting support from a driving force behind Chicago’s small school’s initiative demonstrates poor judgment. I’m from Madison; when I was there, Karl Armstrong owned a juice stand, and a sandwich shop with a bar upstairs. I worked a festival in the summers with Karl helping to make falafel and smoothies. I’ve also not fired off anything stronger than a bottle rocket; Obama’s no more a Marxist guerrilla for working alongside Ayers 30 years after the WU than I am for working alongside Armstrong 30 years after the New Year’s Gang.

   Besides, what’s interesting about this is that the WU emerged out of the SDS after all other political avenues were cut short. When certain members of SDS like Ayers and Dohrn realized back in the late 1960′s that they were being corralled into the equivalent of a social free speech zone, and those who were getting past that barrier were being killed, they armed up. Obama and Ayers may have some overlapping socio-political positions, positions that have been demonized in American culture since the 1970′s, but Obama’s example shows us someone who has made politics work over violence to get those positions recognized. That’s a pretty positive example.

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   August 21st, 2009 at 10:27 pm

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3. Braly Says:
   August 22nd, 2009 at 2:53 pm

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   August 23rd, 2009 at 8:10 pm

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5. Qualey Says:
   August 28th, 2009 at 4:12 am

   What template are you using for your blog?

6. Leinonen Says:
   August 29th, 2009 at 1:17 am

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