My Exchange of Letters With UC Irvine

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


Below is a response to my letter of today to UC Irvine regarding the "Standing Rock Is Everywhere" event. It comes from Dr. Thomas Parham, UCI's vice chancellor for student affairs, who originated the New Narratives program, which sponsored the event.

Mr. Fouse: 
 
Thank you for your note and for attending the New Narratives forum. Reviews on 
that program were very positive even as we understand that attendees and even 
panelists may agree or disagree with the assertions being advanced and opinions 
being offered by the various speakers. 
 
The purpose of the New Narratives series when I developed it was to create a 
forum where issues of race, gender, identity, oppression, social justice, etc. 
could become topics of critical discourse and analysis. That is what we intend 
to deliver in those NN forums. Also, while I do take occasional license to 
suggest a speaker, the speakers are primarily invited by a committee of students 
and staff from across the university. In light of your recommendations, I will 
make sure that those are forwarded to the committee for their consideration. 
 
Thank you again for your message. 
 
Dr. Parham 
 
Thomas A. Parham, Ph.D 
Vice Chancellor Student Affairs 
University of California Irvine 
Irvine, California. 92697 

www.vcsa.uci.edu 

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Here is my response:

Dr. Parham 
 
Thank you for your response. Since the purpose of New Narratives is to treat 
these issues with critical discourse and analysis, it seems that having 
conservative speakers would be essential in order to provide the students with 
balance enabling them to come up with their own conclusions. How can there be 
critical discourse and analysis when only one side of an issue is presented? 
 
I would be grateful if you could advise me as to the committee's decision on 
inviting Dr Sowell or Mr. Elder to speak at UCI. 
 
 
Thank you again for your response. 
 
 
Gary Fouse 

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My Open Letter to UC Irvine Re: Standing Rock Is Everywhere Event

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


In connection with my previous post regarding the Standing Rock is Everywhere event at UC Irvine on April 18, I have sent the below letter to the university and elected leaders expressing my concern.

April 26, 2017

Dear Dr Parham et al

My name is Gary Fouse, and I am a former part-time teacher in the UC Irvine Extension (1998-2016). Last week, I attended an event sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs “New Narratives” program and the Cross Cultural Center. It was entitled “Standing Rock Is Everywhere” and consisted of several panelists, who spoke not only about the Standing Rock pipeline issue but many other issues as well. Frankly, I was appalled at the negative perspectives given to UCI students by these speakers as it pertains to our country and our society (as well as Canada). Given the fact that the event was sponsored by the university, I wonder whether UCI was putting its official imprimatur on the views expressed.

I fully understand the dark chapters in our nation’s history and am old enough to remember some of them. I also understand the first amendment right of those speakers to express their opinions. But I do not share the negative opinions expressed toward our country as it is today or some of our leaders who were mentioned. For example, I do not believe Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a racist as was implied by one of the speakers.

I also found it offensive that a panelist (Janaya Khan) who has just moved to the US from Canada would open her remarks by saying that “she had picked the wrong time to move south of the border” then go on to trash this country. I also found the expression she used, “Christian patriarchy” equally offensive. I could go on, but you can read my reactions in full at the below link.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2017/04/uc-irvine-panel-slams-everything.html

My real purpose in writing, however, is to inquire whether the “New Narratives” program has in the past or is willing in the future to sponsor a speaker or speakers with a more positive perspective on America as well as provide opposing viewpoints on the North Dakota pipeline and other issues brought up by your panel covered in the above event. I should add that I posed this question to Dr Abby Reyes before I left the event. While I don’t feel I got a particularly clear answer, she informed me that New Narratives was set up after the unfortunate “black face” incident on campus a couple of years back and was designed to give a voice to “marginalized students”. She also told me that suggested speakers are considered by a New Narratives panel and referred me to the vice chancellor’s office for further information.

Therefore, in the interest of providing UCI students and the community with other perspectives on these issues, I would like to respectfully propose a couple of speakers for your consideration (specifically for the New Narratives). First of all, I would like to propose Los Angeles-based talk show host Larry Elder, an African-American conservative. Secondly, I would like to propose Dr Thomas Sowell, who I believe recently retired from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is also a well-known African-American conservative. I can think of several other worthy speakers, but I will leave it with these two at this time.

In my view, university students deserve to be exposed to all sides of issues not just some. I don’t deny the rights of the above speakers to have their say, but I seriously question whether universities today are committed to giving a fair hearing to other voices.  I eagerly await your response to my suggestions.

Sincerely,

Gary Fouse

Cc

Dr. Howard Gillman, Chancellor

Dr. Douglas Haynes, Director, Cross Cultural Center

Dr. Abby Reyes

US Rep. Mimi Walters

State Senator John Moorlach

State Assembly Rep. Steven Choi

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I will keep you advised of any responses I get (or don't get).

Detroit Doctor Charged With Performing Female Genital Mutilations

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


Hat tip The Blaze

“The Department of Justice is committed to stopping female genital mutilation in this country,” she added in a statement, “and will use the full power of the law to ensure that no girls suffer such physical and emotional abuse.”




A doctor in Detroit has been charged for performing female genital mutilations. She is an emergency room physician named Jamana Nagarwala. She is facing federal charges.


http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/04/13/detroit-doctor-arrested-for-performing-female-genital-mutilation/

I can only pray that this story is widely publicized. This practice has encroached upon Europe. It is done behind closed doors. In other cases, young girls are sent back to the family's country of origin to have the procedure performed. No doubt some families here have sent their daughters back to the old country for the same purpose. Now this.

These girls are entitled to the same protections we all enjoy here in America. I am heartened that the new DOJ is prosecuting this. I doubt the Obama DOJ would have brought charges.

"Blue Lives Matter" Speaker Disrupted at UCLA and Claremont College

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


Hat tip The College Fix



"No justice-no peace"


Heather MacDonald, author of the 2016 book, The War on Cops" was invited to speak this week at UCLA on Wednesday and Claremont College on Thursday. Both events were loudly disrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters.

The College Fix has posted voeos of both incidents. (The UCLA event is linked in the below article.)

https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/32050/

(Remind me to post a Blue Lives Matter flag on this site.)

This is so typical of the know-nothing mentality on our campuses. All it takes is a couple of professional anarchists to show up on campus with bullhorns, and the minds of mush fall in line like a scene out of the Pied Piper of Hamlin.