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Psychology professor denounces departments’ reprimands of his work

Statements from various CSULB departments deplore professor
Kevin MacDonald’s allegedly racist writings.

Several departments at Cal State Long Beach have released statements denouncing the writings of psychology professor Kevin MacDonald after accusations surfaced that MacDonald’s writings and teachings are anti-Semitic.

Last semester, MacDonald sent an e-mail to the CSULB faculty confirming his belief that the Jewish race has had a negative effect on Western society. That thesis was published in MacDonald’s book, “The Culture of Critique.”

The history department’s statement acknowledges the fact that MacDonald does not call himself a historian, but criticizes the historical claims MacDonald’s work makes, saying he lacks “training or understanding of historical methodology.”

Specific examples of MacDonald’s views on European history were cited, as well as his arguments on the 1965 U.S. Immigration Law. The history department said that his writings on these topics demonstrated his disregard for historical fact. The department’s statement added that MacDonald only used historical accounts that would support his claims, ignoring facts that proved his claims to be false.

Like most of the faculty, MacDonald received the statement in an e-mail sent to throughout the College of Liberal Arts.

“I was flabbergasted to see it. It was so outrageous,” MacDonald said.

“I don’t see how any historian could see that chapter and think I didn’t read the research,” MacDonald said in response to the history department’s claim that he didn’t read the Congressional debates surrounding the 1965 U.S. Immigration Law.

According to the history department’s statement, “[MacDonald’s] misuse of historical methodology would be unacceptable in an undergraduate history paper.” The statement also says that the department is disturbed that in MacDonald’s writings he identifies himself as a professor at CSULB.

MacDonald issued his own response, in which he outlined the sources he used while writing the chapter brought into question from “The Culture of Critique.”

In an e-mail sent to the CLA forum, the anthropology department said it “voted unanimously to endorse the statements of the History Department and the Jewish Studies Program regarding writings by Kevin MacDonald which promote prejudice and intolerance.”

The anthropology department also sent out a draft statement, which it will vote to finalize at its next meeting. The draft statement touches on the issue of academic freedom, but also says the department feels “it is important to clearly and publicly dissociate ourselves from work by Kevin MacDonald that promotes prejudice.”

I would love to find some non-white professor at CSULB who preaches anti-white hokum as “history” or as “Africoon Americoon Studies” then demand an explanation from the history and anthropology departments on their glaring hypocrisy. We mustn’t forget that in multiculti Amerikwa only the behavior and culture of whites is open to critical examination in the interest of “academic freedom”. All other racial groups, especially jews, are off limits for that would be “hate and “bigotry”.

Hate speech forum makes waves in Beach Auditorium
CSULB psychology professor Kevin MacDonald, anti-illegal immigration sentiments and white supremacist “lone wolves”

Kevin O’Grady, a panelist on Monday’s forum from the Anti-Defamation League, addresses the crowd in the Beach Auditorium on Monday.

Kevin O’Grady, a panelist on Monday’s forum from the Anti-Defamation League, addresses the crowd in the Beach Auditorium on Monday.

The Campus Forum on Hate Speech, Hate Crimes and Far Right Movements attracted a full crowd in the Beach Auditorium Monday, as panelists discussed hate crimes and ways to prevent future hate violence.

University Police officers were also present at the forum and provided a designated free speech zone outside the University Student Union.

As the opening event for LGBT Diversity Week, panelists of the forum agreed that “celebrating diversity is such a strong message,” said panelist Randy Blazak, director of Hate Crimes Research Network. “It’s more than tolerance.”

One of the main topics of the forum was CSULB psychology professor Kevin MacDonald, whose published works have caused him to be accused of anti-Semitism and being a neo-nazi supporter.

“He’s essentially reliving all the anti-Semitic views of the last 100 years,” said panelist Heidi Beirich from the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), who investigated MacDonald in 2006. The SPLC tracks hate groups and crimes nationwide.

All panelists agreed that “the university needs to distance themselves from the work of MacDonald,” Beirich said.

“MacDonald has been heralded by neo-nazi groups,” said panelist Kevin O’Grady from the Anti-Defamation League. “Your university … refuses to condemn him.”

O’Grady said that he felt “silence sends a very clear and resounding message.”

“This doesn’t have to be a highly technical response to MacDonald,” Beirich said. She said that a press release by CSULB President F. King Alexander disassociating the university with MacDonald would be all that was necessary.

“No one is trying to squash free speech,” said panelist Brian Chase from Lambda Legal, a civil rights organization. “We’re trying to squash harassment.”

Alexandra Jaffe, an associate linguistics professor at CSULB, said she is “among the people that say it’s not legitimate research. He is free to say it, and we are free to express our strongest possible distance with him.”

In an April 11 e-mail statement sent to the Daily Forty-Niner, Alexander wrote that “despite the fact that I personally disagree and even find deplorable some beliefs and opinions expressed by a few individuals on our campus, particularly those ideas that are hurtful of certain groups, I believe as Thomas Jefferson stated that ‘errors of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.'”

Alexander further explained that the university is a forum itself. “Universities should also be firmly committed, even at times when it is against popular opinion, to freedom of thought and when we act to restrict opinions from the far right or the far left, then it will not be long before we can no longer call ourselves a university.”

Panelists agreed that student response to MacDonald is just as important as an executive response.

“You can pick at him,” Beirich said. “You have every opportunity to stand up against him … I hope you do take action.”

According to the SPLC, the number of hate groups has increased by more than 45 percent, from 602 to 888, since 2000.

“The reason is largely a backlash against America’s changing demographics as a result of immigration,” Beirich said.

Panelist Nativo Lopez from the Mexican American Political Association also discussed illegal immigration hate groups.

According to Lopez, more than 62 percent of Americans, including Republicans, “express agreement to legalization of illegal immigrants.”

“The growth of the immigrant population is an unstoppable tendency,” Lopez said.

One other problem O’Grady discussed was keeping track of “the existence of lone wolves – the individual white supremacists and skinheads.”

Blazak said the amount of underreported hate crimes emerges as a problem when trying to study hate groups, calling the dilemma a “huge underside of the iceberg.”

“There is a continuing effort to increase the reporting,” O’Grady said. “Hate flourishes anytime good people don’t speak up.”

Daily 49.er Student Newspaper – issue date: 4/15/08