Praise for academic freedom

I want to thank The Chronicle for publishing such a thoughtful, intelligent and controversial column in the paper Oct. 18. Yes, I am talking about Philip Kurian's “The Jews,” which has created such an uproar that I can no restrain myself from writing a letter any longer.

I am neither pro-Israeli nor pro-Palestinian. I am neither Jewish nor Muslim. I do not support terrorism or racism of any kind. What I do support are our individual rights as students and as citizens—rights to life, the pursuit of happiness and liberty, particularly that of free speech.

I understand that not everyone holds the same views as Kurian as expressed in his article, but it is disgusting to me how others have criticized and attacked him (using unsound logic nonetheless) for expressing his views.

It is even more unbelievable to me that people have gone so far as to condemn not only him, but also the editors of The Chronicle, President Brodhead and the University as a whole.

Mr. Kurian said in his article that he tends to “err on the side of complete academic freedom.” When did standing up for “complete academic freedom” become wrong?

Well, I for one, congratulate Duke University for its acceptance of the Palestine Solidarity Movement Conference on campus, as well as the protesters in response, and the institution's overall support of open academic discussions. I praise The Chronicle for publishing all editorials, articles and commentaries with content, relevance and intellectual merit. Lastly, I thank Kurian for his well-written article.

I am not ashamed to say that I am proud to attend an institution that supports individual freedoms.