Ward Churchill, the controversial University of Colorado professor who has been the target of so much right-wing wrath, spoke Tuesday night at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. And his talk drew far more attention than it would have, thanks to the screeching of media windbags like Bill O’Reilly and politicians who have grown a bit too comfortable in the bully pulpit, such as Wisconsin’s own state Rep. Steve Nass.
… Unfortunately, the Churchill controversy has brought to Wisconsin an example of the worst sort of academic witch hunting, as Nass and his allies have attempted to advance the notion that the University of Wisconsin System should get into the business of censoring ideas.