ISO announces protest against prof’s controversial web page

The International Socialist Organization plans a Monday morning protest to get Prof. Arthur Butz's Holocaust revisionary theory off-line. The International Socialist Organization plans to continue protesting against Prof. Arthur Butz and his web page. At its weekly meeting last night, ISO said they will protest 9 a.m. Monday outside of Tech LR8–Butz's classroom.

Once again, ISO members will pass out petitions to get Prof. Butz's web page about his revisionist theory of the Holocaust taken off-line. Members also will distribute printed copies of the web page. During discussion, members said they are optimistic about further student support of their petition. While they believe most people are still ignorant of the situation, they see the possibility of a large student movement.

“Most people don't know about him,” said Kirsten Roberts, a member of ISO from Chicago. “When you talk to people and they find out (who he is), they're pretty disgusted. But there's a lot of potential (for support). I was surprised how willing (his students) were to sign a petition when they were in his class.”

ISO members are not quite as hopeful about the administration's response to the student action. They said they see the administration's answers to their continued protest against Butz and his revisionist theories as being apathetic, at best.

“Their attitude is 'Don't talk about it. Leave him alone so he doesn't attract attention,” said Mike Sweiven, a discussion leader and history graduate student.

ISO members said they see the NU administration as harboring a blatant racist because it is more concerned with money than with the ethics of its faculty.

“I could guarantee that if this cost money from financial backers, he would be gone in a second,” said ISO President Joel Feinman, a CAS freshman.

ISO said they are placing their greatest hopes in the response of the student body. They see the only change in Butz's status as a tenured professor at Northwestern as coming from the students.

“I think for change to occur, the students would have to put pressure on the administration,” said discussion leader Cindy Kaffen, a Northwestern graduate.

ISO members also discussed the possibility of organizing a debate between NU administration and students to facilitate further interaction between the two groups.

This document may be distributed electronically, provided it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. It cannot, however, be reprinted without express written permission of Students Publishing Company. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is copyright ©1997 Students Publishing Company.

The Daily Northwestern, January 9, 1997