Mon, 02 Dec 2002 17:04:31
Well here’s a horrifying thought: Bellesiles teaching high-schoolers?
This story was apparently first in the Chicago Tribune, but has expired. I received it in email from someone on the mailing list of the Million Mom March.
Needless to say, the thought that Michael Bellesiles is teaching *anyone* makes me question the judgment of those who would hire him. Emory essentially confirmed his research was at best sloppy and irresponsible and in part may have been fraudulent. And yet here we have the reward for lying about guns in America: Lose your university job? No problem, we’ll take care of you somehow, fellow lying gun-phobic! We’ll sneak you in under the radar teaching high-school kids all about how guns’r bad, mmm’kay?
Grr.
November 25, 2002
Gun Book Author Defends Research
Michael Bellesiles, who faced a wave of criticism for his book, “Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture,” said he will continue to defend what he wrote, the Chicago Tribune reported Nov. 21.
Last year, Bellesiles’ book won the Bancroft Prize, a prestigious award in the field of American history. But when critics of his assertion that gun ownership was rare in early America began checking his research, Bellesiles was accused of making up sources and data.
The criticisms led to an investigation by Emory University, where Bellesiles was a professor. The investigation concluded that he was “guilty of unprofessional and misleading work.” He resigned from Emory in October rather than face a demotion.
Through it all, Bellesiles has maintained that his research is sound. He said he plans to continue his fight to vindicate his theory about guns.
Bellesiles said he is a victim of intellectual lynching and that his book was drawn into America’s heated debate over gun control.
Bellesiles said he was attacked by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and accused the NRA and its supporters of death threats, which forced his family to move from Atlanta, Ga., to an undisclosed location. Bellesiles said his teenage daughter had to legally change her name because of personal-security concerns.
For the next academic year, Bellesiles has scheduled visiting professorships in England. After that, he plans to teach at the high-school level.
Now he claims that the NRA *and* it’s supporters are threatening his life.
Ladies & gentlemen, I call bullshit.
I have no doubt that some lunatic has indeed threatened him. There are bad people in the world. I do not believe for one tiny micro-fraction of a millisecond that the NRA itself threatened his life, or the lives of anyone in his family. That kind of accusation goes to show the kind of man Bellesiles is, one who will take a statistically insignificant number and attribute it to the majority.
Michael, dear Michael, like the ad campaign said, I *am* the NRA. When you say “The NRA threatened my life” you are saying that *I* threatened your life, and buddy, if you believe that, you’re not just a liar, but you’re stupid. The focus of my concern and support of the Second Amendment is about PROTECTING lives, even yours. If you were in my home (and the roof didn’t fall in or a Greek deity didn’t smite you for heresy) and someone broke in and threatened our lives, I would protect yours with my firearm. That’s the kind of people who belong to the NRA, Bellesiles, not intellectually dishonest cowards and liars.
I hope your high school bears a striking resemblance to Winslow High on Boston Public. The stress would serve you right.
UPDATE - Lee (Right-Thinking from the Left Coast) sent me a link with this story that led me here.
“I was absolutely shocked!” he said of the committee’s report in what may have been his first interview since leaving Emory. “Obviously, they were very angry at me.”
He was sitting in a coffee shop across town from Emory. Since resigning his professorship last month, Bellesiles has avoided the university’s Atlanta campus. He doesn’t want to present former colleagues with the embarrassing choice of either lowering their eyes or saying hello to a pariah, he explained. He has also avoided the media.
Bellesiles said he decided to resign after hearing rumblings the university planned to demote him in rank.
“That would have been an affront to my honor,” said Bellesiles, 48.
Honor?
This guy has brass balls. In fact, he seems almost delusionally defiant. Anyone else think the trip to England is in the hopes that the furor will die down? I foresee him trying to downplay the Emory report upon his return, hoping that the stigma will be gone by then.
Michael, there is no damned way we’re going to let you slide, pal. One year, two years, ten years in England...when you come back, we’ll be here.
Posted by JimK at 05:04 PM on December 02, 2002
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