The Rover Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Posted: November 18, 2008 By Alyssa Farah WASHINGTON – Bill Ayers, the former Weather Underground extremist with extensive links to president-elect Barack Obama, dedicated his book to Sirhan Sirhan, Robert F. Kennedy's assassin, then denied it, then admitted it and now says maybe it wasn't the right thing to do. Ayers dedicated his 1974 book, "Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism," to "political prisoners," specifically listing Sirhan Sirhan, the man who was found guilty of murdering Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign. Sirhan was given a life sentence. World Net Daily previously reported Ayers' decision to dedicate the book to the killer. However, when asked about the dedication at a book signing, Ayers said recently, "Absolutely, that wasn't a dedication." He then backtracked a little, confirming that the dedication in "Prairie Fire" was "as a manifesto to all political prisoners." He then said he regretted naming Sirhan Sirhan in the dedication. "If I were writing a book like that today, I would dedicate it to 2.1 million people in prison. I think it was a stupid thing to single him out but, I also think that we have created a monster in the prison system, and we ought to abolish the prisons." Ayers was part of the Weather Underground terrorist organization that bombed the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon. He stated in 2001 he had no regrets and wished he could have done more. His book is the ideological manifesto of the Weather Underground and is expressly communist, advocating violence against the government. Ayers and Obama worked side-by-side on the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a school reform program, and also served together on the board of the Woods Fund, a Chicago charity. Obama has described Ayers as a "just a guy who lives in my neighborhood" while Ayers has called Obama a "family friend." The weblog Dakota Voice cited a passage from the book: We are a guerrilla organization. We are communist women and men, underground in the United States for more than four years. We are deeply affected by the historic events of our time in the struggle against U.S. imperialism. Our intention is to disrupt the empire, to incapacitate it, to put pressure on the cracks, to make it hard to carry out its bloody functioning against the people of the world, to join the world struggle, to attack from the inside. Our intention is to engage the enemy, to wear away at him, to harass him, to isolate him, to expose every weakness, to pounce, to reveal his vulnerability. Our intention is to encourage the people, to provoke leaps in confidence and consciousness, to stir the imagination, to popularize power, to agitate, to organize, to join in every way possible the people's day-to-day struggles. Our intention is to forge an underground, a clandestine political organization engaged in every form of struggle, protected from the eyes and weapons of the state, a base against repression, to accumulate lessons, experience and constant practice, a base from which to attack. "This book contains terrorist, Marxist, anti-American writings that should make the blood of any red-blooded American boil," Dakota Voice said. "Stop and consider for a moment that Barack Obama allowed this America-hating terrorist help launch his political career in his living room. That Barack Obama worked with this man on the board of the Annenberg Challenge and the Woods Fund. That they sat together on panels like the one over juvenile justice." According to several online biographies, Sirhan, who remains imprisoned in California, was an Arab who had emigrated to the U.S. and reportedly was disturbed by Kennedy's pro-Israel positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Plant Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Wow. Just, wow. and abolish the prisons? Oh, okay, brilliant idea. What does he suggest we do? What a fucking moron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Wow. Just, wow. and abolish the prisons? Oh, okay, brilliant idea. What does he suggest we do? What a fucking moron. Maybe he can take in all the death row folk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Why do any of you care about this? Furthermore, why do you care enough to be bothered by it? Bill Ayres is allowed his opinions whether you agree with them or not, that's the beautiful thing about free expression. I swear, you lot will get all in a tizzy over nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstickbonzo Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 If Bill Ayers was as bad a guy as the right-wing wack jobs make him out to be, he would have killed hundreds, if not thousands of more people than he did. That's the heart of the whole Ayers argument. He wasn't that good a terrorist to begin with and yet, because they (the wack jobs) have nothing else to sling, they throw in a two-bit bomber who dropped too much acid, shot some heroin...woke up one day, cleaned up, went to school and became a college professor. What a fucking boogie man. BOOOOOOOO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Also, Ayres was never convicted of anything, he never killed anyone and he's not served a day in jail. In fact, he's a model citizen and a very respected professor at UIC, a place I went to school. I know someone who had him as a teacher and apparently, he's a riot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mos6507 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Also, Ayres was never convicted of anything, he never killed anyone and he's not served a day in jail. In fact, he's a model citizen and a very respected professor at UIC, a place I went to school. I know someone who had him as a teacher and apparently, he's a riot. He just happens to have political views that are abhorrent to a lot of people, which is par for the course with college professors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil's Haircut Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I think people are more afraid of the Mind Terror someone can convey. There's always been great fear of mental subversion, especially toward youth's vulnerable minds. I believe this is more about thought policing than actually terrorism this guy is associated with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Plant Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I think people are more afraid of the Mind Terror someone can convey. There's always been great fear of mental subversion, especially toward youth's vulnerable minds. I believe this is more about thought policing than actually terrorism this guy is associated with. Exactly, I was so sick of hearing professors preach their politics in college. Fuck them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil's Haircut Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Exactly, I was so sick of hearing professors preach their politics in college. I knew a few professor's in college that didn't preach their politics. Fuck them. Yep, that was their reward! and mine too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Exactly, I was so sick of hearing professors preach their politics in college. Fuck them. Oh my! Mrs Plant You seem so irritable lately. The big city life getting to you? Boy friend troubles? Maybe you should come back home dawlin' I'm sure there is a nice southern gentleman out there to help you get back on track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Who cares if a professor "preaches" his politics? If you're not smart enough to form your own opinion, independent of what he/she thinks, that's your bigger problem. I had professors who were super liberal, I had professors who were super conservative. I even had one who was a borderline anarchist. Didn't seem to bother me any, I was more interested in their ability to teach the material than what political view they subscribed to. Seriously, some of you are getting worked up over nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE FIRST LEDZEP Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Just great soon another 911 by Obama with help Just great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricmage Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 "Obama friend Bill Ayers" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquamarine Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 He just happens to have political views that are abhorrent to a lot of people, which is par for the course with college professors. Most of the college professors I know are as conservative as they come. Which just goes to show that you can't stereotype entire groups of people. Most of the college professors I know, including me, also consider it totally unprofessional to push their political or religious views in the classroom. And I said "most," so no point quoting the exceptions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Plant Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Who cares if a professor "preaches" his politics? If you're not smart enough to form your own opinion, independent of what he/she thinks, that's your bigger problem. I had professors who were super liberal, I had professors who were super conservative. I even had one who was a borderline anarchist. Didn't seem to bother me any, I was more interested in their ability to teach the material than what political view they subscribed to. Seriously, some of you are getting worked up over nothing. Point is, they are getting paid to teach, not preach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swandown Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 "Obama friend"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Point is, they are getting paid to teach, not preach. And as long as they teach, are competent at teaching and don't try to have sex with their students.....the problem is what, exactly? My professors could have come to class wearing anti-war signs plastered to their clothes and I wouldn't give a damn as long as they did their jobs, which is to teach the material according to the curriculum. Now, if they showed up looking like that and proceeded to not teach, but rather hold a symposium on why George Bush should rot in hell.....now that would be a problem. But see since nothing like that ever happened, again I didn't get my knickers in a wad over it. Hell, I saw one of my professors taking part in an anti-war march in Atlanta in 2004 and I had class with him the next day.....didn't seem to present itself as a problem when I think about it. And most of the people in my class were hardcore Repubs anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Posted: November 18, 2008 By Alyssa Farah WASHINGTON – Bill Ayers, the former Weather Underground extremist with extensive links to president-elect Barack Obama,... Yeah, about as extensive as my links to Jimmy Page. Relax, it's not like Ayers is going to be part of Obama's Cabinet. You guys are making a mountain out of a molehill. Oh, and I seem to recall plenty of Republicans working with Ayers over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Who knows what the extent of their relationship really is. Dedicating his book to RFK's assassin was not a cool thing to do. Being involved in the Weather Underground and these bombings could still make him a risk as I've seen in recent interviews that he still shares these views and has the communist beliefs too. I don't think Obama has much of a relationship with him. As president-elect, it wouldn't be too smart . Most presidents seem to take a center approach to their views, relationships, actions etc. or just slightly right or left of it depending, since that's what the U.S. is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstickbonzo Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I don't think Obama has much of a relationship with him. As president-elect, it wouldn't be too smart . It wouldn't surprise me, actually its probable that Ayers' relationship with Obama consisted of nothing more than a few hand shakes and such at mutual benefits where Obama was asked to attend for his work with the Chicago community and Ayers for his work as a college professor and author. Not mixing their individual beliefs into the matter, it's very possible a few poorly selected Obama photo ops with Ayers is what caused all this bogus chatter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 It wouldn't surprise me, actually its probable that Ayers' relationship with Obama consisted of nothing more than a few hand shakes and such at mutual benefits where Obama was asked to attend for his work with the Chicago community and Ayers for his work as a college professor and author. Not mixing their individual beliefs into the matter, it's very possible a few poorly selected Obama photo ops with Ayers is what caused all this bogus chatter. There is that dinner which Obama attended a few years back, where Ayers was in attendence as well as a couple of other notable controversials Obama has been associated with. Those being Rev. Wright and Khalidi. With the latter making a speech during this dinner with his denouncement of Israel and many anti-semetic remarks. That's what's been reported at least. It is this video that the L.A. Times has and refused to give up when requested by John McCain, just days prior to the election. Now since Obama was running for president and has since won many felt he should have listened to that speech and should have either walked out or remarked on it, considering his position at the time and now. He was Illinois State Senator at the time. Not sure of the exact date of the dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock N' Rollin' Man Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Bill Ayers recently said in an interview that Obama was a family friend. How far that relationship went I don't think anyone could answer but Ayers and Obama. I don't think Obama shares any of Ayers beliefs but had a relationship on the Woods Fund of Chicago that helped the people of Chicago. However, as being a co-founder of the Weather Underground that was responsible for killing Americans and still to this day hasn't apologized but wanted to do more bombings on government and police buildings, this man is a shameful man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Bill Ayers recently said in an interview that Obama was a family friend. How far that relationship I don't think anyone can say but him and Obama. I don't think Obama shares any of Ayers beliefs but had a relationship on the Woods Fund of Chicago that helped the people of Chicago. However, as being a co-founder of the Weather Underground that was responsible for killing Americans and still to this day hasn't apologized but wanted to do more, this man is a shameful man. Yes he is and many give him credibility. This probably didn't come up much durung the election since there probably wasn't much of a relationship between the two. I certainly hope not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstickbonzo Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 It is this video that the L.A. Times has and refused to give up when requested by John McCain, just days prior to the election. It'll come out..most likely after Obama fucks something up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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