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The Forum > Article Comments > Academic martyrdom highlights university brain drain > Comments

Academic martyrdom highlights university brain drain : Comments

By James McConvill, published 27/7/2005

James McConvill argues Macquarie University’s attempts to silence an outspoken academic is a disgrace.

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If Andrew Fraser was genuinely putting forward an intellectually sustainable argument, then James McConvill would be right to defend him. However, it really isn't a matter of academic freedom. It's a matter of an academic trading on his title to promote unfounded and rascist views. Macquarie University is quite right to penalize him on these grounds.

Take this quote from Fraser's letter and interview in the Parramatta Sun - 13/7/05 (which sparked the SMH piece) "Experience practically everywhere shows us that where you have a rising black population, you have an increase in crime, violence and other social problems."

Notice the deliberate vagueness and generalizations: practically everywhere, black population... He makes no attempt to found statements like this in statistical or sociological studies. And they come in the context of an ill-informed defence of a long-gone 'Anglo-Celtic' only Australia.

This is not the intellectual rigour that McConvill argues our Universities need.
Posted by Ben Thurley, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 10:06:29 AM
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Unfortunately James McConvill missed the point. When Professor Fraser was espousing his racist views he was not purpoting to speak just as an individual, but as a professor of public law at Macquarie University.

Having checked with the Department I could not find how racial profiling and the racial screening of migrants to Australia is a public law issue. Nor can I find any papers authored by Professor Fraser in his academic capacity that research any purported racial distinctions.

His racist views are his personal views not his academic views. Therefore Macquarie University are well within their rights to take steps to stop him propounding these views under his academic title.

It is surprising that James McConvill misses this important point because he clearly understands the distinction between personal comment and academic expression with regards to his own writings. I note that Mr McConvill did not sign off "James McConvill, Lecturer in Law, Deakin University Law School, Melbourne, Australia". Rather he concludes his opinion piece with the following important rider:

"The views expressed in this article are his personal views, and do not represent the views of Deakin University."

The question here is not academic freedom. It is academic integrity. Professor Fraser is not a martyr. He is a very silly boy.

regards,

David Shoebridge
Posted by David Shoebridge, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 10:53:20 AM
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Here, Here.
Posted by Kenny, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 11:57:40 AM
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Here we go again - James takes an incident of academic mediocrity and holds it up as an example of how he feels that australian universities are stomping on all the intellectuals and not allowing them to wander around spouting whatever they see fit. Thing is, a senior position in a university brings with it a responsibility to present the facts and not fiction. It doesn't give you a licence to peddle your baseless 'beliefs'.

I think it's a hoot that you've written what is essentially an advertorial for yourself and doesn't actually present any reasonable argument in defence of Fraser. Instead you're just taking the opportunity to carry on about how much better Deakin is than Macquarie. When you say that you ".. praise my lucky stars that I work at a progressive and enlightened institution like Deakin University..", I'm amused because Deakin Law School wasn't so 'enlightened' only recently when it tried to distance itself from it's Head, Mirko Bagaric, after he promoted the virtues of legalising torture. In one of your other articles, http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=3543, you actually expressed frustration at the lack of intellectual freedom at Deakin.
Posted by Audrey, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 5:14:25 PM
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David Shoebridge, thankyou for saving me the time to research exactly what you've provided as evidence and reason.

Freedom of speech is not freedom to insult - and Fraser has shown he has lost the plot. What he has said is blatantly racist and inflamatory. How indeed, could this be considered scholarship in public law?

We live in a moral community as well as one where free speech should be encouraged and defended. But this comes with a clear responsibility to uphold the public good of our commmunity.
Posted by Rainier, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 6:06:25 PM
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This is really funny coming from an academic who has written countless bullsh*t articles (usually in conjunction with his Deakin Law Professor Mirko Bagaric)!

James, you and Mirko need to help out with the colonic flush by resigning from the Deakin faculty. You're embarrasssing your university and your law school.
Posted by Aslan, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 11:27:43 PM
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