Get ready to RUUUMMMBBLE!!! Professor "Protect environment at all cost" Steiner vs President "Freedom of expression lipservice only" Hamilton.

If you listened to Shannyn's show on Saturday, or recently read the Anchorage Daily News, or visited almost any of the Alaska Progressive blogs then you know about this incredible miscarriage of justice.

Professor Rick Steiner, educator at the University of Alaska for 30 years, and giant pain in the ass of the oil companies, had his funding stripped because he pointed out that selling the integrity of the Alaska education system for thirty pieces of silver from the oil companies was wrong. In Alaska that is a little thing they call "heresy".

Of course as all Palin watchers well know the beginning of the end of Professor Steiner's career undoubtedly coincided with THIS little episode.

Rick Steiner, a University of Alaska professor, sought the e-mail messages of state scientists who had examined the effect of global warming on polar bears. (Ms. Palin said the scientists had found no ill effects, and she has sued the federal government to block the listing of the bears as endangered.) An administration official told Mr. Steiner that his request would cost $468,784 to process.

When Mr. Steiner finally obtained the e-mail messages — through a federal records request — he discovered that state scientists had in fact agreed that the bears were in danger, records show.

“Their secrecy is off the charts,” Mr. Steiner said.

That's right! Professor Steiner DARED to question the "truthiness" of Queen Ester of the North's declaration about Polar bears. HOW DARE HE!

Anyhow things pretty much went downhill form there.

But Professor Steiner is no shrinking violet. No he wants to debate the man who refused to stand up for his right to freedom of expression, University of Alaska President Gen. Mark Hamilton.

Here is Professor Rick Steiner's challenge to President Gen. Mark Hamilton. (Why does this guy have TWO titles?)

President Hamilton –

Given recent circumstances, I would like to invite you to debate with me, openly and publicly, re: the issue of academic freedom, and the influence of corporate donations to the university.
You have said many things in support of academic freedom over the years, but when push came to shove in my case, you made a decision in opposition to free speech.

In 2002, you received an award for your support of academic freedom from a group calling itself the “National Association of Scholars”, who it turns out, actually opposes sustainability movements on today’s college campuses. They say that sustainability is “deceptive, coercive, closed-minded, a pseudo-religion, distorts higher education, shrinks freedom, programs people, is anti-rational, by-passes faculty, and is wasteful.” This group apparently supports free speech only when they agree with what is spoken, and opposes it when they disagree with what is spoken. Apparently this is your position as well. That you chose to accept an award fro this group calls into serious question the progressive character of the University of Alaska.

All of this is an extremely serious transgression of the very role a university is supposed to fulfill in civil society.

I look forward to your reply, and to debating this issue publicly and honestly.

Sincerely, Rick Steiner, Professor

Oooh now there are some very articulate fighting words. But does Rick Steiner REALLY believe that President Hamilton will actually take him up on his offer? I mean that is pretty nai.........wait he said what? No kidding!

Here is the response that Professor Steiner received from Hamilton:

"Dr Steiner, you have peaked my interest. Mark"

Wow, it looks like the President might actually be open to debating Professor Steiner on this fascinating topic. Sounds like a popcorn eating occasion to me!

And it should be a good one. On one side you have a Professor who has spent 30 years using his vast intelligence to battle governments and corporations in order to protect the precious environment of planet earth, and on the other side you have a man with two titles who cannot use the word "piqued" in the proper context. Anybody want to take bets on the outcome?

By the way there is a remote possibility that President GENERAL Mark Hamilton will get a case of "frosty feet". We can help him avoid that by letting him know how much we are looking forward to his tour de force performance in the debate, by calling his office at (907) 450-8000, or dropping him a friendly e-mail at sypres@alaska.edu.

I don't know why people say that living in Alaska is boring, there is excitement around every corner!