Let's End Sadism Against Gays and Lesbians at MU

This past year, John McAdams conducted a campaign against gays and lesbians on his MU Warrior blog.  He did this by obtaining leaked e-mails from someone on the University Academic Senate about deliberations to initiate domestic partnership benefits at MU.  His retired colleague, Christopher Wolfe, chimed in with his usual sadistic views of gays and lesbians.  Wolfe, if not McAdams, purveys his views in the name of Roman Catholicism.  Several members of the Theology department at MU also mask their hatred and ignorance in the garb of religious belief.  Let us be clear: nothing in Roman Catholicism mandates opposition to, or hatred of, gays and lesbians.  Those who interpret RC to do so have made a choice to embrace hatred in the name of religious belief.

It is time for this mockery of religion to end.  It is time for the Marquette community to recognize the essential dignity and humanity of all people -- gays and lesbians included.  It is time for members of Roman Catholicism who disagree with the right wing haters to speak out and speak up -- take back your religion.

In the meantime, we wait for the MU administration to take some action against McAdams' hateful blog.  Not only does he publish lies and venom, he uses University resources to do so, by making telephone calls to faculty and administrators for information for his "reports."  Over the years, he has attacked liberal faculty members, myself included, and, several years ago, interfered with one of my classes.  Requesting information for his blog, he called a student at home and upset her parents.  Arguably, this behavior is harassment.  It falls foul of conduct codes in the Faculty Handbook that are posted on the Provost's website.  Why, then, has McAdams not been sanctioned for misconduct?  What action did the University Academic Senate take in response to the leaked e-mails?  Perhaps this year, under the leadership of James South, the UAS will be a genuinely representative body that will act in the interests of the faculty.  We can hope that steps will be taken by the administration and the UAS to end McAdams' "reign of error."

Tammy Baldwin once said, "If you can't change hearts and minds, change faces."  We have a new University President and a new President of the University Academic Senate.  With any luck, we'll see new faces in other positions at MU.  The ball is in their court to move MU forward.  There is a lot of work to be done.