In response to comments regarding Bill Ayers — who was called a “washed-up terrorist” by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain during the third and final presidential debate — and Ayers’ connections to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, more than 3,000 educators, including three University faculty members and one staff member, have expressed their support for the controversial former Weather Underground member and cofounder by signing an online petition.
The petition states that it is protesting recent attempts at “character assassination and slander” of Ayers.
Asst. History Prof. Grace Hale said she signed the petition because she believes Ayers — currently a University of Illinois at Chicago education professor — is a fantastic education professor and because she believes “none of us should be defined by our misguided or worst act.”
Similarly, Regina Smardon, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture staff member, said she signed the petition because she supports his work on early childhood education and education reform. Although Smardon emphasized that she does not know Ayers personally and does not condone or endorse the past actions of the Weather Underground organization, Smardon said she believes the connection between Obama and Ayers was only tenuous and was blown out of proportion by the media.
Smardon, like Hale, said she does not believe “the entirety of a man’s worth should come from what he did when he was young.”
University TEMPO Reading Program Director Mary Abouzeid and Education Prof. Jane Hansen also signed the petition but could not be reached for comment.
The Weather Underground group, with which Ayers was once associated, bombed several public buildings in the 1960s and 70s. In his 2001 book, “Fugitive Days,” Ayers admitted to participating in the 1970 bombing of the New York City Police Department Headquarters, the 1971 bombing of the United States Capitol building and the 1972 bombing of the Pentagon. The federal government filed charges against Ayers, but those charges were dropped in 1974 following accusations of prosecutorial misconduct.
As of press time, a McCain campaign representative could not be reached for comment. Since the allegations from McCain’s campaign came to light regarding Obama’s associations with Ayers and Ayers’ past history, Obama has denied on multiple occasions having any sort of illicit or questionable associations with Ayers. Various media sources have reported that Ayers and Obama at one time lived in the same Chicagoland area, and both were involved in a variety of education reform projects. Ayers hosted an event in 1995 in support of Obama’s first run for political office, and in April 2001, Ayers contributed $200 to Obama’s re-election fund to the Illinois State Senate, those media sources reported.
Cordel Faulk, U.Va. Center for Politics Communications Director said he does not think any possible connection between Obama and Ayers — no matter how big or small — will affect the outcome of the upcoming election, because there are many more important issues, such as the current state of the economy. He noted that these larger issues will likely overshadow smaller ones, such as the Ayers “distraction.”
Hoos for McCain President John Sweeney, said looking into or questioning Obama’s possible past dealings with Ayers is fair.
“I think it’s worthwhile to look into [Obama’s] past association with a man charged with bombing a federal building,” Sweeney said. “It’s not unfair to look into peoples’ pasts. In a presidential election, that’s just what happens.”
Faulk said the Ayers issue has seemingly “fired up” the Republican base. He also added, however, that it is not likely to sway moderate or independent voters, noting that McCain’s polling numbers may have actually suffered a downturn partially because of the raising of such issues.
According to the online petition, the educators’ petition was initiated by “friends and supporters” of Ayers.
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