No Liberal Bias in Our Halls of Higher Education?

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the first, fatal Philadelphia vs MOVE confrontation, comes word from the Anti-Move blog that a Drexel University professor is circulating a petition to free the murdering scum who killed P/O James Ramp in August 1978 and set the stage for an even bigger confrontation years later.


One name stuck out to me on the "Free The MOVE 9" petition, not only because of the geographical location of the signer, but because of the absolutism of his inaccurate comment.
His name is Dr. Robert Zaller and he may be teaching your kids History at Drexel University.
I find this interesting as Drexel University is very near the location where MOVE killed Officer James Ramp and nearly killed several other Police Officers and Firefighters as it is rare that anyone in Philadelphia is ignorant enough to support MOVE, but that an actual teacher of History makes the mistake to support killers is particularly notable. If that is what this man, who makes the point of being a Professor, and also name drops the University is doing online, one has to wonder what kind of teaching is going on in his class room.

And for the record, these are the comments of Dr. Zaller:


"270 years of collective punishment for the single shot that killed Officer James Ramp is surely sufficient by any yardstick of justice. No one was ever indicted, let alone punished, in the death of eleven MOVE members in 1985. I am not a member of MOVE, but a citizen seeking fairness and equity in the administration of justice. I hope that the Board of Probation and Parole will act favorably in this case, and help all Philadelphians begin a process of healing and reconciliation.
Sincerely, Dr. Robert Zaller Professor of History Drexel University"

I find the above comment repellant not just in it’s inaccuracies, but with the arrogance with which they are presented.

It is a fact that MOVE members are in prison for much more than the killing of James Ramp, something that the Professor either doesn’t know or pretends not to. And as un-important as these other ignored victims of MOVE are to people like Dr. Zaller, what is clearly important is to regurgitate MOVE’s tale of victimization while making the point that he isn’t a member of MOVE, as if that fact in and of itself is a mark of credibility.

He ends his plea for the release of un-repentant murderers on parole by arguing that in doing so there will "begin a process of healing and reconciliation" This of course, is one of those "feel good" platitudes employed by the herbivore left that echoes well through the halls of academia and allows for those inhabiting ivory towers to rest easier at night as they suffer through the delusion that everyone does indeed just want to get along.

However, Dr. Zaller fails to recognize that Philadelphians are hardly clamoring for such a process with MOVE, especially considering the fact that the MOVE members in jail remain defiantly absent of any sense of remorse or responsibility for their actions. Certainly, in terms of offensiveness, Dr. Zaller’s lack of empathy for MOVE’s victims are more egregious than those deluded children who are ready made fodder for MOVE propaganda. As a Professor, one would think that Zaller would at least feign intellectual curiosity, but it appears he has willingly abandoned his critical faculties in the name of ideology and a desire to make a political point in signing a petition in support of a reactionary, violent, and anti-intellectual, death cult that abuses the children in it’s midst.

Dr. Zaller does have a background in fighting against the death penalty, and I have no quarrel with him there, as I too, like an ever growing segment of the American populace, have an issue with murder by the state. Unlike the death penalty, where there are plenty of shades of grey, enough to keep the debate going on for years to come, the MOVE case is rather clear, that is of course, if you bother to do your homework. Dr. Zaller has failed to do his, and in doing so has made the mistake of blindly supporting the release of un-repentant cop-killers. Shame on him.
His action in support of those who killed a servant of the people of Philadelphia are a blight upon his profession and disgrace the University where he teaches.

Please send Professor Zaller an email and help educate him about the reality of MOVE.
He can be reached at robert.michael.zaller@drexel.edu and it is he who is in need of an education.

The TrekMedic adds:

The anti-Move 9 petition can be found here.

In the early days after this fracas, there was one "journalist" who supported the Move 9 in the press.

His name? Mumia Abu Jamal!

(Second link here)


Go figure,.......