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Home Considering All Things Considered	Wed.April 6, 2005 DAVID HOROWITZ PIE-FACED AT BUTLER UNIVERSITY!!! SHOCK & AWE... "I Do Not Condone Assaults of Any Kind. But It Would Be a Lie to Say This Was Not Enormously Satisfying Neoconservative vs. Anarchist Theater" -- Keni Washington Today, the conservative Eric Rudolph went on trial for bombing and murdering women and men at an abortion clinic and gays at a nightclub... Matt Hale, an ultraconservative white supremacist who hates "liberal judges" and killed the family of at least one, was sentenced... almost twenty US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq along with at least that many Iraqis. In Indianapolis, Neocon luminary David Horowitz got a pie in the face. I was there. I first met Horowitz when he and I were in Madison Wisconsin in 1968 and against the Viet Nam War. He was, by his account, reflexively a “liberal.” I had not seen him since then. Upon entering the Butler University lecture hall everyone was handed two Horowitz pamphlets. The cover of the first (falsely) depicts Noam Chomsky in the garb and headscarf of Osama Ben Laden. The second cover is a caricature of a saxophone player pied piping zombie like children up a hill whilst the Twin Towers blaze in the distance. The second is a Neocon rant against the "Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Program" taught at Ball State University by Prof. George Wolf whose equally threatening liberal talent is playing the saxophone. Ball State?!?! When did Ball State become a center of left-wing ideology and a lightening rod for right wing-vitriol? I didn't know Muncie had been in viewing distance of the Twin Towers. As a left-wing saxophone player in Indianapolis I was envious, and then IT happened! Horowitz spent the first 20 minutes spewing a remarkable load of venom e.g. " liberals are ignorant fascists... liberal professors hate America and love its enemies... Noam Chomsky is despicable... how many great women composers or mathematicians can you name? Maybe it does have something to do with aptitude..." Angrydavid was reaching a climax of bile, righteous complaint, frothing at the mouth. Suddenly, the lectern stage-door right opened and in floated two masked apparitions in black holding a large yellow sign. They smoothly and calmly levitated across the hall in front of Angrydavid and began to eclipse him. Just as we the audience began to realize this was uncharacteristic Neocon shtick – not a Young Republican interlude – stage-door right abruptly flew open again. This time a third apparition dashed in, a phantom pie man, woman (?) -- person. The sign bearing angels covered Angrydavid in full eclipse for an instant. Then, they seamlessly exited out stage-door left as the pie person dashed back out stage right leaving David Horowitz in shock and awe, flailing with chocolate cream pie covering face, hair and Neocon blue suit, white shirt and red tie. I do not condone assaults of any kind. But it would be a lie to say this wasn’t enormously satisfying Neoconservative vs. Anarchist theater. What did the anarchists big yellow sign say? The corner was accidentally folded down as they floated in stage-right and out of our lives stage-left for that brief surreal moment, so no one knows. It was a blur. The attack was childish, reckless and achieved nothing. Why didn’t they come in and engage against Horowitz? That’s why many of us were there. Dripping with pie and an enlarged vista of grievance, Horowitz was now reanimated to spew his toxic waste over a wider girth “… liberal professors at Butler encouraged this…” David Horowitz is a capital liar and a self-admitted and shameless propagandist. Pie or not, his talk was rambling and lacked the reasoning and rigor that one would expect from so preeminent a conservative intellectual. I was there to insure that students could see and hear someone who’s known him in all his incarnations deconstruct his bullshit. It did not take much. In the 1970s he flipped from the “New Left” to the far Right. I am relieved that the Left is no longer burdened with him as just one more spokesperson that lacks intellectual rigor. As Horowitz flailed I along with others in the audience whom I know to be “liberals” ran to get towels for him. It was noticeable that his conservative base, with the exception of Marvin Scott, just sat there looking at him. In aiding him I had two purposes. My satisfaction at his plight was only at its symbolism; in our mutual human vulnerability the assault was wrong. I wanted him to know I felt that. However, I also wished him to realize that when I would later take his arguments apart at the seams during audience participation it would not be personal. Later when I did just that he realized neither. I took his arguments apart. I invited anyone who wanted to know about great women composers and why they could not publish until relatively recently to email me, and I was honored to receive the only ovation of the evening up to that point -- including his speech. He resented and aimed his final insult of the evening at me “yes, three cheers for the ignorant liberal.” After a final rant at a female professor he scurried out of the hall. I would be happy to debate David Horowitz, Marvin Scott, or any of their ilk on the great question of the day, Liberalism vs. Conservatism as the political force benefiting American citizens and culture. It is critically important that American youth see and hear this debate and that the lies, bigotry, superstition and violence around which Neo-conservatism is fabricated be deconstructed. Progressive citizens should not allow any Neocon to appear in public forums unchallenged. Our culture is in critical balance. The entire gang of Neocons who now control this great culture do so based upon their focused and disciplined avoidance of critical analysis. In this age of the greatest abundance of journalism the Neocons deftly avoid the open marketplace of ideas and most liberals are happy to accommodate their intellectual cowardice. Most sadly the entire charade seem to be a perfect fit for most of the celebrities currently practicing the craft of journalism.	Other Articles: David Horowitz Pie-Faced At Butler University!!! by Keni Washington An Open Question To All Able-bodied Supporters of the War On Iraq: Why Aren't You In Iraq? by Keni Washington 9-11-04 -- Letter to Secretary Powell by Keni Washington 9-23-04 -- Open letter to Iraq by Keni Washington

Wed.April 6, 2005

DAVID HOROWITZ PIE-FACED AT BUTLER UNIVERSITY!!! SHOCK & AWE...

"I Do Not Condone Assaults of Any Kind. But It Would Be a Lie to Say This Was Not Enormously Satisfying Neoconservative vs. Anarchist Theater"

-- Keni Washington

Today, the conservative Eric Rudolph went on trial for bombing and murdering women and men at an abortion clinic and gays at a nightclub... Matt Hale, an ultraconservative white supremacist who hates "liberal judges" and killed the family of at least one, was sentenced... almost twenty US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq along with at least that many Iraqis. In Indianapolis, Neocon luminary David Horowitz got a pie in the face. I was there.

I first met Horowitz when he and I were in Madison Wisconsin in 1968 and against the Viet Nam War. He was, by his account, reflexively a “liberal.” I had not seen him since then. Upon entering the Butler University lecture hall everyone was handed two Horowitz pamphlets. The cover of the first (falsely) depicts Noam Chomsky in the garb and headscarf of Osama Ben Laden. The second cover is a caricature of a saxophone player pied piping zombie like children up a hill whilst the Twin Towers blaze in the distance. The second is a Neocon rant against the "Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Program" taught at Ball State University by Prof. George Wolf whose equally threatening liberal talent is playing the saxophone. Ball State?!?! When did Ball State become a center of left-wing ideology and a lightening rod for right wing-vitriol? I didn't know Muncie had been in viewing distance of the Twin Towers. As a left-wing saxophone player in Indianapolis I was envious, and then IT happened!

Horowitz spent the first 20 minutes spewing a remarkable load of venom e.g. " liberals are ignorant fascists... liberal professors hate America and love its enemies... Noam Chomsky is despicable... how many great women composers or mathematicians can you name? Maybe it does have something to do with aptitude..." Angrydavid was reaching a climax of bile, righteous complaint, frothing at the mouth. Suddenly, the lectern stage-door right opened and in floated two masked apparitions in black holding a large yellow sign. They smoothly and calmly levitated across the hall in front of Angrydavid and began to eclipse him. Just as we the audience began to realize this was uncharacteristic Neocon shtick – not a Young Republican interlude – stage-door right abruptly flew open again. This time a third apparition dashed in, a phantom pie man, woman (?) -- person. The sign bearing angels covered Angrydavid in full eclipse for an instant. Then, they seamlessly exited out stage-door left as the pie person dashed back out stage right leaving David Horowitz in shock and awe, flailing with chocolate cream pie covering face, hair and Neocon blue suit, white shirt and red tie.

I do not condone assaults of any kind. But it would be a lie to say this wasn’t enormously satisfying Neoconservative vs. Anarchist theater.

What did the anarchists big yellow sign say? The corner was accidentally folded down as they floated in stage-right and out of our lives stage-left for that brief surreal moment, so no one knows. It was a blur. The attack was childish, reckless and achieved nothing. Why didn’t they come in and engage against Horowitz? That’s why many of us were there. Dripping with pie and an enlarged vista of grievance, Horowitz was now reanimated to spew his toxic waste over a wider girth “… liberal professors at Butler encouraged this…” David Horowitz is a capital liar and a self-admitted and shameless propagandist. Pie or not, his talk was rambling and lacked the reasoning and rigor that one would expect from so preeminent a conservative intellectual. I was there to insure that students could see and hear someone who’s known him in all his incarnations deconstruct his bullshit. It did not take much. In the 1970s he flipped from the “New Left” to the far Right. I am relieved that the Left is no longer burdened with him as just one more spokesperson that lacks intellectual rigor.

As Horowitz flailed I along with others in the audience whom I know to be “liberals” ran to get towels for him. It was noticeable that his conservative base, with the exception of Marvin Scott, just sat there looking at him. In aiding him I had two purposes. My satisfaction at his plight was only at its symbolism; in our mutual human vulnerability the assault was wrong. I wanted him to know I felt that. However, I also wished him to realize that when I would later take his arguments apart at the seams during audience participation it would not be personal. Later when I did just that he realized neither. I took his arguments apart. I invited anyone who wanted to know about great women composers and why they could not publish until relatively recently to email me, and I was honored to receive the only ovation of the evening up to that point -- including his speech. He resented and aimed his final insult of the evening at me “yes, three cheers for the ignorant liberal.” After a final rant at a female professor he scurried out of the hall.

I would be happy to debate David Horowitz, Marvin Scott, or any of their ilk on the great question of the day, Liberalism vs. Conservatism as the political force benefiting American citizens and culture. It is critically important that American youth see and hear this debate and that the lies, bigotry, superstition and violence around which Neo-conservatism is fabricated be deconstructed. Progressive citizens should not allow any Neocon to appear in public forums unchallenged. Our culture is in critical balance. The entire gang of Neocons who now control this great culture do so based upon their focused and disciplined avoidance of critical analysis. In this age of the greatest abundance of journalism the Neocons deftly avoid the open marketplace of ideas and most liberals are happy to accommodate their intellectual cowardice. Most sadly the entire charade seem to be a perfect fit for most of the celebrities currently practicing the craft of journalism.