Chain letters seem to have become the mode of transport for disseminating political messages in the academic world. Two petitions concerning a war in Iraq have been jumping from faculty inbox to faculty inbox over the past month seeking signatures along the way, said history professor Hendrik Hartog who signed both petitions.
The latest, "An Open Letter from the Academic Community Opposing a U.S. Invasion of Iraq," has circulated nationwide. The petition — which originated at the University of Minnesota last month — has been signed by 83 members of the University community, including students, alumni, researchers and faculty from departments including history, molecular biology and art and archaeology.
Of those, 46 identified themselves as faculty members as of yesterday, according to the petition's website noiraqattack.org.
In early September an "American Historians' Petition to Congress" called for a congressional debate on the prospect of going to war. The petition was signed by 12 University professors including Hartog, James McPherson and Sean Wilentz.
"I just wanted to slow the process [of going to war] down," Hartog said.
History professor Daniel Rodgers, who signed the anti-war petition, said there has been strikingly little debate over going to war.
"The need for a full and thorough and deep debate over the current administration's policy just seems to me and to a great number of persons absolutely imperative," he said.
To encourage debate, the history department is sponsoring an open forum Monday to discuss attacking Iraq.
Rodgers said he is also skeptical of the timing of President Bush's call for Congress' support — right after Sept. 11, 2002 and before the elections.
This is "as cynical a use of politics that we've seen in a long time," he said. "But, of course, this is the way that it has been engineered."
Another reason to avoid a war, Rodgers said, is that the consequences of deposing the Iraqi regime are completely unpredictable. A democracy will not just emerge, he said.
History professors are not the only ones taking sides. Molecular biology professor Malcolm Steinberg also signed the petition. Steinberg said the Bush administration has not provided a convincing argument for war.
"[These are] proceedings on a lot of surmises, here. This is war," he said.
Steinberg, like Rodgers, said he thinks Bush is using the war as a political tool — to distract voters from the economic downturn.
Robert Bagley, an art and archeology professor, also signed the petition against a war.
It is "a futile gesture, but I think it's important to go on record," he said.
In all, nearly 15,000 people at U.S. academic institutions have signed the petition.
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