The American Studies Association held its annual meeting on Nov. 7 and one of the panel discussions was entitled “Scholars Under Attack.” As we read in this piece, not all of the American Studies people are happy with the stance their association has taken with regard to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, but others are delighted to be out in front with their support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. Read about it here.

Of particular interest are the remarks of Professor Steven Salaita, whose extraordinarily nasty tweets about this cost him a faculty position at the University of Illinois on the grounds that he evidently lacks civility. Salaita is quoted as saying, “Civility is the language of genocide. It’s an inherently a deeply violent word. It’s a word whose connotations can be seen as nothing if not racist.”

Really? War is peace, freedom is slavery and now civility is violence. Some people get so wrapped up in their own red hot righteousness that they can’t tell when they’re making fools of themselves.