Threats undermine activist's UH sessions

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

A small tempest has emerged on the University of Hawai'i campus over an invitation to outspoken anti-sovereignty activist Ken Conklin to teach a brief course to seven elder students participating in the Academy for Life-Long Learning in the College of Arts and Sciences.

After academy coordinator Rebecca Goodman said she was threatened by a man whom she described as angry, all of the students pulled out of the class and it was cancelled. The experience, Goodman said, has left her with concerns about issues of academic freedom, personal safety and freedom of speech.

"I'll fight for their chance to hear anybody they want to hear, but at this stage it's moot," said Goodman, who had turned the problem over to campus administrators.

The five Wednesday afternoon classes with Conklin — to be offered at the Campus Center — were requested by the students, who wanted to hear his views and then debate sovereignty with him, said Goodman.

Campus security personnel had planned to provide heightened security after Goodman reported being threatened.

Even though the class has been canceled, Goodman hasn't given up and is looking for an off-campus site in hopes her students i ranging in age from 65 to 91 — will feel safe and agree to return.

Goodman said Conklin asked that any new site not be publicized.

"I know people have strenuous objections to Dr. Conklin's views, but if you can't have some kind of civil exchange of views, then we don't have an open campus anymore," said Goodman.

Before the students withdrew, Goodman asked Conklin if he would be willing to postpone his lectures or change the meeting place, but he refused, saying that the university should not bow to intimidation and had a responsibility to protect its staff and students.

For his part, Conklin was critical of "the atmosphere at UH," which he describes as "overwhelmingly pro-sovereignty."

"Nobody ever gets to appear at UH or the Center for Hawaiian Studies who has any viewpoint opposite to those of the sovereignty activists," he said.

In response to his statements, Center for Hawaiian Studies director Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa said Conklin "is very offensive to all Hawaiians — not just radicals but conservative Hawaiians, because he makes such anti-Hawaiian statements."

But she also said that although she would not invite someone like Conklin, whom she considers a racist, to speak, other professors certainly have the right to do so.

"He's not blacklisted," she said. "It's just that it takes a lot of work to put on a forum, and I don't know anyone here that would want to put any work into increasing hatred."