Last
week we had
a protest against Charles Koch who met with the Wichita Metro Chamber
of Commerce to promote his newest book, Good
Profit. The protesters
numbered only 11. They were a dedicated group of political activists here in
town, while much of the town treated Charles as royalty.
Opponents
of the Kochs are having better luck protesting the brothers so called "financial
gifts" to Universities. These gifts and grants end up allowing the Kochs
to censor political activities they don't believe in. Students also don't want
so much corporate influence on their campuses.
We
must support and champion students everywhere who want to curb the influence of
the Koch brothers as they try to buy up democracy and lock out those they
disagree with. And let's not "bend
over" for the Kochs.
-SJ Otto
According
to Inside
Higher Ed:
'UnKoch
My Campus'
Student groups around the country, led by Florida State
University
November
4, 2014
By
Students
on nearly 30 campuses around the country called for a separation of college and
corporation in protests Monday. Although the events highlighted financial
influence from the Koch brothers, organizers said the campaign is a response to
a broader trend of corporate influence.
The idea
was spearheaded by students at Florida
State University
Outside
of Florida , students at colleges from Michigan to Virginia
Libertarian
billionaires Charles and David Koch have been funneling millions of dollars to
universities for several years, generally paying for the hiring of new faculty
members and supporting economic centers that focus on capitalism and free
enterprise. Critics say that some of the arrangement go beyond philanthropy to
influencing curricular or hiring choices in inappropriate ways that colleges
should reject.
Groups
affiliated with the Koch brothers foundations have repeatedly denied that
financial support of colleges infringes on academic freedom and did so
when asked for a comment on Monday's campaign.
“Academic
freedom and the free exchange of ideas are cornerstones of our
philanthropy," said John Hardin, a program officer with the Charles Koch
Foundation, in an email. "When we support a school’s initiative, it
is to expand opportunity and increase the diversity of ideas available on
campus.”
A
recently launched “UnKoch My Campus”
campaign helped advertise for Monday's events, which aimed to raise awareness
on campuses that receive money tied to the Koch brothers and to unite
already-existing protests on individual campuses.
Florida State's history with the Kochs
Florida State’s saga with Koch brothers started in 2011, when the details of a
2008 grant agreement between the university and the foundation were made
public.
Critics
of the agreement said it gave the Koch brothers too much influence in hiring in
the economics department. The university revised the agreement in 2013, though
that did little to assuage concerns.
For the
rest click
here.
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