William Ayers turned back at Canadian border
The Toronto Star
An American education professor, one of the founders of a radical 1960s group known as the Weather Underground, which was responsible for a number of bombings in the United States in the early 1970s, was turned back at the Canadian border last night.
Dr. William Ayers, a professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a leader in educational reform, was scheduled to speak at the Centre for Urban Schooling at University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. But that appearance has now been temporarily cancelled.
“I don’t know why I was turned back,” Ayers said in an interview this morning from Chicago. “I got off the plane like everyone else and I was asked to come over to the other side. The border guards reviewed some stuff and said I wasn’t going to be allowed into Canada. To me it seems quite bureaucratic and not at all interesting … If it were me I would have let me in. I couldn’t possibly be a threat to Canada.”
Ayers made headlines this summer after Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin suggested that then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hung around with domestic terrorists like Ayers. The professor had hosted a meet-the-candidate event at his home for Obama in 1995, during his run for the state Senate. They also worked together on Chicago school reform and served on a charity board together.
Ayers first rose to notoriety in the early 1970s with the Weather Underground. The group claimed responsibility for bombings at the U.S. Capitol, a Pentagon restroom and New York City police headquarters. In 1970, a townhouse in New York the group was using to build a bomb blew up.
Nowadays, Ayers is known more for his work in educational reform. He has written or edited more than a dozen books — including his 2001 memoir Fugitive Days — and travels around the world giving lectures on education.
Jeffrey Kugler, executive director of the Centre for Urban Schooling, is deeply disappointed in the turn of events. For him it’s a question of academic freedom.
“It’s kind of ironic the day before Barack Obama is going to become president this is what the Canadian border security has done,” said Kugler. “It seems ridiculous that one university can’t have a professor from another university to come and give a lecture on an important educational topic.”
Kugler waited for five hours at the Toronto Island airport for Ayers. He was with a lawyer, but the border guard refused to allow Ayers to see the lawyer.
“The entire four or five hours he was not allowed to have representation at all. To me this is an issue of academic freedom. He could not be a threat to anyone ever. Anyone who knows anything about this man – he’s a distinguished scholar at the University of Illinois and he has been involved in education reform over the past 15 years. To imagine in any way he was a threat to Canada is really absurd.”
Wild Thing’s comment……..
LOL I LOVE it! Now we just have to keep him out of the USA.
” I don’t know why I was turned back”
Hello! Maybe for being a TERRORIST and for for killing policemen, setting arson bombs in homes of judges, and building nail bombs among other things. This piece of excrement has a PhD and can’t figure out why a civilized Western democracy might want to deny him entry?
Canada doesn’t want our terrorists! Not even if they are a good friend of Obama’s. haha Hooray for Canada!!!
Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents, that’s where it’s really at” -Bill Ayers, New York Times, September 11, 2001
“Jeffrey Kugler, executive director of the Centre for Urban Schooling, is deeply disappointed in the turn of events. For him it’s a question of academic freedom. “
What a bunch of BS.
WT,
Thanks for the story, had not heard it before. Since when does academic freedom trump being a non-repentant terrorist.
Bob A.
“If it were me,I would have let me in..” No shit!
That’s the probably the funniest thing I’m going to hear all day (althought the Coronation day is just beginning!)
Ed
I guess the Canadians are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.
Outstanding Canada. You have some true patriots and there are a few left that get it. Canada has been about 20 years ahead of the US in Socialist affairs, they are able to spot a Communist from great distances. Anything else from PEBHO is just another load of academic freedom. Yes BobF, some of them are, but they are just like you and I, outnumbered by the minions.
Darn!!!! I was hoping they would let him enter Canada and then refuse to let him come back to the States!!!!!!
Maybe he should try Mexico!!! Then when he tries to come back into the States, we could shoot him as another illegal alien trying to sneak into the country.
It amazes me that Canada has a better grip on the situation than our stupid Liberals do!!!
Guess knowing and being a friend of Obummer didn’t impress the Canadians!!!!
He can’t believe Canada wouldn’t let him in, He couldn’t possibly be a threat to Canada ? Evidently, the Canadian Authorities think otherwise. Good for them. Somebody on this continent has a clue. He is considered a Terrorist and they treated him as such. Once in awhile the good guys win one.
Thank you everyone for your input and comments.
I thought that statement by Ayers ranks at the top of stupid things said at least for 2009. haha