robkoons

The so-called conservatives who penned this letter demonstrate no actual historical knowledge. For starters, for most of its history I.S.I. hosted a wide variety of conservative voices in its programming. I was regularly a faculty mentor and speaker in its Honors Program from roughly 2005-2015. The notion that I represent some new radical presence is a bald faced lie. It was only under the Presidency of Chris Long that a narrow ideological litmus test was applied - only right liberals need apply - and I, among others, was purged for over a decade. Johnny Burtka restored I.S.I. to its longstanding commitment to engaging a wide range of conservative voices. While I was hesitant at first to accept his invitations, over the past several years I have become deeply impressed by his commitment to fostering genuine intellectual exchange. Second, the charge that I.S.I. has ceased engaging students on campuses reveals a stunning level of ignorance about the institution that these gentlemen supposedly guided. I’m one of scores of faculty who are regularly invited to campuses by student groups, visits which are entirely funded by I.S.I. I have spoken at dozens of campuses over the past five years - including a lecture with wonderful students at Yale just two weeks ago. Johnny Burtka is to be commended for expanding the reach of I.S.I. by engaging with new media, while retaining its traditional campus activities. The effort to cancel all but “right liberals” is a bald and desperate power play by a discredited generation of self-serving Boomers. They leave ruins in their wake that others are girded and keen to clean up.