[haw-info] an appeal for letters in support of Frances Fox Piven

The following appeal was written by Jerise Fogel of the Historians Against the War Steering Committee, on behalf of the committee.

PLEASE WRITE A LETTER to support Frances Fox Piven!

Your words are needed to prevent a repeat of the Arizona shooting.

 

Recently, Glenn Beck of Fox News has been targeting the well known political scientist and sociologist Frances Fox Piven in his broadcasts, and has gone so far as to call her an "enemy of the constitution"; he has compared her to the Hutaree militia broken up by the FBI for threats to violently overthrow the government. In the aftermath of these attacks, Frances Fox Piven has been harassed and received death threats.

 

On Glenn Beck's website, posters have suggested "we should blow up Piven's office and home," and have urged, "... one shot, one kill. The people have to stand up for what's right. A few well placed marksman [sic] with high powered rifles... then there would not be any more violence." One person wrote, "Somebody tell Frances I have 5,000 rounds ready and I will give my life to take our freedom back."

 

Fox Piven, 78 years old, is a distinguished professor of Political Science and Sociology at the Graduate Center of City University of New York and former president of the American Sociological Association. She is known for her advocacy work fighting for the rights of the poor and for encouraging voter registration in poor communities. She has responded publicly to Beck's attacks on several occasions, notably in her recent appearance on Democracy Now! (See http://mediamatters.org/blog/201101140032)

 

We need to show Glenn Beck and Fox News that Frances Fox Piven is not alone, and that her friends and colleagues will not tolerate the possibility of her becoming another victim of right wing violence. The Steering Committee of Historians Against the War would like to recommend, especially but not only to those who have known and worked with Frances Fox Piven, that you send letters to:

 

Fox News Channel 1211 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Phone: (212) 301-3000 Fax: (212) 301-4229 comments@foxnews.com

 

To respond directly to Glenn Beck: GlennBeck@foxnews.com