I was reflecting on the whole Ward Churchill/University of Colorado mess and one phrase stuck with me. The people who died in the WTC were "little Eichmanns". I wonder, what made the dishwasher at Windows on the World a little Eichmann? Was it the building he was working in? That would be absurd. If he worked in the Chrysler building would anything essential change about him? Of course nothing would have changed so, essentially, we're stuck looking for the essential characteristics that make even the most humble victims of 9/11 "little Eichmanns" and thus not innocent.
After much thought, I've come to the conclusion that the only thing they had in common was being taxpayers, contributing to the US government and working in the private sector. That means that there are tens of millions of little Eichmanns in the US. You'd wonder what makes Ward Churchill not a little Eichmann? On that question, I've got nothing.
Posted by TMLutas at February 11, 2005 07:58 PM