Disingenuous Controversy: Responses To Ward Churchill'S 9/11 Essay

Authors

John Fritch, University of Northern IowaFollow
Catherine Helen Palczewski, University of Northern IowaFollow
Jennifer Farrell, University of Northern Iowa
Eric Short, University of Northern Iowa

Document Type

Article

Keywords

9/11, collective memory, controversy, disingenuous controversy, ripeness, Ward Churchill

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Argumentation and Advocacy

Volume

42

Issue

4

First Page

190

Last Page

205

Abstract

The response to Ward Churchill's essay, “‘Some People Push Back’: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens,” is used to explore disingenuous controversy, that is, controversy that closes off, rather than expands, argumentative space. An interesting mix of public argument about U.S. foreign policy, the national grieving process, and negotiation over collective memory positioned Churchill's essay as a location through which to assert disciplinary power over what is (not) considered an acceptable statement about 9/11. The time was ripe for pseudo-controversy as a means of stifling genuine controversy.

Department

Department of Communication Studies

Original Publication Date

1-1-2006

DOI of published version

10.1080/00028533.2006.11821654

Recommended Citation

Fritch, John; Palczewski, Catherine Helen; Farrell, Jennifer; and Short, Eric, "Disingenuous Controversy: Responses To Ward Churchill'S 9/11 Essay" (2006). Faculty Publications. 2833.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/2833