I like the Marty Peretz story, and praise the lord, so does the Muslim Brotherhood; its website is now covering his racist statements about Muslims. And here is Eric Alterman, who has long denounced Peretz’s bigotry, asking the right question: “how many liberals will join The Atlantic‘s James Fallows in announcing, loudly and clearly, of Marty Peretz: ‘He does not speak for us.'”
Which reminds me of something. I wrote about this back in July, but it came up again recently when I was out of the country. Jamie Gorelick, a politically-wired former dep’y attorney general who now works at a big DC law firm on the BP account, sent out the email I republish below the jump back on July 23, soliciting funds for that Marty Peretz research fund at Harvard. “Several of us have gotten together to collect the initial funds to jumpstart the effort,” the note says. It is signed by some well-known folks:
With thanks and best wishes for a wonderful summer,
Bill Ackman, Michael Alter, Linc Caplan, Gerry Cardinale, Susan Carney, Jim Cramer, Alan Dershowitz, EJ Dionne, John Driscoll, Daniel Dusek, Dan Ertel, Joe Finder, Frank Foer, Donald Gogel, Russell Goldsmith, Al Gore, Jamie Gorelick, Larry Grafstein, Don Graham, Marc Granetz, Amy Gutmann, Glenn Hutchins, David Ignatius, Janno Lieber, Donal Logue, Charles Nesson, Fern Nesson, Rob Oden, Steve Pinker, Lisbet Rausing, Henry Rosovsky, Nitza Rosovsky, Abigail Thernstrom, Stephan Thernstrom, Craig Turk, Sherry Turkle, Judith Walzer, Michael Walzer, Rich Waldhorn, Leon Wieseltier, Tom Williamson, Juan Carlos Zarate, Leonard Zax, Edward Zwick, and Jesse Zwick
At least one of these people has said that while he is a friend of Peretz’s, he did not give his permission to have his name used in a fundraising letter. I asked Gorelick about the signatories and she indicated that a draft of the note was circulated and everyone who was on the letter wanted to be on the letter.
So how many of these folks have distanced themselves from Peretz’s bile? What about Al Gore, did he say anything re Peretz? Or Donald Graham, chairman of the Washington Post? David Ignatius of the Post? Ed Zwick the film producer? Or does all this just wash away?
Dear Friends,
For those of us fortunate enough to know Marty Peretz as a teacher, a colleague, a mentor, or a friend (or any combination), the opportunity to express our appreciation for all that he has done is presented: the 50th anniversary of the Social Studies Program at Harvard – where he was such a seminal force.
Some of Marty’s former students, his friends, business colleagues, fellow faculty and journalists are going to be endowing the Martin Peretz Undergraduate Research Fund, “in honor of Dr. Martin Peretz, AM 1965, PHD 1966, an inspiring teacher, mentor, and scholar who was an architect and steward of the Social Studies program from the 1960s through the early 1990s.” The purpose of the Fund is “to strengthen the College’s commitment to rigorous intellectual inquiry through significant research experiences.” The Fund will support undergraduate thesis research, special projects and the kinds of intellectual inquiry that Marty encouraged in his students. We will honor Marty at the 50th anniversary celebration in Cambridge on September 25, 2010.
Several of us have gotten together to collect the initial funds to jumpstart the effort, but we are eager to have as many as possible of Marty’s friends, students, former protégés, and colleagues contribute at whatever level you can – the number of contributors will mean the most to him, we are confident, while each contribution will grow the fund to a meaningful size. We will list all contributors (names, not gifts) as part of the presentation to Marty this fall. These gifts can count toward a class gift if you plan to make one by June 30, 2011.
To make a gift to the Martin Peretz Undergraduate Research Fund, please respond to [name removed]….
If you wish to make a gift online directly, please visit http://alumni.harvard.edu/givenow, find the shield for “College” and click “Give Now”. Fill out the electronic form and select the following:
“Gift Designation” should be marked as “Unrestricted”
Under “Additional Information” please type “Martin Peretz Undergraduate Research Fund”
If you wish to pay by check, you can send it to the address below:
Martin Peretz Undergraduate Research Fund
c/o Cara Angelopulos
Harvard College Fund
124 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
We look forwaing to seeing you in September.
With thanks and best wishes for a wonderful summer,
Bill Ackman, Michael Alter, Linc Caplan, Gerry Cardinale, Susan Carney, Jim Cramer, Alan Dershowitz, EJ Dionne, John Driscoll, Daniel Dusek, Dan Ertel, Joe Finder, Frank Foer, Donald Gogel, Russell Goldsmith, Al Gore, Jamie Gorelick, Larry Grafstein, Don Graham, Marc Granetz, Amy Gutmann, Glenn Hutchins, David Ignatius, Janno Lieber, Donal Logue, Charles Nesson, Fern Nesson, Rob Oden, Steve Pinker, Lisbet Rausing, Henry Rosovsky, Nitza Rosovsky, Abigail Thernstrom, Stephan Thernstrom, Craig Turk, Sherry Turkle, Judith Walzer, Michael Walzer, Rich Waldhorn, Leon Wieseltier, Tom Williamson, Juan Carlos Zarate, Leonard Zax, Edward Zwick, and Jesse Zwick
