Friday, December 17, 2004

Re: Comments on your recent posting

From: "Dean Lawrence R. Velvel"
To: "Darin M. Sands"
Cc: "Larry Tribe" ; "Elana Kagan"
;
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: Comments on your recent posting

Via email (darinsands@mac.com)
December 17, 2004

Dear Mr. Sands:

Frankly, the excesses of your statement are its own best refutation. I could hardly improve on them in this regard. Having long applauded the work for liberalism of Professor Tribe, I think it
especially sad that he tarnished himself by inexcusable plagiarism. Also, I assume from your email that you obviously are a liberal. I think it is unfortunately typical for liberals to reflexively defend bad conduct by another liberal just because he is a liberal and has done liberal works all
his life. We who are liberal, and who are therefore under constant attack by conservatives, whom I believe now dominate (heavily) in the profession and the country, should not try to excuse every piece of liberal misconduct as somehow justified by one's overall liberal record -- which is precisely what Clinton's supporters did in the Lewinsky case. Such excuse mongering
deservedly gives liberals a bad name as people who care only for outcomes and not at all for truth or principle.

Incidentally, Mr. Sands, I would bet dollars to doughnuts that Professor Tribe himself did not know of or approve your outburst. Let me know if I am wrong.

Sincerely yours,

Lawrence R. Velvel

cc: Professor Lawrence Tribe
Dean Elana Kagan
President Lawrence Summers


After the foregoing response to his email was posted, along with the letter itself, the sender requested that his email be removed from this blog site. That has been done.