September 2000
[On the occasion of the presentation of Furedy Academic Freedom Award,
at SAFS AGM, University of Western Ontario, May 13, 2000]
As many of you know, the contribution to SAFS that Chris and I made
was given in the name of my parents, Bela and Dusi Furedy, who experienced
the repressive horrors of Nazi and Soviet totalitarian systems and who,
by emigrating to Australia, secured for me a freedom I could not have known
in Hungary.
I am delighted by the SAFS’ Board’s choice of Rory Leishman of the London
Free Press for this award, and I thank the Board for giving me this opportunity
to comment on their choice.
The title of my remarks requires explanation. Here is a Hungarophilic
account of why I think Rory’s contribution to journalism links him to the
bards of Wales.
In 1857, Hungary’s poet laureate, John Arany, was asked to write a poem
in of Emperor Franz Joseph’s visit to Budapest. It was some eight years
after the Austrian Emperor, helped by the Russian Tsar’s armies, put down
the 1848 Hungarian revolution which had been initiated by Arany’s contemporary,
poet-soldier Sandor Petofi, who died in one of the last battles against
the forces of the Austrian and Russian empires.
Franz Joseph’s 1857 visit celebrated a reconciliation of sorts with
the Austrian emperor being crowned as King of Hungary.
In probably the most dramatic illustration of the dictum of Hungarian
intellectuals, that it is their duty to be “rude to the government,” John
Arany submitted the poem, “The Bards of Wales”, as the official contribution
to the 1857 celebrations.
The poem is set in the 13th century just after the imposing
English king, Edward the First – known as “Long Shanks’ – has conquered
Wales. Edward demands that its famous bards should drink to his health
and sing his praises. Instead, the bards, to a man, refuse. Each in turn
steps up, and abuses the king, by singing of Eduard’s murder and pillage.
Their “rudeness” to the King has drastic consequences.
To quote Arany:
Otszaz, bizony, dalolva ment
Langsirba velszi bard:
De egy se birta mondani:
Hogy: eljen Eduard
Or, for those of you who have neglected your civic duty to attend immersion
classes and hence are not bilingual:
Full five hundred bards sang
As they went to burn
But none would sing
To praise King Edward.
Needless to say, Arany’s rudeness to the Emperor’s government was not
to interfere with the official ceremonies, but the poem became lastingly
significant for Hungarians. I suggest that it speaks to all who treasure
freedom and dislike its oppressors. Those who ‘speak truth to power’ in
Canada today do not suffer as the Welsh bards did. But they may well suffer
in career advancement. I don’t know and perhaps even Rory does not know
for certain, whether he has missed out on professional opportunities since
1993, when he started to comment frankly on the problems in academia. Bur
I would guess that he has experienced a degree of blacklisting along with
smearing from several quarters. He has written many columns on values in
higher education, and I’m sure most of you have read some of them. Let
me just quote two comments cited by the SAFS’ member who nominated Rory
for the award that pertain to our concerns with freedom in research and
scholarship, and standards of excellence for students and faculty.
“In a free university, intensely controversial ideas should not be
relegated to an intellectual waste basket, but exposed to a full, vigorous
and intellectually honest debate. It’s the only way to assure the truth
will eventually prevail.”
“Employment equity is wrong in principle. It demeans and harms the
very designated groups it is supposed to help. The policy should be abandoned
together with the so-called human rights commissions that have been established
enforce it.”
Someone who speaks out so emphatically against a subtle current of conformity
performs a service of incalculable value for Canadian society in general.
SAFS, in particular, which knows well the kind of blacklisting and smearing
that outspoken thinkers can experience, is an appreciative beneficiary
of Rory’s courage and independence of mind.
I feel sure that, were they alive and well to-day, Bela and Dusi, along
with John Arany, and all others who value freedom of speech, would applaud
giving the Academic Freedom Award to Rory Leishman, journalist and a symbolic
bard of Wales. Congratulations Rory.
Help us maintain freedom in teaching, research and scholarship by joining SAFS or making a donation.
