On Friday, November 8, 1991, The Northern Star printed a certain paid advertisement. This was both shocking and upsetting, not because of the content of the advertisement, but because The Star chose to print it. The advertisement, entitled “The Holocaust Controversy: The Case for Open Debate”, promotes the idea that the Holocaust was basically an enormous hoax. The writer, who claims that “the figure of 6 million Jewish deaths is an irresponsible exaggeration” and “there was no German policy at any of (the) camps to deliberately kill the internees.” The writer also speaks of “the Holocaust legend” and the “myth of German monstrosity during the Second World War.” He further insults our intelligence by comparing the testimonies of Holocaust survivors to the stories of people claiming to be eyewitnesses to “everything from witchcraft to flying saucers.”

This type of anti-Semantic propaganda is nothing new, however it was surprising to see The Northern Star lower its standards to print such trash. The free exchange of ideas is perfectly acceptable on a university campus; but offensive, hate-filled, anger-provoking literature has no place in a college newpaper.

Although, according to the First Amendment, The Northern Star had a right to print this advertisement, the decision to do so was in extremely poor taste.

NIU is consistently accused of being a racist campus. Thank you, Northern Star, for further promoting this image.

Jennifer Kraut

Senior

Communications

Michele Kaczmer

Senior

Communications