⚠️ Historical Documentation Notice
This document is part of a historical archive and is presented for scholarly research and educational purposes.
The content reflects historical perspectives and should be understood within its historical context.
CWU Observer
05 May 1999
THE visit of British revisionist historian, David Irving, on Thursday, was accompanied by a great deal of controversy. There were arguments the event between members of The Euro-American Student Union (ESU) and the Kittitas Coalition for Human Rights.
This article attracted this reader’s letter from Justin Cowgill, one of the talk’s organisers:May 7, 1999: — MR IRVING is neither a “neo-Nazi,” nor any of the other childish names people label him. He is a sincere, honest historian.It was Mr. Irving who coined the term “innocenticide.” War-crimes are crimes not because of the religion or nationality of their victims, but the innocence of their victims.
The problem with this term is that if we use innocence as a measure to determine war crimes, history is not so simple.
The bombings of Dresden, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as the forced deportation of 16 million Germans from their historical lands in Prussia, the Czech republic, Poland, Silesia, and Moravia, in which nearly two million people perished as a result of being shot to death, starved, raped and beaten would also be considered “ethnic cleansing” and “war crimes.”Surely we can’t have Hollywood movies about , memorials dedicated to, nor reparations paid to these victims who suffered, as these people
were on the “wrong side.” Historical revision is long overdue! Instead of debating history with Irving, a non-student member of the “C.H.D.” attacked Irving personally by claiming, falsely, that a member of the Klan provided security for one of Mr. Irving’s lectures.This lecture was sponsored by an American WWII veteran who has nothing to do with the above mentioned group.
While there certainly could have been audience members who were in the Klan, Greenpeace, worked at Taco Bell, ect., there would have been no way for Mr. Irving to know this. However hard it is to believe, anyone who wished to attend could do so.
All of this really doesn’t matter, as Revisionism is taking hold of academia. Personal attacks no longer convince people to disregard revisionists. The cartoonish portrayal of pure-good vs. pure-evil is no longer accepted. Students are no longer afraid to question once taboo subjects. As the emotional attachment to WWII continues to fade, we may one day find out exactly what happened and why during this terrible war.The time for Real History is now!
Those interested can obtain a copy of Irving’s lecture from our school library.Justin Cowgill (phone 933-3765)