William Ayers

2008-09-03T01:10:50Z

Tgwitty:

'''William Charles "Bill" Ayers''' (born 1944) is a professor at the University of [[Illinois]] at [[Chicago]] and former Chicago community organizer. He is best known as a radical left-wing activist in the 1960's and 70's and founder of the violent terrorist organization the Weatherman group.

==Early Life and Upbringing==
Ayers grew up in a wealthy home as the son of Thomas G. Ayers, former Chairman and CEO of Commonwealth Edisonin. He lived in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago. Ayers attended public schools and received a bachelor of Arts degree from the University of [[Michigan]] in 1968. At age 21, Ayers became director of the Children's Community, a small school in a basement that did not have grades, report cards, and had children address teachers by their first names. It was part of a "free school movement."

==Radical History==
In 1968, Ayers became leader of the Students for a Democratic Society, and then a prominent leader of the violent "Weatherman group." Ayers and the organization had bombed buildings such as the [[United States]] Capitol, The Pentagon, the United States Department of State. The aim of these acts was never to kill or injure human beings but rather to intimidate the government and sway popular opinion-- the organization always announced its targets beforehand and allowed time for evacuation. The only instance of a fatal Weatherman explosion was in Greenwich Village in New York City, when an accidental explosion killed three members of the Weather Underground organization. In 1969, Ayers planted a bomb at a statue dedicated to police casualties in the 1886 Haymarket Riot. The statue was blown into pieces, but was later rebuilt in 1970. However, it was then blown up again by Ayers, five months later.

In a 2001 interview with the [[New York Times]], Ayers would later say, ""I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough."

==Relationship with [[Barack Obama]]==
From 1999 to 2002, Barack Obama - currently the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee - joined Ayers in a paid nine member board Woods Fund of Chicago, an anti-poverty foundation. While running for the state Senate in Illinois in 1995, Ayers meet with Obama and would later introduce him at his house. In 2001, Ayers supported and contributed $200 to Obama's state Senate campaign<ref>http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor.phtml?d=330121189</ref>. Barack Obama was asked over the controversy in an April 2008 Presidential debate by moderator George Stephanopoulos.

''"Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won't be a problem?"'' To which Obama replied,

''"This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of [[English]] in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis. And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was eight years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn't make much sense, George"''

In February of 2008, Obama Chief Strategist David Axelrod said,

''"Bill Ayers lives in his neighborhood. Their kids attend the same school … They’re certainly friendly, they know each other, as anyone whose kids go to school together."'' He called Ayers current defense of his 1960s bombings ''"objectionable, and I think Barack would also say that was objectionable. I don't think he's ever had an in-depth discussion [with Ayers] about them."''<ref>http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Ax_on_Ayers.html</ref>

==References==
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==See Also==
[[Barack Obama]]

[[Category:Terrorists]]

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William Ayers