ward_churchillHis long gray hair in a ponytail, former University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill carried a stack of books to the witness stand yesterday to defend his scholarship, including remarks he made comparing some of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to Nazi operatives.

He said he did not favor organized terrorism but wanted the United States to take more responsibility for its treatment of others around the globe, writes The New York Times. “If you make a practice of killing other people’s babies for personal gain, they will eventually give you a taste of the same thing,” he said.

An academic committee that investigated Churchill’s work found that he could not support his theory that the Army had shipped blankets infected with smallpox to American Indians at Fort Clark. Churchill said numerous sources, including oral traditions, support his view, according to the Times and The Denver Post.

The day started with testimony from CU sociology department chairman Michael Radelet, who served on the committee that ousted Churchill. Radelet said that although initially he thought Churchill was being “railroaded,” he was saddened to learn “he just cheated” (via Boulder’s Daily Camera).

Here’s another take on the trial from Free Speech Radio News. Churchill will take the stand again today.