The University of Missouri (MU) has been struggling in the aftermath of its Black Lives Matter protests, including the reported plunge in students and applications. It appears that even a vigil for the dead in Orlando at Mizzou inevitably leads to a confrontation over race. The conflict arose in a vigil held in front of Boone County Courthouse in Columbia, Missouri. MU graduate Tiffany Melecio appeared and expressed discomfort over speaking before a group with so many white people. When a gay couple objected to introducing divisive race issues, MU Multicultural Center Coordinator Stephanie Hernandez Rivera defended the comments and denounced the gay couple objecting to the introduction of race into the vigil.
Melecio told the mostly-white audience that “I was really nervous to get up here, because there’s a lot of white people in the crowd.” When a couple people laughed, Melecio insisted “That wasn’t a joke.” She then added that “I wish this many people came out to our racial demonstrations and our Black Lives Matter movement, . . . As much as it is awesome that there’s so many people here today, but it’s, like, who are you really here for?”
Melecio proceeded read off facts about prejudice against non-white LGBT people, which she said white people probably wouldn’t know, “because you’re white.”
The result brought a rebuke from Carl Brizendine, a gay man who was attending the vigil with his husband: “We are here to be uniting, not dividing, which is what you are doing now.” Brizendine’s husband is a history student at MU.
The objections to the comments led to the intervention of MU Multicultural Center Coordinator Rivera “I love you so much right now, for getting up here, when so often your voice is unshared and it doesn’t matter. [Then addressing Brizendine] If you feel uncomfortable with the fact the people who are murdered are Latino people, that is a personal problem. You cannot be an ally to a single person, or a part of a person.”
The video has gone viral and triggered a debate about the importance of race rather than sexual orientation in the massacre.
What do you think?
Her comments are true but it was the wrong time and place to make them.
They have surrendered reason. Real education is dead at Mizzou.
Programs, get yer programs, can’t tell an oppressed group without yer programs….
Isn’t this a lot like the Tea Party rallies where not enough people of color showed up, and therefore…it was a racist event? I denounce this crowd for being mostly white. I hope they know better for next time. (Close it down, lock the doors, they’re done.)
An institution of higher learning?? Me thinks not!
White people, especially men, are now the devil.
That explains quite a bit of this behavior.
Darren: “The speakers …need to accept that they are actually alienating many of those who would otherwise support their cause.”
Mizzou has a cancer.
Its cancer involves both students and teachers, SJWs all.
Social justice warriors infiltrate and destroy every organization they infest.
There is no cure, once they’ve metastasized like this.
The speakers aren’t looking for support, they are demanding compliance with their views, because you are racist and shut up.
They are the New Puritans on a moral crusade. Your disagreement is evidence of sin and apostasy.
My daughter went their for J-school.
She is now embarrassed to wear her school emblem and took the car sticker off.
Mizzou has a cancer.
Overt racism seems to be ok is voiced by someone claim a right to be racist because they are black.
It’s appalling.
Darren Smith – “I have to ask, projecting myself into a role of a high school senior, why would I lend myself to such useless controversy when all I want is an education? I wonder also why individuals have to immerse themselves in such divisive matters when the task at hand is learning in exchange for tuition dollars. But if having to endure people continually telling me I am of the wrong social group and having to put up with the bickering, why should I endure such things when other universities can provide an equivalent education?”
I think you might have answered your own question here. One, you are older and like me, can’t really understand this newly brainwashed generation that was raised on “Snooki and the Situation”. Two, what better college to go to where I can feel like a victim with others like me? Where we would avoid drama, today, kids gravitate to it. It will be interesting to see if Mizzou can survive by pulling a greater amount of drama queens their way vs. the lose of non drama kids.
This is wrong on so many levels one hardly knows where to start. Interrupting a vigil for 49 people killed in a terrorist attack with any, I repeat any, message other that demonstrates such a tone deaf and embarrassing attitude it is hard to believe. It boggles the mind that someone could not see that such a demonstration does significant damage to whatever their cause.
Went in dumb, come out dumb too. Hustlin round Columbia in their allegator shoes. They are keeping the negroes down.
But really folks, as Orlando demonstrates, and as the alligator incident demonstrates: All Lives Matter.
Now, if we can get off the Mizzou thing and get back on life in the fast lane and discuss how it is that we are going to round up all the muslims and put the in the Japanese containment camps built in WWII, then we can cut to the real chase. We need a stronger Patriot Act, we need to elect Trump and we need to call out the National Guard.
Depending on the source, enrollment at this university is down between 20-25%, costing perhaps as high as $36,000.000 in lost tuition revenue. Likely much of this relates to the controversy now manifest.
When a parent or potential student in reviewing choices for university or college comes to the point where they say to themselves “Mizzou? Nah, it isn’t worth it.” the spark of a true problem flares. This constitutes a small thought in the mind of a person but if collectively a held belief among large numbers of potential enrollees it becomes exceptionally damaging to this university.
I have to ask, projecting myself into a role of a high school senior, why would I lend myself to such useless controversy when all I want is an education? I wonder also why individuals have to immerse themselves in such divisive matters when the task at hand is learning in exchange for tuition dollars. But if having to endure people continually telling me I am of the wrong social group and having to put up with the bickering, why should I endure such things when other universities can provide an equivalent education?
The speakers shown in the video on stage, the irritating voice fry notwithstanding, need to accept that they are actually alienating many of those who would otherwise support their cause. The racist comments about white people shot their credibility. Many on the left cannot get past race victimization being essential in all things. But, there is so much invested in such a political position that it seldom occurs to adherents that not everyone is a racist.
Frankly this is similar to the same trappings the environmental movement put itself. That is, unless every person jumps on the bandwagon and swears complete and blind allegiance to the desires of the most vocal environmentalists, then they are an enemy to be publicly rebuked. It isn’t long before the other side just abandons their support because they tire of being insulted if they have a different approach. And if the criticism continues, eventually the environmentalists made an average person into a political enemy that refuses to believe them, much less take the environmentalists’ position. Forty five years after the dawning of the environmental movement in the United States, we continue to have these political battles. And, many environmentalists share much of the blame for alienating many average citizens who might otherwise support them.
Mizzou has one notable program, it’s Journalism school. That’s really an aberration at an otherwise average state university. I understand the School of Journalism has been badly damaged by all the recent events. That seems appropriate.
The reason JFK, MX, MLK, and RFK (+ Fred Hampton) were shot was to ensure that they were not around to prevent fools like these children to insult those who have fought for decades, actually generations, so they can act the fool on stage. So sad, so very sad, so very very sad.
ISIS lips its chops.
Tiffany Melecio. What a disgusting, racist POS. And why does this vile, despicable, racist POS get a forum to speak in public on a matter that doesn’t even concern her? The answer must be that the University of Missouri loves leftist, putrid, unctuous, racist, POS lowlifes like Melecio.
Anyway, that’s my low key, circumspect take on this situation. Someday I may express how I really feel.
Tribalism and the oppression Olympics at its finest! Ooh ooh, I wanna talk about my issue. It’s all about me, me, me! As 49 people–At last count–lay dead! These BLM activists are trying to self-segregate, so I’m surprised they don’t agree more with the loud-mouth orange clown. Do you still want to try this pluralism thing or are you going full separatist. They’ve damn sure given up on liberal democracy, so what is it that they really want?
While I am a lifelong liberal (and will continue to be) these far left groups and people drive me nuts. WTF does the percentage of white people have to do with anything?
This is sad for many reasons. We have created adults that only empathize about themselves and are more divisive . Not happy about division, but let’s divide. The Guys are right.
This is rich! I love seeing the various ‘pet’ groups of the left in conflict.
Gays, Muslims, Minorities – I thought they all loved one another and were united against Whitey.
What am I missing?