There is an interesting controversy out of New York where Rutgers University lecturer Kevin Allred who was arrested and sent to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation for what he and his supporters say were political speech about the Second Amendment. In a tweet, Allred wrote “Will the 2nd amendment be as cool when i buy a gun and start shooting at random white people or no…?” The answer appears to be no.
The tweet does seem to me to be rhetorical and political. We have seen celebrities making the same type of irresponsible statements with regard to Trump or his supporters. In this case, however, police say that “Rutgers police contacted the 94 Precinct and requested a wellness check be conducted on the professor based on comments he made in the classroom and on Twitter about killing white people. Based on these comments he was transported to Bellevue Hospital for psychological evaluation.”
Allred said that he was “forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.”
He also said that his social media account was suspended pending the deletion of the tweet.
Allred teaches a course called “Politicizing Beyoncé.” The course “attempts to think through contemporary U.S. society and its current gender, race, class, and sexual politics by analyzing the music and career of Beyoncé Giselle Knowles Carter.” Hmmm. At least he can cite “Rocket” where Beyonce insists “I do it like it’s my profession/I gotta make a confession/ I’m proud of all this space/Lemme put it in your face.” (That is the best I can do since the rest of her most famous lyrics are marginally (or completely) profane or unintelligible.)
In the end, the response by the university could be criticized as an over reaction but the school may view this as just taking responsible action after violence at Virginia Tech and other schools. The tweet however was tied closely to the Second Amendment and seemed to me to be rhetorical. The question is whether the university could have resolved this problem by speaking with Allred or whether tried to do so without success.
What do you think?
David Duke
@DrDavidDuke
Bannon, Flynn, Sessions — Great! Senate must demand that Sessions as AG stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites!
White people who hate people who are white? These loons also hate Trump. Curious.
1. The man’s career and ‘academic’ ‘specialty’ are indicative of the degree to which state universities are a sandbox for fools. The state legislatures could repair this problem, but they do nothing.
2. It is also indicative of the bipolar quality of college administration. They cannot apply common sense. So, Seung Hui Cho, whose potential for violence was obvious enough that it was identified by one of his creative writing instructors (who got only a limited hearing from the higher ups), is allowed to slip through the cracks. OTOH, this guy gets sent for a psych evaluation for diddly/squat.
Well, speaking of being frightened! It seems that Hillary is out there molesting innocent. . .
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxkIxQgVQAAyfmY.jpg
This is NOT one of those Fake News things! This really happened! Oh, I hope no Trumpers go off half-cocked like the Rutgers guy! (Whose fears are about as real as those of the balloon.)
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
It is interesting to see the Trumpbots who think that this kind of thing is OK. The First amendment is unimportant if you disagree with Trump. I also note that Turley has not bothered to respond to the threats his spokewoman made to reporters to be careful about what you say about Trump. Then we have the fact that Trump denies ever saying he supported registration of all Muslims, despite video of him saying that! Of course, Trumpbots will join their lord and master in denying the validity of that tape. Who do you believe? Your lying eyes and ears, or Trump? Most rational people would say that he didn’t mean what he said, or that he made a mistake. Not our Prez elect. He seems to think that he is infallible and above reality. Or as Bush folks used to say, we make our own reality. That is the mark of extreme corruption and cynicism, FAR beyond anything Clinton is accused of.
randyjet – Trump said it was in a list of possibilities. You have to listen or read better.
Right, people voted for Trump in part because of his message that we need to take care of our people here at home first – the homelessness in our inner cities, our vets, our children, our workers, our native populations right here at home need attention first. We need border control — legal, controlled immigration and assimilation into our culture, not the other way around – as Obama and Hillary’s policies have supported. Trump pointed out Obama and Hillary’s failed policies to the American people — that the very reason all those Syrians have been displaced is because under Obama and Hillary OUR government destroyed THEIR country and fueled their civil war!! And why should we put our own people at risk with unlimited immigration?
You are out of bounds. I have asked that many times. “Why is it OK to bomb and drone families and children over there by the scores, and then to give up our laws to accommodate them here?” Maybe unspoken guilt? My solution would be to stop destroying their homes, then we don’t have to have this argument in the first place. Good luck getting a straight response on that one.
Out of bounds, on what point?
You don’t have to be a Trumpbot to think these tweets were idiotic and likely to result in arrest and a court case.
Go see Popehat
https://popehat.com/2016/11/16/true-threats-v-protected-speech-post-election-edition/
I believe he made two (or even three) tweets that were perceived as threatening, in an environment where he had mad a bunch of tweets indicating he was pretty sour on the election and very down on Trump supporters.
Another tweet he made the same day was “if I see any Trump bumper stickers on the road today, my brakes will go out and I’ll run you off the road”.
https://twitter.com/ZongoAhadith/status/798907843415969792
Heat Street reports it was Rutgers itself that called the cops based on a student’s report and did so to protect the safety of their students.
https://heatst.com/culture-wars/rutgers-feminist-beyonce-expert-prof-visited-by-nypd-over-anti-trump-twitter-threats/
> Rutgers says they believe they acted appropriately, and that they will continue to do everything in their legal power to keep students safe.
As a layman, I think his two tweets could easily be credible threats, so I’m okay with some form of police contact regarding them.
I also think that this professor should be fired, because I don’t know how one could be a non-Hillary student in his class.
Look at the money–and the problems this guy is going to cost Rutgers. Think he’ll be back in the spring semester? I wouldn’t think so, but I guess it could be a popular class, especially for those who have their tuitions taken care of for them.
The Hillary voters have become completely insane. Hillary voters are violent, racist, sexist fascists who are trying to force everyone to think like them.
Right, and remember Dinesh D’Souza (documentary film-maker of Obama’s American 2016 and Hillary’s America True History of the Democrats) was targeted and prosecuted for an illegal $20k campaign contribution, sentenced to a prison term, and was also “forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.” Was that punishment an effort to reprogram and correct his conservative way of thinking? Who’s insane here? It seems the voters answered this question by electing Trump this time around.
What’s sane about white people hating on other white people? Talk about some crazy-a$$ mofo’s! Even De”Blahs”io’s peeps is getting in on it!
http://nation.foxnews.com/sites/nation.foxnews.com/files/styles/style592x333/public/DeBlasioAide111716.jpg
http://nation.foxnews.com/2016/11/17/top-bill-de-blasio-aide-poses-sign-reading-fk-whiteness-facebook
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
That’s an interesting question. I wasn’t clear whether this professor was taken to Bellevue for a psychiatric evaluation because of concerns about his potential for violence, or because he was a self-loathing white guy wanting to be black. Should those suffering from the “Dolezal Syndrome,” (known as the street as “wiggers”) be classified as mentally ill?
Sounds like yet another Dem going over the edge. A good segue to a great post by Glen Greenwald that I am double posting since it is so appropriate to what has been going on for the last week.
So apparently, the Republicans in 2012 examined what they had done carefully and without histrionics (no smelling salts, no fainting couch, no blaming the Russians and the Martians, just looking at what they had done wrong and what they might do right in the future.
The in-denial Dems with the perpetual foam at mouth moaning, bitching and pointing at everyone but themselves and their almost certain self interested acquiescence to an utterly corrupt and failed candidate and to a stolen nomination, will henceforward, by order of facts on the ground, be sworn enemies of Glen Greenwald (who they used to drool over as hero – :-)) in addition to Julian Assange and all factual whistle blowers.
https://theintercept.com/2016/11/18/the-stark-contrast-between-the-gops-self-criticism-in-2012-and-the-democrats-blame-everyone-else-posture-now/
Indeed, even if they hated Greenwald, and if they don’t, they soon will, he has them by the tail…
Great article! Here is what I take as the money shot:
“the Democrats have now been crushed at all levels of electoral politics, yet appear more self-righteously impressed with themselves>/b>, more vindicated in their messaging and strategic choices, than ever before.”
That’s where it all starts. You see that in every IsaacB comment, and I am not just picking on him. I use him as an example because he almost always has a “the Republicans are sooo stupid!” line in everything he writes, and posits himself above it all, in some upper level of the atmosphere, where the air is so rarified that there is insufficient molecular interaction for him to smell the stink of his own poop. Therefore he thinks it doesn’t stink. No, it stinks, but he has just put himself in a place where he can’t smell it. He is hardly alone in that attitude among the Democratic commenters here.
But when you have that view of yourself, then you are simply not going to be open to self introspection. I will also double post something, from Scott Adams (Dilbert):
Democrats have been crafting their Narrative so long, that they believe it themselves.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
You may have seen this. It’s long and I haven’t read it all yet. This guy who strongly opposed Trump just crushes the popular misperceptions the Democrat Media Complex have created about Trump. It’s devastating.
http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/11/16/you-are-still-crying-wolf/
With the media’s recent interest in “white nationalism” and “white supremacism”, I wonder why virtually NOBODY has ever mentioned that a KKK affiliate and The American Nazi Party supported Obama leading up to the 2008 election? In fact, I’d bet almost nobody knows about it because the Democrat Media Complex had no desire to portray Obama as a stooge of “white supremacists” like they have tried to portray Trump for the past year and a half.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a4719/racists-support-obama-061308/
Yes, I actually posted that link on another thread yesterday! It’s a great read, but how do you convince a know-it-all Democrat to read 8,000 words that do not confirm their biases?
Like I have said before, partisan Democrats are democrats for the same reason Buford Scruggs, of Bumfuk West Virginia picks up rattlesnakes, and dances around with them while speaking in tongues. It’s simply their faith. They are Democrats for the same reason some people are Holy Rollers. The belief is faith bases, and for Democrats, also hate-based.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Yes, we have discussed that recently, especially the phenomenon where you can “lock up” a partisan democrat by asking to explain a philosophic impasse in their argument. It’s the “This does not compute–this question is invalid and beyond my programming….”
The democrats have also been illustrating the Hindu state of “maya” pretty well–the illusion we create to understand things, just as Scott Adams describes above. What’s been astounding is that for these people, as as if the basic laws of physics have been repealed (and they were probably co-conspirators against Clinton as well).
Plus, I would like to pay myself on the back for bring my earlier attention to the threat of Antarcticans, and that is really why Kerry is nosing around there looking for trouble. Silly democrats. Thank you.
slohrrss29 – my understanding is that Kerry wasted more CO2 getting to Antarctica then the United States does every year. Yea, Kerry.
Yes, not to mention the money spent on that expedition. I would have been cheaper to send in cruise missiles to attack the offensive ice sheets. Plus there is the CO2 signature of his house that was put out a while back. We see where this is going. Plus I would like to ask how come there is no mention of the CO2 involved in all of these liberal wars. OR–is that punching below the belt again… sorry if I asked that.
Yes it will even more ‘cool’ this lecturer evidenced a clear and present danger and a need for self protection. What will be even more cool is when the black on black shootings stop and even better when the anti gun nuts stop using weighted statistics for children killed by guns that include up to age 21 and along with that criminal shootings resulting in the deaths of 18-21 year old – wait for it – criminals.
Or better yet idiot statements such as Obama proclaiming the Bloods and Crips are partners in law enforcement.
Another candidate for psychiatric evaluation given the number of lectures the war monger present President has given.
and let his not forget he backed his gun running pal the former Attorney General…..that would be black on brown crime against a foreign nation.
It’s time for some sanity in the Oval Office.
Come to think of it Michelle Antoinette would have been a better choice what with spending her time jetting to Paris. for meals and fashion purchases.
Blame it on Dr. Timothy Leary. That’s what Art Linkletter did when his daughter took LSD & thought she could fly.
I don’t know if this is right or wrong. But how many times after some person does some horrific act, the neighbors all say he was a quiet person that seemed like no threat to anyone? Where is the line? Do we let anyone put out crap like this and then when the one in a 100,000 or so goes off and kills people we again wring our hands and say, “oh, he was such a good neighbor, I’m shocked he would do this”? I’m sorry, this person is a really poor example for students to follow. He may have the right to say what he did, but it sure is a poor example for his students.
Interesting that the left thinks they have this imaginary “soul connection” with people of other races. It’s very similar to the guy who lived with the grizzlies and got eaten by them, or the Disney girl who was killed by her “pet” whale. Let this fool live in Harlem or South LA for a few weeks and see how things go. I’m not saying he’ll get mugged, but he’ll definitely want to get the hell out of there.
Hugh, re: “the guy who lived with the grizzlies and got eaten by them” that was the most disturbing documentary I’ve ever seen. Even the filmmaker was shaken up. That guy was seriously delusional.
I saw this earlier. There is a larger story here. You have to wonder if colleges are going to feel the push-back against some of these fluffy courses. Colleges have been trying to add profit centers based on the ease of folks receiving financial aid. Now we have this huge college loan bubble, along with lots of other ominously pending economic indicators that cause all kinds domino-like issues. My son will going to college next fall and we are trying to figure out a way we can deal with the debt so we are not crushed and my son is not starting life with a mortgage. We have gotten loads of college mail with “sales–” like, “save $20,000 a year right now…” kind of sales.
Point being, I think you’ll see less of this type of thing coming up as colleges will have to tighten their belts (cutting back administration and fluff courses) and offer meaningful degrees–hopefully they’ll be back to competing on educational merit, and not a “fun time for 4 years plus”. We don’t want to end up like the UK where everyone has some kind of degree that means pretty much nothing.
I can’t imagine how much it must cost to take this loser’s course. Might be a fun thing to see his lecture at a music store (I would rather study Charlie Parker, Dizzy (not a huge bop guy…), Miles Davis–and Sun Ra, definitely). Just the thought of the absurdity this whole article brings up is just amazing.
If you like jazz, then you might like this! Very good for a rainy afternoon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mc2GPTZaxk
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Nice piece–thanks–
If college is supposed to be free market and what the consumers want, then perhaps “fluff courses” are actually a logical response? If you’re supposed to generate demand through higher enrollment then why not? That’s what we’ve been moving towards anyway…consumer choice in education and not the idea that the institution knows best. “Free market” advocates would agree…give the consumer/end user what he wants. Don’t dictate.
But until we know more, we should be careful mocking the idea of “fluff courses.” In many cases, they’re sort of rewards for professors or to try something new and different. Try teaching multiple sections of the same course over and over and you’ll see how draining it can be.
J Holton – Feminist Studies is the epitome of fluff studies.
The problem with fluff courses and cake majors (as we called them) is that the enrollees are usually students whose parents are not paying their tuition. These courses are usually filled with “special admissions” (i.e., affirmative action) students on financial aid, who can’t handle rigorous courses and assuming they ever graduate, won’t be eligible for jobs that will allow them the ability to repay their student loans. The student loan default rate for business and nursing majors is negligible. The default rate for Ethnic Studies and Peace Studies majors is very high.
I recall a controversy when I was in college where a major bank set up a card table on campus and was taking applications for a student credit card. The application asked the student’s major, and it later turned out that the bank was approving business, engineering and science majors, and rejecting applications from liberal arts majors. The student newspaper ran a story and asked whether student credit worthiness should be based on major. The bank said yes, because in their experience they found a direct correlation to the student’s ability to repay their debts. Thus, these fluff courses and cake majors hurt the taxpayer, who absorbs the debt on student loans after the inevitable default.
My point exactly.
slohrss29, one way to save money is to take the first two years at a community college – classes are smaller, students have access to professor, courses transfer and it costs way less. The BA or BS one earns will be from the bigger school anyway.
I have never understood why the first two years are essentially repeats of what one should have learned in high school – humanities, maths and science. But then all high schools are not the same. =)
I think community colleges should be tuition free. And if that is too expensive for the government, then at least have free tuition for what they call “career ready” or “workforce development” programs, i.e., plumbing, electritrician, welding, auto mechanics, HVAC, etc. as well as the various medical technician and bookkeeping programs that can get a low income student into a decent job in about a year. These students can always continue their education on their own time and their own dime if they choose to. I worked with a woman who started out with a bookkeeping certificate from a c.c., and while working as an accounting aide at a bank, continued taking college level accounting courses in the evening, and eventually became a CPA.
TIN – if you get something for free, it has no value. That goes for education. I did not value my college education until it was coming out of my pocket.
Government has no expenses–we the people have expenses. There is no free; someone has to pay, and it should be the person getting the benefit, not the innocent bystander (read taxpayer).
Problem is here that most of the credits do not in fact transfer. A huge bummer. But it keeps profits up for the university system.
Pubic state colleges are funded in part by taxes. Tax cuts equal less state funding for colleges. The costs are passed on in increased tuition.
It looks like the picture was taken after Mr.Allred was discharged.
I see that his diagnosis is on the wall behind him.
This seems like an overreaction to a political statement that does not seem to make any credible threat. The statement was over the top and in bad taste, but what should we expect from a professor who teaches a course called “Politicising Beyoncé?
JR – he is a ‘lecturer’ the lowest of the low, except for grad students. However, we can expect him not to send threatening messages.
And remember, president Obama was a ‘law lecturer’ – not a ‘professor’ as so many like to say….
I am triggered by his statement. I feel I need a safe space. I feel better now that he is off campus for awhile.
I feel I need a tax cut.
slohrss29 – I have felt I needed a tax cut since I started working at age 11.
I hear you Paul. We are all going to be on the hook to bailout this college mess, and this is what was bought that we have to pony-up for? Geeeez.
slohrss29 – I think we should just scoop all the funds out of the Clinton Foundation and pay down some of the National Debt.
Sure you do. Of course some of that tax money goes to fund public colleges and without those tax dollars college is getting much more expensive. But you won’t complain about that, will you?
Paul, When our daughter went to college we bought a 4BR house. She lived there for 4 years and managed the rental. I believe life skills are more valuable than classroom. Anyway, the house had a bomb shelter, built in the 60’s, in the basement! Now THAT was a safe place, which actually came in handy w/ tornado warnings.
It seems to be perfectly acceptable for politicians to advocate killing with drones, tanks, guns, nukes but apparently if anyone else does the same, they need a psychiatric evaluation.
I agree that it sounded rhetorical. As an example of failure to consider tradeoffs (as is so common in too much discourse), the Second Amendment would look good if Allred did start shooting and a concealed carry licensee stopped him from mass murder.
It would be a damn shame if Rutgers has to cancel the valuable Politicizing Beyonce course.