We previously discussed Shellyne Rodríguez , the machete-wielding former Hunter College professor. Rodríguez is back with a large following shown in a video with protesters chanting with her about “slitting the throats of the masters.”We previously discussed a videotape of Rodríguez trashing a pro-life student display in New York. Before attacking the table, she told the students, “You’re not educating s–t […] This is f–king propaganda. What are you going to do, like, anti-trans next? This is bulls–t. This is violent. You’re triggering my students.”
The videotape revealed one other thing. At Hunter College, and at other colleges, it seems that trashing a pro-life student display and abusing pro-life students is not considered a firing offense. Hunter College refused to fire Rodríguez.
The PSC Graduate Center, the labor organization of graduate and professional schools at the City University of New York, supported that decision and said Rodríguez was “justified” in trashing the display, which the organization described as “dangerously false propaganda” and “disinformation.”
Rodríguez later put a machete to the neck of a reporter, threatened to chop him up and then chased a news crew down a street with the machete in hand. Somewhere between the machete to the neck and chasing the reporters down the street, Hunter College finally decided that Rodríguez had to go.
Rodríguez denounced the school for having “capitulated” to “racists, white nationalists, and misogynists.” She explained that her firing was just a continuation of “attacks on women, trans people, black people, Latinx people, migrants, and beyond.”
The Cooper Union, however, refused to sever ties with Rodríguez, 47, and decided that she should continue to teach her students. Later it too fired Rodriguez after continued radical conduct. However, according to the New York Post, Rodriguez attributed her firing to her anti-Israeli comments. She declared:
“Cooper Union has fired me because of a social media post I made about ‘Zionists’… effective immediately. This is fascism. Ya’ll are learning about it in real time. Stay strong, [stay] brave, stay defiant, don’t bite your tongue, and drink plenty of water! Pa-lante!”
Before watching this video, it is important to keep in mind that the faculty members and administrators previously wanted Rodríguez as a colleague.
In a video on X shared by journalist Andy Ngo, Rodríguez leads a group of pro-Palestinian protesters in chanting “Our ancestors … dreamed of us slitting the master’s throat.” The scene shows a clearly unhinged Rodríguez who is not just supported by these protesters but clearly thrilling them with her rage rhetoric.
Rodríguez leads the pro-Palestinian protesters in anti-police chants:
“Our ancestors are horrified to see black people, Latinx people, indigenous people, children of migrants, and Muslims joining the slave patrol NYPD and [inaudible] plantation overseers in the jails and prisons.”
For a person who chased reporters with a machete, it is a curious choice for a speaker against violence. However, Rodríguez is clearly revered by the crowd.
The fact that she pleaded guilty to harassment and menacing charges clearly did not reduce her popularity. To the contrary, for some, it may have increased it.
This was the person that two colleges wanted on their faculties and resisted efforts to fire her, even after trashing a table in an insane diatribe against pro-life advocates. She is the person that the PSC Graduate Center declared was “justified” in her violence against those peaceful advocates.
She is the very face of an age of rage.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster).
“In the Twentieth Century war will be dead, the scaffold will be dead, hatred will be dead, frontier boundaries will be dead, dogmas will be dead; man will live. He will possess something higher than all these-a great country, the whole earth, and a great hope, the whole heaven.” Victor Hugo
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?“
Jeremiah (7th Century B.C.)
Turns out Victor was just a little bit zealous in his optimistic view of mankind. Sadly, we all harbor such harmful tendencies. It is sadder still that society, especially those in power, tolerate such overt hatred if it furthers their cause. Mankind’s wicked tendencies have not improved and one can argue, that in a permissive society, have worsened,
This individual should be institutionalized. Instead, she has gained infamy by her bizarre and dangerous demonstration.
Re: “This individual should be institutionalized. Instead, she has gained infamy by her bizarre and dangerous demonstration.”
Anything for a buck. It’s the American way…
I fully support this woman’s 1stA right to speak her mind.
I also fully support my 1stA right to ignore any of her additional speech or any others like her.
USA! USA!! USA!!!!
🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽🦅🇺🇸✊🗽
Devoting an article to such a marginal, insignificant figure?….why? I’d hate to think JT has joined the pack of neurotic media bots who chase sensationalist alarmism. This Shailyne person doesn’t deserve the ink.
What has become of gravitas?
There are major legal puzzles we need to solve, just to mention one, do foreign adversaries of the United States have 1st Amendment rights to wage deceitful infowarfare targeting Americans….including our children? Does intimidation using anonymous threats count as “protected free speech”? If threatening a SCOTUS Justice is grounds for arrest and prosecution, why isn’t that same measure of protection owed to every US citizen, no matter what station?
As we face up to the coarsening and brittle stridency of public discourse, what remains of the moral fabric of our forebearers, who would never accept brazen inauthenticity as a right of free expression?
As a self-governing society facing challenges of daunting complexity, our goal has to be surfacing the widest range of policy options, hosting the most candid debate about their pros and cons, and ability to make good public decisions at pace with those challenges — “good” meaning, in retrospect, the majority doesn’t look back with regret about the choice made, or cringe at the paralysis while the threat mounts.
That decision-making process requires public speech that is moderated for civility and cohesion of purpose. That’s not what we have now. What we have now is a public square dominated by fringe zealots and their fireworks-displays, spreading paranoia, undermining confidence — and stalling the process of public problem-solving. The hunger to restore order is emboldening dangerous “shortcuts”, i.e., authoritarian rule.
It’s not just Putin and Xi who are questioning whether American democracy can still function at speed.
Being chased with a knife!!! This is why I carry.
“This is why I carry.”
You got that right!
Democrats are fascists…that is clear. They are 1930’s National Socialists of Germany in character!
Defund Hunter and the 1000’s of colleges where virtually all teachers HATE America
End Federal Aid and loans to fund Colleges!
You want an education….fund the college you like…not Taxpayers!
Democrats EVERY SINGLE one Hates the West and America.
Time to END Federal Aid which has been used by Democrats to FOSTER that
End all Aid to cities, states, non-profits and colleges.
Bring back Local Control….and cause and effect. You want homeless, illegals, crime…then YOU FUND IT!
for too long the WORSE Democrats make it…the MORE money they get Camden NJ 60 years of democrats….5% of children are at grade level after BILLIONS!\
Same Newark, Bridgeport, ct, ETC ETC ETC!
Tough Love and NO MORE MONEY!
People like Rodríguez and the university system that supports her expose the con behind the whole Democratic party social agenda. “Selectivity” is the name of the game. You can spread hatred of the Supreme Court and a certain presidential candidate until there are multiple attempts on their lives, but don’t use an correct pronoun because you’re “disrespecting” someone and will be fired. Meanwhile, all the best political commentators who are critical of the war in Ukraine and of Israel’s genocide in, now, the Middle East, are being systematically dropped from Youtube, and some have been raided by the FBI. That should scare Prof. Turley even more than a, FBI-planted machete-wielding nutcase.
The incident involving Professor Rodriguez and the trashing of a pro-life display has been over-dramatized by conservative media and Professor Turley, who failed to provide all the necessary context. The “attack” on the display was not a violent event but rather a verbal objection accompanied by the removal of pamphlets from a table. It’s important to note that harassment is not considered a crime in NY, and the charges against Professor Rodriguez were dropped. Additionally, Hunter College required her to apologize to the pro-life group, which she did. However, the incident was blown out of proportion by conservative media, leading to threatening phone calls and harassment directed at Professor Rodriguez.
The subsequent machete incident at her apartment also lacked crucial details. The New York Post reporter arrived unannounced, and given the threats and harassment she had been receiving, her reaction, while questionable, can be explained as a response to feeling unsafe. Despite being charged with misdemeanor menacing, the charges were later withdrawn after completing behavioral therapy.
It’s clear that the situation was exaggerated by right-wing media, leading to an escalation of rhetoric and retaliation by Professor Rodriguez. Furthermore, Professor Turley misrepresented her rhetoric, failing to provide the necessary context. While her statements were offensive and alarming, they were legal under free speech, and Turley’s lack of distinction only contributed to the escalating tensions.
Oh, please, George. No one is buying your response.
You seem to resort to empty rhetoric and whining rather than engaging in productive debate. It would be more effective to focus on constructive discussion instead of complaining.
In Svelaz’s world, Rodriguez would be locked in irons if her rhetoric didn’t agree with the ruling powers. Svelaz has turned out to be pure fascist stupid.
It doesn’t appear that the “behavioral therapy” was very effective.
It doesn’t appear so. However that she is clealry passionate about her cause she is still well within her rights to be as obnoxious and assertive in her speech and opinion. Turley seems to forget that while it may be offensive to his values that she is not being punished severely enough to his liking her speech is well protected and legal.
Why do you lie, George? ONLY IN YOUR HEAD is Turley complaining “that she is not being punished enough to his liking.” Is JT asking for her being punished more severely? NO, George, NO George, NO George. It is YOU who rants about her right to speech. JT is simply writing up some FACTS, since no one else is reporting it. You remind me so much of Ilhan Omar referring to 9/11 as just “some people did something.”
Anonymous, I am not surprised. Your reading comprehension handicap is well established. There is no expectation that you would understand much of what you read—it’s a given. You make your triggered rage so obvious. Perhaps some camomile tea would do you some good.
Jonathan, Honestly, this tid-bit wasn’t worth Posting.
What Shellyne Rodríguez is not is a World Leader, what Shellyne Rodríguez is, is a Benito Mussolini Fascist.
If you want to cover tid-bits that are worth posting,
then cover the Mindless-Rhetorical of Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Ukraine Non-Elected President),
and the Dilettantes cultivating World War III. They are the current World Leaders of the threat to Democracy,
particularly our Free Speech. (i.e.: How many voices have you heard calling for an end to the Ukrainian conflict, COMING OUT OF UKRAINE? …-Zip- No Free Speech There)
This is the area of War-Mongering-Speech that effects Us all.
The words ‘Nuclear Détente’ haven’t been uttered in decades – Tactical censorship of such Words are of use for those that want to use ‘Tactical Nuclear Warfare’.
You can bet on that[.]
Hopefully she’ll F’up and get arrested before she hurts someone or incites the flag waving terrorist walking our streets to do harm.
In Salinas when someone walks down the street carrying a machete the cops go, “Drop the weapon! Drop the weapon!” and then pop, pop, kapow before the guy has time to say, “No habla inglés.”
Why is she not in jail still, I would think if she had been charged and convicted she would be on probation and this type of behavior would send her back to the slammer? That was a serious felony, assault with a deadly weapon, intent to do harm. She’s just another race baiting “person of color” grifter.
It was a misdemeanor—a menacing misdemeanor. Chasing after a reporter with a machete seems to be a minor offense in NY unless an injury occurs.
Is that an example of white privilege?
“seems to be a minor offense in NY unless an injury occurs.”
But charging Trump for placing legal expenses in the legal expenses category is a major offense.
Svelaz, you are so stupid.
Well isn’t she a charmer.
If this psychotic nitwit actually finds the spine to attempt to use her machete to slit the throat of anyone who takes their right to effective self-defense seriously, we will be spared from reading about any more of her idiotic pronouncements. However, I have little doubt that she is nothing more than a crazed coward with a very big mouth.
And likely some serious mental illness.
LOL! You give her too much credit. She is no “College professor” providing the “the very face of an age of rage”. She is merely running a medicine show for stooges in the audience.
A “College professor” reading one-liners from her cell phone while the audience repeats? What kind of parents send their kids to an school that employs such people?
And what sort of politician wants to “cancel” the student loan debt of students who attend these colleges by saddling it on the backs of taxpayers.
“And what sort of politician wants to “cancel” the student loan debt of students who attend these colleges by saddling it on the backs of taxpayers.”
Any sundry Democrat…
Ironically, Turley is employing the same tactic with that attention-grabbing headline. The distinction lies in his more restrained and ambiguous approach. Despite her outspoken and irritating methods, Turley finds himself in a similar predicament, albeit in a different more civilized manner.
Please remember this was all prophesied as America is the harlot of Revelation chapter 17 riding her UN`beast right in to hell:
https://sumofthyword.com/2021/01/07/mystery-babylon-the-great-and-her-beast/
Just another example of black=good, white =bad, Jew=white, Palestinian=black, American=white, any illegal from anywhere in the world-black, western=white, any hellhole in the world=black.
Swap any other group out for white or Jew and chant anything like what these mid-wits chant and see how far you get.
This “professor” or “educator” is two steps away from being a bagwoman begging for change on the streets and yet the colleges pretend she can teach the young. I can only laugh at the people spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to have this person “teach” them or their kids.
Marxists employ their divisions across the social spectrum in an attempt to topple us. Obama
She is the very face of an age of rage.
That’s not rage. At least not the rage normal people experience. It’s the rage of Frankenstein and the creation of the modern Democratic party.
OLLY,
The fact the crowd just blindly repeats her words is disturbing. Like lemmings or members of a non-thinking cult.
Upstate, now that is the face of the demoralized. (see Bezmenov)
Her Violent rhetoric probably comes right up to the line of prohibited speech. She is not directly advocating that people slit their masters’ throats. She couches it in terms of this is what was once dreamt of. But I’m wondering if this somehow is permitted speech.
“But I’m wondering if this somehow is permitted speech.”
Permitted by the 1st A., yes. Permitted by the likes of Hunter College and Cooper Union, apparently, but that should change. The question is how best to starve those (and other, similar) institutions of the funding that subsidizes this kind of stupidity.
Even if she were directly advocating it, ALL advocacy is 100% protected speech. There is absolutely nothing that the government can punish you for advocating. Mass murder. Slavery. The president’s assassination. The overthrow of the republic. In the USA you are free to stand on a street corner and advocate it, and you can’t be arrested for it. Of course the people who beat you to a pulp might not be arrested either, and the policemen who are right there may suddenly develop dust in their eyes and not see it.
She is the face of sadistic psychopaths everywhere. In another era she’d have been a Manson family member.
She wouldn’t have been welcome in the Manson family. Manson wanted to start a white/black race war. That’s what the murders were all about. However, one must presume that Rodriguez would’ve been a willing participant on the other side, if Manson had succeeded.