Posted on 06/19/2016 4:08:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
An essay by an incoming UW-Madison doctoral student suggesting that violence might be the proper response to Donald Trump is drawing concern within the university’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Because apparently these days we’re a nation that is ready to nominate a buffoonish reality TV star for president and deem a “journalist” who excuses violence against that nominee as one of the “best-qualified applicants” at a world-renowned university.
It all began with an essay self-described “smarmy liberal writer” Jesse Benn published on the Huffington Post earlier this month titled “Sorry liberals, a violent response to Trump is as logical as any.”
Benn argues that Trump may well personify modern fascism and that his supporters, some of whom are actual fascists, have used violence, and that violent resistance to fascism can be understandable and lead to positive change. Among the examples he cites are America’s fight against the Nazis in World War II and rioting in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death in Baltimore.
In a June 8 email to faculty, staff and students, journalism school director Hemant Shah says the piece “has a lot of people riled up, including white supremacists who are hurling anti-Semitic comments at Benn on Twitter.”
At least one person also contacted the school to wonder “if he could attend a program that accepted a student (Benn) who advocated violence,” Shah writes, and Benn received a phone message full of “Nazi propaganda speeches” that “was sent from the SJMC front office phone number,” suggesting the school’s phone system might have been hacked.
Long story short, Benn and Shah called UW Police, who advised Benn, who lives out of state, to call his local police if he felt threatened, police spokesman Marc Lovicott said.
The calls to the journalism school “were more so ‘complaints’ about Mr. Benn’s article” but “not threatening in nature,” Lovicott said, and “There is no active investigation here at UWPD regarding these incidents at this time.”
Shah told me Wednesday that there’s been no other trouble since, and he had no other concerns about Benn’s affiliation with the university. Benn, as one of “a subset of the best-qualified applicants” to the school’s graduate program, will earn a $14,000 stipend as a teaching assistant, tuition remission and health benefits “at the established rate,” Shah said.
Shah said he doesn’t think “that violence is necessarily a ‘logical’ reaction to Trump’s demagoguery” but agreed that “Trump has condoned violence and xenophobia, and resisting Trump is more than just resisting his candidacy for president; it’s resisting a potential social shift toward becoming an intolerant society.”
Benn told me his point wasn’t to condone violence, but that “it’s not fair for me to sit here from a position of privilege and uniformly declare it morally abhorrent or illogical — which a lot of liberals immediately did.”
It seems to me it would be pretty hard for Trump to get his more extreme proposals enacted. Ours is a federal government that can’t seem to get important things done even when there’s an ostensibly sane person in the Oval Office.
There’s also little sign that local, state and federal officials and judges would help Trump, say, round up millions of productive, otherwise law-abiding undocumented workers and ship them back to wherever they came from.
Benn agreed it’s not “terribly likely” Trump would be able to pull off his crazier ideas, but then “my loved ones aren’t facing the implications of his successfully pulling them off.”
He said he’s gotten 20 to 30 threatening phone calls in response to the Huffington Post piece, as well as death threats and other backlash, and had to change his phone number. He said he received similar flak for a piece he wrote for the Huffington Post called “Towards a concept of white wounding.”
Although he said he’s fearful, he hasn’t called his local police because he doesn’t think they’d be much help. “I’m strongly opposed to our structure of policing as it currently exists,” he said, adding, “I don’t want them driving around my neighborhood putting my neighbors who are already on the margins more at risk of unwanted police contact.”
It all got me wondering if maybe there wasn’t a local municipal issue Benn could sink his formidable intellect into, or a foreign news bureau he could staff. God knows in these days of declining “mainstream,” if-your-mother-says-she-loves-you-check-it-out news coverage, local officials have been known to practically cry out for attention (at least for the good stuff) and certain foreign people could use a little more exposure of their travails.
I’m not sure those are the kinds of skills they value in grad students anymore, though.
the dumbass student is simply reflecting his dumbass environment. modern academia is an absolute cesspool.
Sounds like a home visit is in order....
Effers.
“...home visit ...”
A 4am “Flashbang Boogie-Woogie” visit, more to the point.
I am always surprised how violence is often advocated by those who are themselves the least capable of it, I would imagine we are dealing with either a 90-pound or 450 pound weakling here.
“An essay by an incoming UW-Madison doctoral student suggesting that violence might be the proper response to Donald Trump is drawing concern within the university’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.”
Protecting ourselves is a response to UW doctoral students.
BRING IT SNOWFLAKE
Sounds like, for national security purposes, UW-Madison doctoral student Jesse Benn needs to have a body cavity search... daily, during President Trump's administration.
ANOTHER Anti Trump article...hmmm wonder where this came from???
It’s posted as a warning. But keep looking for negativity because I supported Cruz. Ho-hum.
Here's to the demise of both the liberal hack and the liberal hackademic defending him.
I’m not that doctrinaire.
essay by an incoming UW-Madison doctoral student suggesting that violence might be the proper response to Donald Trump
Just remember, genius, that violence operates in ANY direction. Live by the sword die by the sword.
His photo proves my point about the advocates of violence; he appears to be on the 90 pound weakling side, probably revels in violence by others, yet has undoubtedly never been in even a schoolyard fight.
He sounds very unstable. He is possibly a danger to himself as well as others.
I got halfway through the article before it occurred to me it had to have been posted by you. Still trolling for trash I see...
Elect a buffoonish reality TV star? What the he*#? Obama was elected, wasn’t he? He’s a buffoon but not a TV star.
That's right, Trump and his supporters are the ones shouting down and threatening violence in a fascist manner.
Do a little research on what fascism is, and get back to us, OK?
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