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James Comey: Protests disrupt speech to Howard students
- Thread starter Africanus
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shnurgleton
Member
I'm too confused to have a real response for this
shnurgleton
Member
Why not? What's the context here?
He was the former head of the FBI. People who have an issue with how black americans are treated would most likely have a problem with the guy who was near the top of america's criminal justice system
the FBI history with the black community and civil rights
bossmonkey
Member
So you're saying the protests worked lol
OG Shaka Zulu
Member
The FBI has done tremendous damage to Black Americans that they have yet to recover from. Hoovers COINTELPRO targeted Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and The Black Panthers- who were all killed or incarcerated. It would be like inviting neonazis to speak at Jewish colleges. Fuck the school administration for this.
BertramCooper
Banned
Are people seriously struggling to come up with reasons to protest James Comey?
paperboywriter
Member
im pretty sure he didnt.
SliceSabre
Banned
I'm not on board of this increasing liberal habit to shout down any non-liberal speaker at colleges that aren't strongly conservative. I don't consider Comey an offensive speaker in the least.
Course I guess that's where our politics is at now: "I don't even want to hear the other side regardless of what they could possibly be saying."
I'm liberal as all hell but I'm willing to at least listen to what the more 'reasoned' people on the other side are saying rather than floating inside my echo chamber. I mean damn by the measures people have above they shouldn't have Obama speak either because he hired Comey in the first place.
Course I guess that's where our politics is at now: "I don't even want to hear the other side regardless of what they could possibly be saying."
I'm liberal as all hell but I'm willing to at least listen to what the more 'reasoned' people on the other side are saying rather than floating inside my echo chamber. I mean damn by the measures people have above they shouldn't have Obama speak either because he hired Comey in the first place.
jimmypython
Member
so i guess people are protesting against FBI through Comey.....
I will say, this is one situation where I'm not sure what the protest achieved. I'm all for protests and civil disobediance to gain attention towards a cause. But Comey, the former head of the FBI being able to speak to HBCU could have been an interesting moment. I don't know what his speech was going to be about, but what's the harm in listening to it, even if it's 100% wrong and hogwash? If the speech was wrong, THEN protest.
I could be way off base here, though, so feel free to shit on me if this reasoning doesn't fly.
I could be way off base here, though, so feel free to shit on me if this reasoning doesn't fly.
Apparently it is for the greater good. Fuck that shit.
James Comey is to black Americans what Nazi's are to Jews. That's what you're saying, okay.
They scooped him up to do a lecture series before any other DC university did.
OG Shaka Zulu
Member
You don't know what you are talking about and I partially do not blame you. American education has made sure you do not know actual Black history. This isn't about snowflake liberals, the FBI went to war with Black Americans.
Let me add some context as a student.
The Group: HUResist is a student activist group on campus that started earlier this year (I actually missed their founding meeting by 15 minutes, went to get food). They try to tap into the veins of earlier Howard University protests against the administration. In the current era, they dislike and protest against our administrations cozying up to the Trump administration, and our president Wayne Fredericks general mismanagement, perceived or real, of Howard University. This isnt their first protest, as earlier this year there were various sit ins and demonstrations.
The Person: James Comey has been hired for a seminar series (I believe 5 in total) by Howard University. He was also brought on to speak as the opening speaker for Howards 150th commencement speech and convocation for the new year. This is displeasing given the FBIs antiblack policies both in the past and during his term as FBI director.
The Event: As stated earlier, convocation is essentially a huge event on campus, and typically a major speaker comes each year. The choice of Comey this year was panned by multiple students, especially HU Resist, given the events of the past year involving him and of the FBI in general. The 150th anniversary was just icing on the cake. Students have classes off from 10-1, allowing for more people to show up.
The Group: HUResist is a student activist group on campus that started earlier this year (I actually missed their founding meeting by 15 minutes, went to get food). They try to tap into the veins of earlier Howard University protests against the administration. In the current era, they dislike and protest against our administrations cozying up to the Trump administration, and our president Wayne Fredericks general mismanagement, perceived or real, of Howard University. This isnt their first protest, as earlier this year there were various sit ins and demonstrations.
The Person: James Comey has been hired for a seminar series (I believe 5 in total) by Howard University. He was also brought on to speak as the opening speaker for Howards 150th commencement speech and convocation for the new year. This is displeasing given the FBIs antiblack policies both in the past and during his term as FBI director.
The Event: As stated earlier, convocation is essentially a huge event on campus, and typically a major speaker comes each year. The choice of Comey this year was panned by multiple students, especially HU Resist, given the events of the past year involving him and of the FBI in general. The 150th anniversary was just icing on the cake. Students have classes off from 10-1, allowing for more people to show up.
benicillin
Banned
If you don't understand why students at an HBCU would protest Comey maybe do some research before complaining about liberals and not understanding what a protest was meant to achieve. I'm pretty sure he was no friend to groups like BLM while he was with the FBI, and that organizations track record in general with minorities is very well known.
It's upsetting how much hero worship people on the left are throwing toward what are, essentially, the top cops in the country in our intelligence communities.
"Straight Outta Compton is one of my favorite movies and I want to name my first born after James Comey."
#theresistance is in love with this dude. Good on the protestors.
"Straight Outta Compton is one of my favorite movies and I want to name my first born after James Comey."
#theresistance is in love with this dude. Good on the protestors.
parrotbeak
Member
I'm a fan of Comey from before his 45 era actions but this was a convocation. Why was he invited to give the speech?
This quote says it:
This quote says it:
Widdle Puppy
Banned
I feel neutral to negative about Comey. Do people like him here?
This is less offensive than that HBCU that invited fricking DeVos to speak, but still kind of up there.
You'd figure university administration, in both cases, would have been proud of the civic engagement and passion of their student groups, but it seems like they're more interested in sucking up to the rich and powerful.
You'd figure university administration, in both cases, would have been proud of the civic engagement and passion of their student groups, but it seems like they're more interested in sucking up to the rich and powerful.
"What I did was for your own good!"
OG Shaka Zulu
Member
No, his organization is. The FBI giving $100k to Black people is like a rapist buying his victim dinner afterwards. All is forgiven right?
*Rolls eyes
Reverend Funk
Comfy Penetration
As much as comey is a good guy in relation to trump, he was still the head of the fbi.
entremet
Member
Speakers are not always invited by admins but by student groups. See Cal Berkeley shenanigans.
SliceSabre
Banned
Oh I'm black and I know black history so don't just assume I'm some ignorant person who doesn't know any better.
Yea the FBI has a shit history with black folks, show me a institution in this country that doesn't. I dunno I just don't find Comey to be some horribly offensive speaker that needed to be shut down.
It would be silly to blame Comey for those things.
Blaming him for policies under his tenure? Fair game. For instance, repeatedly alleging that BLM and others were discouraging police from doing their jobs. For all the other current policies that disproportionately target minority groups? All fair. Which, it sounds like is what the protesters were raising.
Duh fuck, all the people you could invite to celebrate black people and education, you pick the former head slave catcher?
Byakuya769
Member
This seems pretty stupid. What affront is it to have a noted political figure speak at your university? Why ruin it for all the other students?
Protest is becoming a recreational activity for some.
The gist of what he did is connecting protests over police brutality with police not as aggressively policing and thus explaining a spike in violent crimes last year. That's a notion that you can vigorously disagree with, but doesn't rise to the level of some "shut it down" nonsense.
Protest is becoming a recreational activity for some.
The gist of what he did is connecting protests over police brutality with police not as aggressively policing and thus explaining a spike in violent crimes last year. That's a notion that you can vigorously disagree with, but doesn't rise to the level of some "shut it down" nonsense.
DerangedHermit
Member
Ask Deray how he feels being put under surveilance by the FBI because he was one of the faces of BLM.
Skellig Gra
Member
I understand the history that the FBI and black people have in the past but can anyone tell me what Comey did specifically towards the black community? Honest question.
If you were willing to listen, you would have looked up Comey's record on police and how he issued statements that even then President Obama pushed back against. He was an FBI director that didn't look at the data and falsely pushed a narrative that puts Black people at risk.
Come on now. Plus the history of the FBI, his collusion that helped get Trump elected, putting all Americans and the world at large at risk.
Extremely helpful post. In this case it seems really weird that they'd grab Comey for this speech.
Phrozenflame500
Member
...that's what I'm getting? I don't fully understand what Comey himself did or what policies he specifically implemented during his tenure that negatively affected black Americans.
EDIT: There's some good background in this thread that does make this a bit more understandable though.
Yes, lets only have people speak who make us feel all happy and roses on the inside?
What the fuck is up with y'all in this thread. This is NOT nearly like having a Milo come speak.
Perhaps a worthwhile dialogue could be had?
edit - the post by africanus puts this in much better context.
What the fuck is up with y'all in this thread. This is NOT nearly like having a Milo come speak.
Perhaps a worthwhile dialogue could be had?
edit - the post by africanus puts this in much better context.
I think it's fair to protest. Though ultimately I do think he should've been allowed to talk without disruption. I can't see James Comey as anywhere near as bad as many of the other people who had their speeches protested. Like nowhere even on the same planet as bad. And that's considering the shitty things the FBI did in the past. Though considering all possible events to speak at I think the University could've done a better job selecting one than convocation.
Also, thanks for Africanus for the post above. The context was helpful in formulating my post.
Also, thanks for Africanus for the post above. The context was helpful in formulating my post.
I agree that a lot of what the FBI did was fucked. Really fucked. But Nazi's systematically murdered six million Jewish people. It's a disengenuous comparison and you know it.
Lil'DigiOp
Member
Protest Comey for that dumbass letter.
Made a nothing burger a mountain when he put that dumb shit out 11 days before gametime.
I truly believe that letter is what killed Hillary. Comey got us in this fucking mess 100%
Made a nothing burger a mountain when he put that dumb shit out 11 days before gametime.
I truly believe that letter is what killed Hillary. Comey got us in this fucking mess 100%
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