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[n00bsauce87]

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 Frederick’s general mismanagement, perceived or real, of Howard University. This isn’t 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 Howard’s 150th commencement speech and convocation for the new year. This is displeasing given the FBI’s 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.

Seems pretty 1st amendment righty to me. Don't see what the issue is.

I mean they could always take a knee right? /s

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

How is it wrong? And I've asked for three posts now what Comey has specifically done to deserve this and nobody is able to point to anything.

And now you've taken it all the way back to "but he gave Trump the election" when just a few posts ago he was the "left's hero".

You talk about tone deaf but we literally have people shouting "they love* to be black" like Comey is an ex grand wizard or something

Bleh...

You said if you start a national organization, you will get FBI scrutiny. That seems imprecise and violates the 4th amendment. You can keep asking but plenty of people have responded to the general question:

He parroted the Ferguson Effect. And compared policing to baseball pitching, and said that more scrutiny of police would lead to more criminals.

Or Google could help you:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/fbi-directors-all-lives-matter-message-clashes-obama/amp

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...g-scrutiny-of-police-with-rise-in-violent-cri

This is extra special bullshit. Scrutiny of the police leads to more violent crime. I would expect the FBI director to understand why suggesting that cell phone cameras would lead to violent crime is hazardous. Why not suggest that police become courageous and do their job.

https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/412351/

Here he is again, parroting that police are too afraid to do their jobs. This all happened during a time when black people were criticized for protesting. It still happens and the FBI director should not be feeding that fire.

Or maybe you are ignorant on this FBI director but I'm not sure why you would assume 'large national organizations' will inevitable come under FBI scrutiny. Many have pointed to the history of the FBI and civil rights groups but you still feel like you 'question' has been unanswered. Why claim ignorance but still offer a nuanced opinion? I'm tired of people claiming ignorance/hiding behind it when others are trying to educate you.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Im sorry this is beyond idiotic. Do they show up to every event Obama is speaking at to protest? You know the President did once have slaves.

This comparison would make more sense if Presidents never did anything about slavery.

 

[parrotbeak]

This comparison would make more sense if Presidents never did anything about slavery.

I mean, what could Obama have told black students about being black in America?

 

[What did he mean by this?]

Damn I missed this. My math professors a dick

 

[The Technomancer]

I mean I've been saying this for a while. Comey is not our hero and we should not treat him as one. The FBI does some real shit, which he is at best complicit in and at worst directly responsible for. Lets not forget this about Mueller either

 

[KingV]

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.

James Comey was 12 when J Edgar Hoover died. He was eight when when MLK Jr was shot. He was not yet a sperm when COINTELPRO was started.

Like, he doesn’t really have anything to do with any of that. He was nominated by President Obama, and his two bosses before Sessions were Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder. All three managed to have speeches at Howard without having to answer for things that happened before they were born.

This position doesn’t really make any sense.

Edit: after reading the thread I now understand the resistance to James Comey based on more recent comments. I do think trying to tie him to things from 50+ years ago is a reach, but he deserves criticism for the “Ferguson effect” crap.

 

[entremet]

James Comey was 12 when J Edgar Hoover died. He was eight when when MLK Jr was shot. He was not yet a sperm when COINTELPRO was started.

Like, he doesn't really have anything to do with any of that. He was nominated by President Obama, and his two bosses before Sessions were Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder. All three managed to have speeches at Howard without having to answer for things that happened before they were born.

This position doesn't really make any sense.

That's Shaka Zulu's argument, but the article talks about this:

In a petition circulated by "HU Resist," a student-run organization that challenges university policies, activists argued that Comey's actions as as the head of the FBI included the "criminalization and attempted dismantling of Black Lives Matter" and the promotion of xenophobic "characterizations" of Muslims.

Was BLM attempted to be dismantled? Same with the promotion of xenophobic characterization of Muslims. Was the FBI or right-wing media sources? I guess I need more meat here.

 

[Snowybreak]

-snip-

Ah... Ok. That puts it into better context.

 

[Skateboard P]

This was passed around just before the speech.

 

[superdeluxe]

I feel neutral to negative about Comey. Do people like him here?

Many feel it will be his actions/testimony that brings down Trump. Some are willing to look the other way or give him a pass for other things due to this.

 

[entremet]

This was passed around just before the speech.

The first point is meaningless. At least in terms of why you protest his appointment to this fellowship. Like completely. I agree with the rest, though.

 

[UserNotFound]

Someone who played a pivotal role in our recent Presidential election should be someone whom you try to engage in dialogue, not necessarily shut down and prevent from speaking on college campuses.

I don't wholly understand this protest, but I respect the students right to do so. FBI as an organization will always have issues with communities that distrust law enforcement. It comes with the territory. They will always keep that baggage.

 

[Chie Satonaka]

This was passed around just before the speech.

Something something, liberal whiners, something something, free speech, something something, engage not shout down, something something.

He has no fucking place at a HBCU.

 

[traveler]

In other forms- a debate or Q and A, for example- I would have been for this invitation, but, yeah, convocation is totally the wrong event for him to be a guest at. I still hope the community gets a chance to interact with him on a more two way street, but protesting the speech given its context and his former role seems fair enough.

 

[Derwind]

This was passed around just before the speech.

Expect those trying to understand why people might be critical of Comey, to gloss over this.

Agreed on all points though.

 

[Enzom21]

Daryl Davis has done far more for his communities than those who protest, but have nothing to offer beyond simple anger and shouting, "fuck him, fuck this, fuck that". I hope one day that anger can be transformed to a desire to effect real change in their personal sphere of influence. That said, Davis is a saint with limitless patience, definitely a tough thing to emulate.

"Hey blacks, actually do something other than being loud and angry and maybe things wouldn't be so bad for you."
Davis is a piece of shit and I am not shocked that you think he is "one of the good ones".

 

[Fenderputty]

No, his organization is. The FBI giving $100k to Black people is like a rapist buying his victim dinner afterwards. All is forgiven right?

Not that it changes much, but it was his salary he was donating. The FBI wasn't donating shit. Protesting the FBI through Comey makes all the sense in the world BTW.

EDIT: apparently protesting Comey directly for his roll at the FBI does too. Had not heard about the "ferguson effect"

 

[Heroman]

I think the Daryl Davis story is cool but like what has he done for black people ?

 

[Enzom21]

I think the Daryl Davis story is cool but like what has he done for black people ?

Given non-black people another tool to try to silence black people. The MLK bludgeon was showing some wear.

 

[Ishan]

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.

+1

 

[Xe4]

This was passed around just before the speech.

I certainly don't agree with Comey on a lot of stuff, most of the things on the list included. But I'm not sure that makes it ok to shout him off stage or anything. Absolutely it should be protested, but not (I think) to the point of stopping the convocation ceremony.

Of course, I don't think he should have been invited to convocation in the first place, and the University absolutely screwed up there. Though it would've been very interesting to see just a regular speech of his, and maybe even some Q&A that would allow both Comey and the students to press and question their viewpoints.

 

[jono51]

Comey backstabbed Hillary and then couldn't even make something up to get Trump impeached. He is a bigger traitor than SИOWDEИ.

 

[Raven117]

Well, students are free to protest whomever and whatever they choose.

Whether its a good idea in this context....well, I guess that depends as what the protesters want to accomplish.

Whether it is wise...well, that's up to debate.

 

[Mr. X]

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.

unless it was a heartfelt apology, he can go kick rocks

 

[jtb]

I don't even get why they invited Comey. What a strange choice.

 

[Africanus]

At this point, I'm just waiting for the address to the student body our president will give via email.

It typically has a sprinkle of wisdom followed by heavy handed tone deafness.

 

[King Tubby]

Even if you think he's done horrible things, a James Comey is not the same as a Milo or an Ann Coulter. He is someone who has held top positions of power in government and law enforcement and is a huge influence on the world we live in today. Understanding his perspective, without necessarily condoning or agreeing with it, has an inherent value, and listening to what he has to say is necessary to achieve that understanding. I hate George W Bush, but if he were scheduled to give a speech at my university, I would rather hear him deliver it unimpeded so that perhaps I can gain a better understanding of him.

Whether this was the appropriate time for him to give a speech, or the proper context, is a different question where I would concede that it probably is not the best idea.

 

[SheSaidNo]

I don't even get why they invited Comey. What a strange choice.

It was kinda a prestige get for the university. When it was announced a lot of people thought it was a good move.

From Ta-Nehisi Coates an alumni:

https://mobile.twitter.com/tanehisicoates/status/900394854290792448

“I think that’s an excellent move for the university,” Coates says. “When I was at Howard, the best part about it was the people you disagreed with, the people you got to fight with. So those kids having the opportunity to go back and forth with him, that’s going to be awesome.

 

[Famassu]

When did anyone say that black people HAVE TO be friends with those that hate them? That is that mans choice, his path. It's not meant for everyone. If people want to protest, then fine. I just personally think that the way he is going about things, in his way, has caused real change with those he knows. He said that something around 60 KKK members had left their ranks because of him. And that is a positive thing, but again, not the path for everyone.



Did you think that my post was "bludgeoning" black people? I'm confused what you mean by this.

It's not the job of every black person to go to people who want bad things for them and be all kumbayah. Protesting getting a white old man at the top of an organization like FBI coming to speak at such an event does not make them echo chamber dwellers, for fuck's sake.

 

[Tinfoilhatsron]

When did anyone say that black people HAVE TO be friends with those that hate them? That is that mans choice, his path. It's not meant for everyone. If people want to protest, then fine. I just personally think that the way he is going about things, in his way, has caused real change with those he knows. He said that something around 60 KKK members had left their ranks because of him. And that is a positive thing, but again, not the path for everyone.



Did you think that my post was "bludgeoning" black people? I'm confused what you mean by this.

'Real change'? He changed people who wanted to be changed, even he admits that there were those he can't save.

Police brutality? White supremecists in positions of power? Income inequality? Nothing there. He even critcized BLM because he couldn't defend himself when asked this same scenario.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

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.

Most liberals I know don't want to blackbag and disappear whistleblowers as you've called for in the past.

 

[jtb]

It was kinda a prestige get for the university. When it was announced a lot of people thought it was a good move.

From Ta-Nehisi Coates an alumni:

https://mobile.twitter.com/tanehisicoates/status/900394854290792448

Ah, whoops I'm a complete dumbass. For some reason, I thought this was a commencement address (it's September!) which I thought was odd for any number of reasons lol.

Him just being a visiting professor there and giving a convocation speech makes much more sense

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

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.

You're right, Milo didnt run an organization that has a long standing history of demonizing, marginalizing, and outright sabotaging African Americans and our institutions in this country for decades. Compared to the FBI Milo is as harmless as a tulip in our community. His past statements and positions show that given the right environment he would be just as dangerous in charge of the FBI as many of its leaders 50 years ago. His bungling of the Hillary email fiasco also had a direct effect on electing a racist to the highest office in the land. So yeah i have no issue protesting that guy right out of town.

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

Many feel it will be his actions/testimony that brings down Trump. Some are willing to look the other way or give him a pass for other things due to this.

Pretty much. He's still a Republican at heart and still has a warped view of what's best for America.