There’s a lot to say about the letter from some West Virginia Republican senators to West Virginia University and Marshall University. So let’s dive right in.
First things first: Black Lives Matter is not a terrorist organization — though the phrase certainly gets bandied about. We have stated this previously, and we will state this again if we must. According to FactCheck, there is no such thing — in legal terms — as a domestic terrorist organization. According to PolitiFact, Black Lives Matter isn’t a terrorist group; it is not listed on either the State Department’s list of designated terrorist organizations, nor is it listed in a global database cataloging 200,000 incidences of terrorism. FactCheck and PolitiFact are nonpartisan, fact-verifying websites. And we’re extremely disappointed that our state senators are aiding the spread of misinformation.
Second: There’s a difference between the Black Lives Matter Global Network and the Black Lives Matter movement. Much like a square is always a rectangle but a rectangle isn’t always a square, the Black Lives Matter Global Network is part of the larger BLM movement, but the movement isn’t always part of the Global Network. To claim that every event/action related to Black Lives Matter reflects the stated goals of the Global Network is like walking through life insisting that every rectangle you see is actually a square.
Third: It is absurd for our state senators to threaten to defund our higher education institutions because they object to the actions of a handful of people. Freedom of speech is very much at play here. Mind you, freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences.
In regard to the BLM stickers on WVU football players’ helmets: Adding the sticker was an individual choice. And no one was injured or harmed by the use of these stickers. WVU’s players are free to express their support for the BLM movement. Now, the consequence has been that certain people were offended and choose to no longer support the Mountaineers — which they are free to do. But for our senators to defund an entire land-grant institution because of stickers paid for by a self-sustaining athletics program and worn only voluntarily would be a violation of freedom of speech — as well as a cruel, unnecessary blow to the thousands of other students, faculty and staff at WVU.
Regarding the Marshall biology professor: It was wrong for her to say attendees of Trump’s indoor rallies should get COVID and die. It was exceptionally inappropriate to say that in a classroom setting, especially since she is an authority figure in that environment. Freedom of speech applies to her, too, but she’s not free of the consequences. Marshall immediately suspended her and is investigating her conduct. Again, it is ridiculous and irrational for state senators to threaten to pull funding from an entire university because of one woman’s words — especially given Marshall’s swift, appropriate action.
Senators may have the freedom to make these threats, but they are not free of the consequences. West Virginians see the extremism, the immaturity and the bigotry in their letter, and we will decide if these are the people we want representing us in government.
