Pro-choice individuals often characterize pro-life groups as dangerous people that spread harmful messages. Many think that this gives them the right to physically harass anyone that they see attempting to discuss the protection of life in the womb.
We saw a pretty clear-cut example of this at Hunter College in New York City last week.
The pro-life organization “Students for Life of America” had a display table open on campus with pamphlets of literature discussing why babies in the womb are human beings that should not be aborted. Eventually, an adjunct professor named Shellyne Rodriguez approached the table and began swearing abusively at the students at the display and even swiped at the materials to ruin.
For extra context, Rodriguez has a website in which she brands herself as someone who creates “strategies of survival against erasure and subjugation” (translated: she’s a progressive bully). Clearly, assaulting pro-life students is part of her responsibilities.
“You’re not educating s—, this is f—ing propaganda,” Rodriguez furiously exclaims. “What are you going to do like anti-trans next?”
She then accused the male at the display and said that he had no authority to speak on the situation because he couldn’t get pregnant (the only intelligent and correct thing to come out of her mouth in this exchange). When that same student tried to deescalate the situation, Rodriguez responded by getting angrier.
“This is bull—-, this is violent,” Rodriguez said. “You’re triggering my students.”
At that point, Rodriguez was fed up and scattered the literature on the table.
Related: Time Magazine Celebrates Mother’s Day By Promoting Abortion
Most people would look at this situation and think that Rodriguez is in the wrong – because she is. Rodriguez is entitled to think differently than the students at the display, but she is not entitled to shout abuse or physically attack their setup.
Despite all this, PSC Graduate Center, a labor organization of graduate and professional schools at the City University of New York, rushed to Rodriguez’s defense and said she had every right to behave how she did.
“Hunter College adjunct educator Shellyne Rodriguez approached the display, constructively critiqued the group members, and eventually physically took down items from the table,” the group said. “Her actions to shut down the tabling were fully justified, and are part of a long and celebrated CUNY legacy of confronting groups such as military recruiters who disseminate misleading information.”
They must be looking at a different video, because from the one above, there was nothing “constructive” or “justified” about what the professor did. More sane minds might call it “harassment” and “irrational.”
Hunter College has released a statement saying that it remains committed to being a place that all students can freely express their ideas.
“Hunter College prides itself on maintaining decorum and respect for all, while encouraging the free expression of ideas,” a Hunter College spokesperson said. “Students can display one side of a political issue, or more than one side. We consider our campus a vibrant marketplace of ideas.”
If that’s really the case, they might want to make sure they don’t hire whack jobs like Rodriguez in the future.
Pro-choice individuals often characterize pro-life groups as dangerous people that spread harmful messages. Many think that this gives them the right to physically harass anyone that they see attempting to discuss the protection of life in the womb.
We saw a pretty clear-cut example of this at Hunter College in New York City last week.
The pro-life organization “Students for Life of America” had a display table open on campus with pamphlets of literature discussing why babies in the womb are human beings that should not be aborted. Eventually, an adjunct professor named Shellyne Rodriguez approached the table and began swearing abusively at the students at the display and even swiped at the materials to ruin.
For extra context, Rodriguez has a website in which she brands herself as someone who creates “strategies of survival against erasure and subjugation” (translated: she’s a progressive bully). Clearly, assaulting pro-life students is part of her responsibilities.
“You’re not educating s—, this is f—ing propaganda,” Rodriguez furiously exclaims. “What are you going to do like anti-trans next?”
She then accused the male at the display and said that he had no authority to speak on the situation because he couldn’t get pregnant (the only intelligent and correct thing to come out of her mouth in this exchange). When that same student tried to deescalate the situation, Rodriguez responded by getting angrier.
“This is bull—-, this is violent,” Rodriguez said. “You’re triggering my students.”
At that point, Rodriguez was fed up and scattered the literature on the table.
Related: Time Magazine Celebrates Mother’s Day By Promoting Abortion
Most people would look at this situation and think that Rodriguez is in the wrong – because she is. Rodriguez is entitled to think differently than the students at the display, but she is not entitled to shout abuse or physically attack their setup.
Despite all this, PSC Graduate Center, a labor organization of graduate and professional schools at the City University of New York, rushed to Rodriguez’s defense and said she had every right to behave how she did.
“Hunter College adjunct educator Shellyne Rodriguez approached the display, constructively critiqued the group members, and eventually physically took down items from the table,” the group said. “Her actions to shut down the tabling were fully justified, and are part of a long and celebrated CUNY legacy of confronting groups such as military recruiters who disseminate misleading information.”
They must be looking at a different video, because from the one above, there was nothing “constructive” or “justified” about what the professor did. More sane minds might call it “harassment” and “irrational.”
Hunter College has released a statement saying that it remains committed to being a place that all students can freely express their ideas.
“Hunter College prides itself on maintaining decorum and respect for all, while encouraging the free expression of ideas,” a Hunter College spokesperson said. “Students can display one side of a political issue, or more than one side. We consider our campus a vibrant marketplace of ideas.”
If that’s really the case, they might want to make sure they don’t hire whack jobs like Rodriguez in the future.
