Here's why that professor dancing on Barbara Bush's grave shouldn't be fired
Former first lady Barbara Bush died on Tuesday night at the age of 92 — only two days after it was announced she would forgo further medical treatment and receive comfort care.
She leaves behind a memorable legacy in which she spearheaded programs to reduce illiteracy in America, in addition to being actively involved in the campaigns of her husband, former President George H.W. Bush. Yet, some liberals seem keen on dancing on the former first Lady's grave instead.
[Related: Barbara Bush: Her life in photos]
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Take Fresno State professor Randa Jarrar. Following the news of Bush's death, Jarrar called her a "racist," who "raised a war criminal," referring to her son, former President George W. Bush.
Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal. Fuck outta here with your nice words.— Randa Jarrar (@randajarrar) April 18, 2018
Instead of reprimanding Jarrar, Fresno State University President Joseph Castro released a statement that stopped well short of a condemnation.
As of Wednesday morning, Jarrar set her Twitter account to private, saying in her bio, "Currently on leave from Fresno State. this is my private account and represents my opinions."
It's quite appalling that someone would use the death of a beloved figure like Barbara Bush to drag her memory through the mud. Criticizing the former first lady on her politics or the politics and policies of her husband and son while they served as president is one thing, but what Jarrar did treads into the territory of just straight vitriol. And that's problematic.
Don't get me wrong, you should be allowed to criticize public figures whether they're alive or dead. However, if Jarrar was trying to criticize the former first lady, she did a very poor job of expressing it. Calling her a "racist" who intentionally "raised a war criminal" isn't criticism, it's just nasty.
Here's the thing, though: Jarrar shouldn't be fired from Fresno State University over her comments, as objectionable they may seem. She's protected by the First Amendment, and Fresno State is a public university. It would be hypocritical of conservatives to call on her to be fired for making crude comments about the former first lady, especially if they criticize colleges for suppressing the speech of conservatives.
Bottom line: Jarrar represents a quality in people that's not only unflattering, but damn near cancerous. Some people choose to see the glass half full, meanwhile folks like Jarrar always see it as half empty, and there's no way to convince her that the glass is anything but. And while it's clear we shouldn't take to a boycott or protest to demand a professor be fired for speaking their mind, the very least we can do is call them out on it. After all, the answer to problematic speech is more speech to counter it.
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