Author: diverseskills

Read more: http://www.ifunny.com//pictures/are-you-awake/

Eight professors have joined together to issue a statement in support of University of Rhode Island assistant professor Erik Loomis, who last week tweeted that he wanted NRA executive vice president “Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick.”

The authors of the statement, posted on the blog Crooked Timber, defend Loomis’ tweet as an example of metaphor and say their defense was “pulled together on an emergency basis” — perhaps explaining why distinguished academics would cite the Urban Dictionary as their source in explaining what “head on a stick” means, as well as their omission of his retweets of other violent metaphors wishing for those who support arming teachers to be “beaten to death” and Dick Morris to be hunted down and skinned for breakfast.

Nevertheless, Loomis has found defenders in academia, who worry that “his lack of tenure makes him vulnerable,” a state of affairs the rest of us who don’t enjoy the defense of “academic freedom” — that is, “scholars’ freedom independently to express views (even intemperate ones) on topics of public importance” — face every day while arguing our beliefs in the public sphere. The fact that Loomis’ tweets seemingly had nothing to do with his teaching or his field of study further stretches the idea that academics should enjoy special protection from criticism. Meanwhile, the authors of Loomis’ defense call on university administrators to “affirm … the protections of the First Amendment” while overlooking a call for the head of a proponent of the Second Amendment.

We at Twitchy wish harm on no one, but Loomis’ public tweets and retweets were enough to elicit a statement from the University of Rhode Island distancing the school from them. Supporters who made no mention of the ugliness of Loomis’ Twitter activity were quick to call the criticism of Loomis an “ugly, vindictive witch hunt.”

I’m the opposite of an Erik Loomis fan, but I endorse every word of this: about the ugly, vindictive witch hunt at himis.gd/WVoDzC

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 19, 2012

I stand with Erik Loomis. bit.ly/12qb6zB Malkin & her goons once tried to get me fired, which failed miserably.

— Matt Browner Hamlin (@mbrownerhamlin) December 19, 2012

The fact that the first urge Michelle Malkin had upon hearing about 20 dead kids was to find someone to try to get fired says it all.

— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) December 19, 2012

Try to get fired? Is that a metaphor for reposting someone’s own words?

So I see the RWNJs are ginning up a fake outrage campaign against a college professor who used a metaphor.po.st/oAKctG

— Tom Tomorrow (@tomtomorrow) December 19, 2012

Hey, @tomtomorrow stood up for Sarah Palin when people excoriated her for using a metaphor, didn’t he?

— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) December 19, 2012

No, but you see, there’s an important distinction. Violent rhetoric — um, metaphor — wasn’t acceptable when Sarah Palin now-famously used an image of crosshairs on an election map. But as a defense of Loomis on the blog Lawyers, Guns & Money informs us, “Rhetoric is only ‘violent’ when its intent is encourage violent acts to a receptive audience.”

So while Palin’s map stands as an example of violent rhetoric, the statement that declares Loomis to be in the “the crosshairs of the state and his employer” is not. As long as we’re having fun with metaphor now, let’s all call for heads on sticks.

I’d like to see the University of Rhode Island’s president’s head on a (metaphorical) stick: crookedtimber.org/2012/12/19/sta…

— Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias) December 19, 2012

I want Glenn Reynolds’ head on a stick

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) December 19, 2012

I want Michelle Malkin’s head on a stick

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) December 19, 2012

Is that what Loomis’ defenders meant when they called for supporters to “Be polite, be civil, be firm”? We’d prefer to call for cooler heads to prevail, and we’ll assume our “metaphor illiterate” readers know we don’t mean that literally.

Metaphor illiterate get Rhode Island prof in cross hairs (not literally! we hope!) over #newtown tweet:crookedtimber.org/2012/12/19/sta…

— Duncan Murrell (@dvmurrell) December 20, 2012

Let’s call it what it is: an attempt to silence a blogger critic of the NRA.is.gd/WVoDzC

— Leo Casey (@LeoECasey) December 19, 2012

Again, we see no attempt to silence; in fact, the “right-wing witch hunt” arose from little more than (metaphorically) holding up a megaphone to Loomis’ existing speech. Was Loomis “forced” to delete his Twitter account, as another blog asserts, or to remove his university affiliation from his profile? Twitchy and other bloggers have no such power, and we wouldn’t use it if we could. In the meantime, a vigorous debate over guns continues.

But if we as a nation are truly going to have a “conversation” about guns in the wake of the unspeakable Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, let’s say what we mean, and stand by it.

Related:

Liberal journo Mike Elk sad about death threats to death threat connoisseur Erik Loomis

Flashback: Erik Loomis criticized Sarah Palin for ‘violent rhetoric’

Sick retweet by disgraced Rhode Island prof Erik Loomis: ‘Hunt down Dick Morris like a pig’

Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis deletes his Twitter account; Update: What is he hiding?

University of Rhode Island professor’s retweet: Murder anyone who thinks teachers should be armed; Update: Police met with prof; Update: University issues statement

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/12/19/professors-decry-witch-hunt-rally-around-erik-loomis-in-name-of-academic-freedom/

Read more: http://www.ifunny.com//pictures/s-hooman-i-adopted/

Oh, dear. The harsh reality of crushed unicorn dreams and the bitter smell of regret. As Twitchy reported, Americans started noticing that Obama’s “fair share” claims weren’t so fair and many were shocked … shocked … that their first paychecks of the year were smaller.

The indebted young Twitter user above now says she was just being sarcastic, but plenty of Obama supporters facing smaller paychecks continue to show genuine disenchantment. Feel the remorse. **

I have a friend who voted for Obama publicly complaining about the new #SS tax raise. I would just like to say: You did this to yourself.

— Jessica Lynn (@gekka_88) January 5, 2013

Homeless guy holding sign “I did it to myself. I voted for Obama…sorry” twitpic.com/8c5aun via @twitpic

— Jerry(@Durango24k) January 6, 2013

Realty realized little too late~”@durango24k: Homeless guy holding sign “I did it to myself. I voted for Obama…sorry” twitpic.com/8c5aun

— April Guiles (@April_MG) January 6, 2013

Real photo or not, that sentiment is being expressed across Twitter. Obama is “the light and the future?” Not so much, unless light means light in the wallet.

I don’t wanna hear that “I’m mad about these taxes they took out my check shit” from any Obama voters lol stfu you voted for him.

—La LaFah(@Its_LaFah) January 5, 2013

Bingo!

@whitehouse YOU GO MR.OBAMA.YOU SHOW ‘EM.POOR LOSERS THEY ARE.I VOTED FOR YOU & I’D DO IT AGAIN.

— MILDRED ROGERS (@MILDREDMickey) January 4, 2013

Oh, sweetie. Bless your heart. Precious Mildred seems to be in a growing minority, as many others realize that the country voted to go Forward! … to smaller paychecks.

All I know is my paycheck short $31 😠😠😡😡😠😠 Obama gotta take of this. NOW!

— Bobbie Bigsby ✊ (@MissBobbieJ) January 2, 2013

https://twitter.com/kirtyburger/status/287277878935175168

Everyone seen a deduction on the new years first paycheck today!I thought Obama was in this to help the mid and lower class??

— DaBaddest BitchAroun (@ATL_PRiNCeSS) January 5, 2013

Fucking Obama! Fuck you! This taking out more taxes shit better fucking help me out!! Very upset to see my paycheck less today! 😡😡😡😤

— Nancy Thongkham (@thongkhamlove) January 4, 2013

Twitter users, in yet another prescient move, took solace in the thought that we could at least giggle at all the disenchanted Obama voters. And disenchanted, they are.

https://twitter.com/AM_Lach/status/287618571922718720

The thought of them all scrawling in their tear-stained diaries while smoking cloves and listening to REM’s “Everybody Hurts” is schadenfreud-elicious. However, sadly, we are all dealing with the economy-crushing reality, financial hardship and consequences of their bad choices.  In Obama’s America, everybody does hurt.

Everyone going to regret voting for Obama after they receive their firstpaycheck this year (2013 payroll)

— Ray (@DRsexy809) January 4, 2013

Yes, they are. Many Twitter users are now expressing regret over voting for Obama.

https://twitter.com/pakichic1/status/287619820084662273

Obama is the biggest fucking liar in the world why the fuck did I vote for him

— Dave (@D_Cardenas15) January 4, 2013

https://twitter.com/Rachel_Blum26/status/287214139024220161

Idk why but I feel like I’ma regret voting for Obama.

— Kevo (@_Kevin_Leo) January 4, 2013

I’m starting to regret voting for Obama.

— Christian Dixon (@crushonchrissy) January 4, 2013

RT if u regret voting for Obama now

— Barnibus Clay (@AwwHELLToTheNaw) January 4, 2013

https://twitter.com/ShawnaHolt/status/286388242675294208

people earning over $400,000 a year will now have a tax rate of 41%. That is fucking retarded, I seriously regret voting for obama.

— Jeffrey Baird (@JB790) January 5, 2013

https://twitter.com/RatedR_Rell/status/287012879792758784

More are kicking themselves for not casting their votes for Romney.

Damn the taxes killed me. I should have voted Romney

— Chase Zebari (@CZebari22) January 3, 2013

I should have voted for Romney, I want a do over

— Warren G (@imMrWilliams) January 3, 2013

https://twitter.com/6BONECRUSHER3/status/286461758334443520

https://twitter.com/sh3aint_E/status/287732469782945792

https://twitter.com/Made410/status/286883025134968832

Why didn’t I vote for Romney!!! #payrolltax

— Diamond (@Diamondeez) January 4, 2013

Why, indeed?

Elections, they have consequences.

** Post was edited for clarification.

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2013/01/06/crushed-unicorn-dreams-why-is-my-paycheck-less-turns-to-obama-vote-regrets-i-should-have-voted-romney/