Egrove March 4, 2019

University of Mississippi eGrove Daily Mississippian 3-4-2019 March 4, 2019 The Daily Mississippian Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/thedmonline Recommended Citation The Daily Mississippian, "March 4, 2019" (2019). Daily Mississippian. 145. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/thedmonline/145 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Daily Mississippian by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DAILY MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019 | VOLUME 107, NO. 79 MISSISSIPPIAN THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI | SERVING OLE MISS AND OXFORD SINCE 1911 ‘Tweets are my own.’ How James Thomas’s online presence sparked a conversation about academic freedom MONUMENT RESOLUTION HEADS TO SENATE FLOOR ASB Senate will vote on Tuesday night on a resolution to move the statue from the Circle to the Confederate cemetery. SEE PAGE 3 PHOTO: DEVNA BOSE Ole Miss sociology professor James Thomas has received backlash from hundreds of people, including the former chancellor of the University of Mississippi Jeffrey Vitter, for controversial tweets posted on his Twitter account, bringing to light the issue of academic freedom and how far it extends on campus. FIVE YEARS LATER, “I have to do my part. I’m sorry it’s taken up so much time HOZIER IS BACK of people’s days, but I don’t regret a single thing I said.” Though fans haven’t James Thomas heard a full album from Sociology professor Hozier since “Cherry Wine” climbed the charts in 2014, “Wasteland, Baby!” is just as good. DEVNA BOSE Read assistant arts & [email protected] culture editor Eliza Noe’s review online. ames Thomas’s nose crinkles when he smiles, The tweet came a few minutes after and was a SEE THEDMONLINE.COM which is more often than his Twitter followers response to Thomas’s retweet of a post made by NBC’s might think. Joe Scarborough that said, “Don’t yell at senators, “I get the sense that people who don’t know don’t shout at people in restaurants, don’t rage on Jme well think that there’s this sociologist on campus about past votes.” who puts out these confrontational things, a one- The tweets began to pour in, as did hundreds of note person,” he said. “I’m not that. I’m a very good concerned emails to then-Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter. classroom instructor. I’m really good at my job.” As revealed in a public records request, people from The sociology professor has taught at the University all over the country, including donors and alumni, of Mississippi since August 2012 and has been on emailed Vitter about the tweet in the weeks following. Twitter since February 2011. Since the creation of In Vitter’s inbox, parents threatened to take Ole Miss his Twitter profile, with the intentional handle @ off their sons’ and daughters’ prospective college Insurgent_Prof, Thomas has tweeted about 18,600 lists, and alumni threatened to halt donations to the times and has garnered 1,651 followers. university, imploring the chancellor to take a strictly His profile biography, short and to the point, condemnatory stance. Many even requested the states, “Husband. Father. Sociologist. Sower professor’s firing. of Discourse. Slayer of Nazis. Author of books. “(Thomas) has besmudged the good name of Ole #ActualSocialScientist making it in Mississippi. Miss. I’m calling for you, as leader of this hallowed Tweets are my own.” university, to terminate his employment immediately,” Though Thomas most closely relates with the one email from Oct. 17 read. SOFTBALL SWEEPS former identifiers in his biography, the latter is the In January, representatives from the Federal Bureau OLE MISS CLASSIC most important, especially as of late. of Investigations visited Thomas in response to his Thomas, an outspoken “sower of discourse” on then-three-month-old tweet. Thomas said the men Ole Miss hosted its Twitter and no stranger to online controversy, was were “just doing their jobs” and described them as first home games of denounced by the online and university communities “very nice,” but he wondered who pressured the FBI to the season over the last semester for a tweet that later drew a response come to his office. Some of his critics on Twitter tagged weekend, picking from the FBI. the FBI in their posts. up four wins before On Oct. 6, 2018, Thomas tweeted, “Don’t just Thomas said his tweet was a reaction to the news having Sunday’s interrupt a senator’s meal, y’all. Put your whole damn circulating at that time, like the Brett Kavanaugh game canceled. fingers in their salads. Take their apps and distribute Supreme Court hearing. SEE THEDMONLINE.COM them to the other diners. Bring boxes and take their On Oct. 13, the Our State Flag Foundation’s food home with you on the way out. They don’t Facebook page shared its first screenshot of Thomas’s deserve your civility.” SEE THOMAS PAGE 4 PAGE 2 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 4 MARCH 2019 OPINION THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITORIAL STAFF: SLADE RAND editor-in-chief [email protected] DEVNA BOSE managing editor [email protected] MEGAN SWARTZFAGER copy chief [email protected] TAYLOR VANCE news editor HADLEY HITSON GRIFFIN NEAL assistant news editors [email protected] JUSTIN DIAL sports editor JOSHUA CLAYTON assistant sports editor [email protected] CHRISTIAN JOHNSON photography editor KATHERINE BUTLER assistant photography editor [email protected] LIAM NIEMAN arts & culture editor ELIZA NOE assistant arts & culture editor [email protected] HAYDEN BENGE MACKENZIE LINNEEN MEAGAN TAPE COLUMN design editors [email protected] Smearing of Omar isn’t about anti-Semitism REDUCE ETHEL MWEDZIWENDIRA opinion and design editor REUSE [email protected] hypnotized the world, may country that says it is OK for maintain complementary Allah awaken the people and people to push for allegiance interests in the Middle East, RECYCLE SARAH HENDERSON help them see the evil doings to a foreign country,” the but it would be naive to multimedia editor of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine Democratic congresswoman assume that money plays no ANNIE SHARP #Israel.” said. role. In this world, money online editor She has since apologized Her comments were met really does talk. [email protected] for and deleted the with hostility and criticism The smearing of Omar by IVANA NGUYEN problematic tweets, but that from House Foreign both parties isn’t about anti- social media editor hasn’t satisfied her critics, Affairs Committee member Semitism. It’s about silencing [email protected] particularly from the right. Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel any criticism of the Israeli An Islamophobic sign of New York, who demanded government, especially its ADVERTISING made by the Republican that Omar apologize for her treatment of Palestinian SALES MANAGER SUAD PATTON-BEY Party of West Virginia “vile, anti-Semitic slur.” civilians and its building of Rebecca Brown [email protected] and falsely linking the The truth is that AIPAC is a illegal settlements. It has [email protected] congresswoman to the powerful organization whose become a trend to label any Minnesota Rep. Ilhan 9/11 attacks was posted financial influence does play criticism of Israel or AIPAC SALES ACCOUNT Omar has been in hot water at the Capitol. The same a crucial role in American as anti-Semitic, which is EXECUTIVES recently, with accusations of party accusing Omar of politics. Like the NRA and extremely problematic. Cameron Collins anti-Semitism coming from perpetuating anti-Semitic other organizations, AIPAC Standing up to injustice Sam Dethrow both parties. myths felt it was completely spends lots of money on shouldn’t be a zero-sum Isaiah Pugh The controversy erupted appropriate to do the same to lobbying, spending more game. Anti-Semitism is Michael Rackers last month after Omar Muslims. than $3.5 million in 2018 real, and it is on the rise RECYCLE Morgan Stone tweeted, “It’s all about the Last Wednesday, Omar alone. On its website, AIPAC globally. But that doesn’t YOUR Benjamins baby,” suggesting spoke at a town hall event credits the U.S. Congress mean we can’t fight for the S. GALE DENLEY that the American Israel expressing her concern with providing Israel with basic human rights of the DM STUDENT MEDIA CENTER Public Affairs Committee that she was being unfairly “the strongest support of any Palestinian people. We can PATRICIA THOMPSON (AIPAC) is behind American punished because of her institution in the world.” do both — we must do both. Assistant Dean/Student Media lawmakers support for Israel. religion and the stereotype Of course, the alliance Suad Patton-Bey is a senior GREG BROCK However, that wasn’t the that Muslims are inherently between the U.S. and Israel journalism major from Daily Mississippian Editorial first time Omar criticized anti-Semitic. can’t be reduced to just Oxford. Adviser Israel on Twitter. In 2012, “I want to talk about the dollars. The two countries Omar tweeted, “Israel has political influence in this share similar values and FOLLOW US ON The Daily Mississippian is published Mondays, Wednesdays, SOCIAL MEDIA THE DAILY Thursdays and Fridays in print during the academic year, on THE DM NEWS TWITTER MISSISSIPPIAN days when classes are scheduled. New content is published @thedm_news online seven days a week. S. Gale Denley Student Media Center Columns do not represent the official opinions of The 201 Bishop Hall, University of Mississippi or The Daily Mississippian unless THE DM SPORTS TWITTER P.O. Box 1848 @thedm_sports specifically indicated. University, MS The Daily Mississippian welcomes letters to the editor. 38677-1848 THE DM A&C TWITTER Letters should be e-mailed to [email protected].

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