A young woman at the University of Houston has had an ultimatum handed to her for saying All Lives Matter. She made the statement shortly after 5 policemen were murdered in Dallas, Texas. She said to forget about Black Lives Matter because All Lives Matter. For that she received hate mail and threats from the racists on the campus who believe whites and cops are fair game for murder. Rohini Sethi is leader in the Student government.
To remove someone from the student government is a long and arduous task, so the government gave the president of the Student government, Shane Smith, exclusive one time power to punish Sethi. Punish her for what??? What if someone said no Ford should be allowed on the road until it’s safe to drive. Would you or should you be punished for saying, “Forget Ford, all cars should be safe?” Wouldn’t that be ridiculous? So is this Smith guy. So, what punishment did he dish out to Sethi?:
- A 50-day suspension from SGA starting August 1. This suspension will be unpaid (she currently receives a stipend of about $700 a month).
- A requirement to attend a three-day diversity workshop in mid-August.
- A requirement to attend three “UH cultural events” each month from September through March, excluding December.
- An order to write a “letter of reflection” about how her harmful actions have impacted SGA and the UH student body
- An order to put on a public presentation Sept. 28 detailing “the knowledge she has gained about cultural issues facing our society.”
If Sethi refuses or fails any of the requirements, she will be kicked out of SGA entirely.
Smith notes in his letter that the punishment was particularly harsh because, in his view, Sethi hadn’t recognized the severity of her offense in declaring that all people’s lives matter.
“Since her original post, I have not felt that she has understood or respected how her actions have affected the people around her, as well as the reputation of SGA and the university,” Smith says.
If I were her, I would get myself a very good lawyer and sue Smith personally and the student government collectively and force them to prove in court that “All Lives Matter” is hate speech.