Fresno State professor’s freedom of speech shouldn’t mean freedom from consequences

With a few taps of her fingers, Randa Jarrar did something remarkable Tuesday night. The Fresno State professor managed to shock and infuriate just about everyone. Including those who might agree with her political beliefs more often than not.

Jarrar is a novelist and essayist of some renown who teaches creative writing at the San Joaquin Valley’s largest university. But what she spewed on social media — harsh, hateful words that deposited Fresno State in the middle of another Twitter firestorm — was both fruitless and unproductive.

“Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal,” Jarrar wrote in response to the news that the former first lady died hours before at age 92. “F--- outta here with your nice words.”

Jarrar has a reputation as an agitator, a verbal bomb thrower. She had to know her statements, both the original tweet and her haughty responses to the blowback, would cause widespread furor. Which means she wrote what she did to incite reaction. She sought attention, and now she’s getting it. Maybe she’ll sell a few books.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Just as Jarrar has every right to write what she did, so do the scores who are piling on with disparaging remarks about her beliefs, religion and appearance.

It goes both ways. When you dump bitterness into the world, that’s exactly what you get in return.

As someone who has experienced both sides of the Twitter ideological divide, once when Breitbart News got hold of one of my tweets following a school shooting and another time when Rep. Devin Nunes retweeted something I wrote about the Fresno State football team, I can assure you it’s not a fun, happy place to be.

So many people (and bots) are just looking for the opportunity to be outraged. They can’t wait to spew hate. It’s the new national pastime.

Jarrar has only herself to blame. Her words were both ill-timed and unnecessary.

I’m not saying Bush, or any other prominent figure who dies, is above criticism and we all should bend over backward to say how wonderful they were. Just try a little civility for their passing. Show a modicum of respect.

Could Jarrar make the same points had she waited a few days before dancing on Bush’s grave? Of course. She just wouldn’t have gotten the attention she craved.

Even to someone like myself who holds little regard for either Bush presidency, who demonstrated against the first Gulf War and was staunchly opposed to the second, Jarrar’s anger seems badly misplaced.

Did Barbara Bush win national elections? Did she set our nation’s policies during the 12 years her husband and son occupied the Oval Office? Did she give the orders to drop bombs on Iraq and Afghanistan? Don’t be ridiculous.

To me, Barbara Bush always came across as a no-nonsense woman of dignity. And while she made unfortunate statements during Hurricane Katrina that came across as callous and racist, I will remember her best for cradling a baby stricken with AIDS at a time when many believed the disease could be transmitted through touching.

“You can hug and pick up AIDS babies and people who have the HIV virus” without harming yourself, Bush said in 1989. “There is a need for compassion.”

That’s the same compassion Jarrar should have exercised before hitting “Tweet.” Admire Bush or not, her life was far too complicated to be distilled into 280 characters.

Jarrar, who is on personal leave this semester, tried to pass off her statements as personal beliefs rather than beliefs that represent the university that employs her. So, too, did Fresno State, whose provost, Lynnette Zelezny, used the term “personal comments” no less than three times during Wednesday’s news conference.

No one’s buying that. Certainly not after Jarrar taunted responders with her six-figure salary, tenured status and subtweeted to Fresno State President Joseph Castro. Like it or not, her views do represent the university.

Castro faces a difficult balancing act. Does he placate the angry mob (some of whom are attention-seekers just like Jarrar) by giving them the professor’s head on a mount? Or does he risk alienating his own faculty by not standing up for their freedom of expression?

Certainly, Castro’s initial, contradictory statement won’t placate anyone. On one hand, he says Jarrar’s words “did not in any way represent the University’s core values.” On the other, he asks that we all “continue to respect individuals with differing points of view.”

Sounds like free speech, even the disrespectful kind, is a core value. As it should be. Just try explaining that to outraged donors who are now pledging to withhold their financial support.

While Castro’s options may be limited by tenure and collective bargaining, that doesn’t mean Jarrar’s actions should hold no consequences. If she never again teaches a class at Fresno State, I wouldn’t shed a tear. This is an individual who clearly wanted attention. Hope she’s enjoying it.

This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Fresno State professor’s freedom of speech shouldn’t mean freedom from consequences."