Professor Gets Threats After ‘I Hate Republicans’ Column – Which Only Proves Her Point

A magazine article released online on Dec. 15 is getting a professor a lot of attention. And a lot of criticism. And even a lot of threats. And why is so much being dropped on Dr. Susan J. Douglas? Because her article begins: ?I hate Republicans.?

(photo: Univ. of Michigan)
(photo: Univ. of Michigan)

Since the online release of her article, which also appears in the recent print edition of In These Times, the Univ. of Michigan communications professor has caught quite a bit of flak from some in the conservative community, ranging from criticism to insults to even death-threat comments on the post. But apparently those angry conservatives didn’t get past that first paragraph, which continues:

?I can’t stand the thought of having to spend the next two years watching Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Ted Cruz, Darrell Issa or any of the legions of other blowhards denying climate change, thwarting immigration reform or championing fetal ?personhood.??

The opening paragraph doesn’t state the subject, however ? just Douglas? own personal example of it. Her write-up was based on a recent study on the growth of political disparity in the United States (?Fear and Loathing Across Party Lines: New Evidence on Group Polarization?). Douglas merely uses herself as a first-person example in the introduction, and continues in criticism of both sides:

?Back in 1960, only 5 percent of Republicans and 4?percent of Democrats said they’d be ?displeased? if their child married someone from the opposite party. Today? Forty-nine percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats would be pissed.?

But negative responses (based on misinterpretation or failure to read the entire article) quickly poured in. A member of her university’s Board of Regents, for example, declared the article to be ?troubling and offensive.? A conservative student group claimed her words were ?hateful and may intimidate students into a certain ideology.? The chair of Michigan’s Republican Party said the article was ?ugly and full of hatred,? even calling for Douglas? dismissal. And on the website where the article first appeared, there were even death threats (which have been removed, In These Times says).

Not only are these misinterpretations and replies silly, but they actual defend Douglas? argument of a widening division. In Dec. 18 statement she released in response to the conservative criticism:

“I used this rhetorical flourish, in fact, to hold myself up as an example of how really bad our political climate has gotten and how so many of us have gotten locked into fixed political positions. The article’s main point is to bemoan this situation.”

In These Times accepts part of the blame for the right wing’s rabid response. Its editors admit changing the article’s original title of ?We Can’t All Just Get Along? on its online posting without Douglas? permission, and also note the horrendous responses that their unapproved change may have caused, including the threats.

?Editor’s note: ?This article was originally titled ?We Can’t All Just Get Along? in the print version of the magazine.? The title was then changed, without the author’s knowledge or approval, to ?It’s Okay to Hate Republicans.??The author rejects the online title as not representative of the piece or its main points. Her preferred title has been restored. We have also removed from the ?Comments? section all threats to the author’s life and personal safety.?

And as for the angry conservatives? responses? Which attacked her?argument on polarity by demonstrating even more division? They only prove Douglas? point.

 

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I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.