Via the Washington Post:

A college professor found himself in hot water after likening the Black Lives Matter movement to the racism of the Klu Klux Klan. 

Douglas Muir, an adjunct professor for the University of Virginia, wrote in a Facebook comment that Black Lives Matter is the “biggest” racist organization since the KKK. The comment was written last week in response to a Facebook post about a Black Lives Matter event in Charlottesville.

It’s unclear if Muir, an adjunct lecturer at U.Va.’s Darden School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, was placed on leave or opted to simply duck out until this blows over. The Richmond Times reports that school officials said “Mr. Muir has agreed to take leave and is preparing his own statement to the community.” (It’s possible, of course, that he didn’t have a choice in the matter.) 

U.Va officials said while free speech and open discussion are important (and all that), the school “does not condone actions that undermine our values, dedication to diversity and educational mission.”

The uproar appears to have followed a Twitter campaign led by Charlottesville City Councilor Wes Bellamy. “How can you compare people standing up for justice to the KKK, who have unapologetically hung many African-Americans?” Bellamy asked.

Comparing Black Lives Matter to the KKK, as Muir did, seems a bit of a stretch. The organization has never engaged in the types of orchestrated violence employed by the KKK.

But should BLM be beyond reproach? Though some of their grievances are legitimate, much of their rhetoric is not, as David French at National Review has noted:

We’ve seen Black Lives Matter protests degenerate into violence, with protesters cheering loudly when police are hurt. We’ve seen marchers chant, “What do we want? Dead cops!” or “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon.” Twitter has been a cesspool of violent anti-cop sentiment, with some apparent Black Lives Matter supporters openly celebrating the murders in Dallas and Baton Rouge.

The examples go on.

So while Muir’s comments were hyperbolic, it’s undeniable that BLM leaders and members have used violent and hateful rhetoric. A public smackdown of the professor (combined with a contrite apology from the lecturer) will send a clear message to those who would condemn BLM’s inciteful speech and questionable tactics: Just stay silent.

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Jon Miltimore is senior editor of Intellectual Takeout. Follow him on Facebook.  

[Image Credit: Gerry Lauzon-Flickr | CC BY 2.0]