Letter: Failure To Allow Commencement Speaker Demonstrates Bias Against African American Civil Rights

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog:


Dear Editor,

The civil rights of African-Americans were trampled when Kean University caved into demands from extremists in the law enforcement community by dropping hip-hop recording artist and actor, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, also known by his stage name, Common, as commencement speaker.

Common’s right to speak was attacked over a song he recorded 15 years ago, which supported the innocence of Assata Shakur, godmother of late rapper Tupac Shakur (born Joanne Chesimard), a Black Panther activist who bravely escaped a New Jersey prison in the 1970s and has since lived in Cuba after she was wrongly convicted of shooting a state trooper in a highly controversial trial that many view as part of the FBI’s clandestine COINTELPRO targeting of Shakur.

Kean University has demonstrated a lack of commitment to freedom of expression and a bias against African American civil rights along with the free speech rights of all minority students, staff and faculty in this decision.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Congressional Black Caucus and many other supporters of African-American civil rights share Common’s sentiments on the Shakur case. So does the evidence that shows Shakur had no gun power residue on her hands and had her hands in the air when the other trooper shot her. Around the same time period, Shakur had been acquitted 7 times of unrelated charges in different cases. Someone was clearly trying to set her up. This is why Cuba has granted her political asylum.

Kean University should restore Common as the commencement speaker and invite Angela Davis to come to Kean University to lead a symposium on persecution of civil rights leaders.


Eric Hafner
Toms River

In praise of those life-saving libraries

There's an interesting editorial piece today appearing in the Newark Star-Ledger pertaining to the importance of our public libraries. The piece was written by Brian Regal, a professor at Kean University.

 As an anonymous commenter so eloquently stated on the previous post;  "This should be read by every member of Middletown's Library Board of Trustees and especially by the Middletown Township Committee members..., Library service in Middletown is one of the most important functions of public service to this community. Education is a primary concern for a progressive society. An excellent library system is a primary ingredient to meet the public's need. We had that requirement until politics as usual is endeavoring to destroy our library. The politicians appear as a self serving bunch of incompetent individuals who put political priorities above the educational needs of the community the Middletown Public Library System serves." . 

I happen to agree.

 If you also agree, read the editorial written by Mr. Regal below, then sign the petition to save the Navesink branch of Middletown's public library:

"The mayor of Plainfield wants to cut the city’s public library funding by half, and that city is not alone. Never mind the lost jobs. There is a larger issue here. There is a growing perception in some quarters that, in the internet age, libraries and books are useless dinosaurs from the dusty past. This is a terrible attitude and a lie.

A community that gives up on its libraries has given up on its prosperity. It has written off all but its wealthiest citizens and made knowledge acquisition — one of the bedrocks of a free society — seem a pointless exercise.

Rather than fiscal prudence, cutting or eliminating libraries shows economic and cultural shortsightedness along with an abandonment of values and the concept of the public good: something for which elected officials are supposed to fight. Public libraries are one of the most cost-effective means of producing intelligent, literate and successful citizens. They also help reduce crime, gang activity and drug use by the young. I know this from personal experience...."  

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