By: Ian Gargan
It is no secret that liberals are overrepresented on college campuses. From the protests at Arizona State University banning Kyle Rittenhouse from attending online classes to the two lovely young ladies who proclaimed “white is not a culture” in an effort to remove two students from a multicultural space, there is a clear bias to the left. But SUNY Brockport, in a “hold my beer” move, has quite possibly eclipsed those examples by inviting a paroled cop-killer (and “loving human being”) to speak on campus about his experience as a “political prisoner.”
Anthony Bottom, now known as Jalil Mantaqim, will deliver a talk entitled “History of Black Resistance, U.S. Political Prisoners & Genocide: A Conversation with Jalil Mantaqim.” The Black Liberation Army member was convicted of killing two NYC police officers in 1971. After placing a phony 911 call, he and his two accomplices lured the officers to a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) development. When they arrived to serve and protect, the officers were ambushed by the three men and murdered in cold blood. Under the disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo, parole guidelines were changed to focus on community risk, not how vile the crime was. And although the grieving widow of one of the slain officers spoke at the parole hearing, the court still deemed Mantaqim rehabilitated.
After leaving five children fatherless, this convicted criminal was released from prison due to COVID protocols and the lax parole guidelines. Subsequently, SUNY Brockport has decided that he would be a great speaker to invite on campus to spark discussion. And it certainly has already. Brockport, in promoting the event on their website, claims that Mantaqim was a political prisoner, but seems to leave out the part about killing police officers in their glowing write-up. The college also writes that Mantaqim was arrested after a shootout, which is misleading, to say the least. They also label him a mentor to many and a loving human being. This is one of the most egregious attempts by the Left to rewrite history that I have ever seen.
SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson responded to the recent backlash over this event by claiming, “We do not support the violence exhibited in Mr. Mantaqim’s previous crimes, and his presence on campus does not imply endorsement of his views or past actions.” They say it’s a freedom of speech issue, but the real issue here is the progressive’s soft on crime policies! Mantaqim should still be in jail. In fact, prison may have been too good for him.
If a private college were hosting this event, it would not be as controversial. But still insensitive. But for a taxpayer-funded university to give a convicted killer a platform to speak is disgraceful. The event has been partially funded by a grant from the Office of Equity, Diversion, and inclusion. The goals of this entity are to unite races and educate about diversity and inclusion. Surely there was a better way to use these funds that didn’t involve inviting a convicted murderer with no remorse for his actions to address college students as to why America is a racist country.
New York Senator Lee Zeldin released a statement saying, “SUNY Brockport is hosting him under the guise that he is a former ‘political prisoner.’ He’s not a political prisoner. He’s a convicted cop-killer. No matter how SUNY Brockport tries to couch it as an intellectual discussion, a learning experience, or a history lesson, the only thing it is a disgrace.” The NYPD suggested they instead study heroes like Patrolmen Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini (Mantaqim’s victims) or recently slain Officers Rivera and Mora. They all came from diverse backgrounds and sacrificed their lives to protect their communities. The students of SUNY Brockport will be in for the refreshments and a long discussion about how the community is to blame, and everyone but Mantaqim himself is responsible for his heinous acts. If SUNY wants to really outdo itself next semester, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will probably be available.