There’s a part of me that’s outraged, but there’s the flip side, which is that The New York Timescan hire and fire anyone they want. Also, should we really be shocked in this era of Trump hysteria that liberal media outlets are hiring people who are more radical? Liberals hire liberals and will protect their people at all costs. The only thing that seems to breakthrough the liberal umbrella of protection is allegations of sexual misconduct and racism. Meet Sarah Jeong, she’s the latest tech writer to join the Times’ editorial board—and she has a wicked Twitter history. Yeah, that’s the latest craze from the nutty bunch: searching old tweets, hopefully find some bad ones, and then try to get that person fired for having differing opinions. On either side, it’s wrong. Jeong has an extensive history of anti-white comments, which she passes off as satire. She was viciously attacked online by trolls, she used their language in some ironic exercise, but now sees that she’s contributed to the toxic climate on social media and is very sorry about that. Yeah, I’m sure she doesn’t give a crap, but her boss, the Times, stands by her, pretty much saying she made those racist comments because white people made her do it. The Washington Times’Larry O’Connor noted that liberals are once again not following their own rules on the subject of political correctness. Also, we’ve seen this double-standard movie before:
Creepy race obsessive https://t.co/8xH7cbMUa6
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 2, 2018
Our statement in response to criticism of the hiring of Sarah Jeong. pic.twitter.com/WryIgbaoqg
— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) August 2, 2018
Times stands by the hiring of tech writer Sarah Jeong despite 2014 tweets that included “Dumbass f–ing white people marking up the internet w/their opinions like dogs pissing on fire hydrants," and “Oh man it’s kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men." https://t.co/cVLufc4ecM
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) August 2, 2018
— sarah jeong (@sarahjeong) August 2, 2018
If the New York Times is interested in some kind of edgy re-branding by hiring a person who spews vile, anti-white bigotry, good for them, I suppose. It’s their right. It’s their company.
But, let’s not forget that the politically correct culture we live in that makes any kind of dangerous or provocative commentary verboten and worthy of advertiser boycotts was created by Ms. Jeong’s new colleagues on the New York Times editorial board. These are their rules, not the rules of libertarian-minded conservatives.
We live in a world where conservative voices are silenced and riots are started on college campuses over the scheduling of right-of-center speeches. Speeches delivered by the meek likes of Ben Shapiro or Jordan Peterson.
[...]
Where the entirety of these speeches that are found worthy of violence and censorship is merely a respectful and erudite recitation of conservative principles and values. No epithets. No calls for violence. No name calling. Just conservative ideas.
And that is worthy of a riot.
[…]
If the New York Times pretends they knew nothing about these tweets when they elevated Ms. Jeong to their editorial board they will be admitting that they are the stupidest, most irresponsible and naive media organization in the 21st century. How do you not vet a potential hire in the media world without checking their digital and social media footprint?
If they claim they knew but they embrace the diverse voice of Ms. Jeong regardless of her volatile language, then so be it. At least we know where we all stand with each other.
Of course, Jeong had her defenders:
Fuck the high road.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) August 2, 2018
Sarah Jeong is good, her haters are bad (terrible, even). It's not difficult.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) August 2, 2018
I support whatever women need to do - including snarky tweets - to negotiate this racist, sexist website.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) August 2, 2018
Wait—what about National Review’s Kevin D. Williamson’s hiring and firing from The Atlantic cover his pro-life views? Shouldn’t we get a scalp of our own? On principle, yes, but Mr. Williamson said the Times, like The Atlantic, can hire and fire whomever at will, and that while he appreciates the support from his brief stint as an Atlantic writer, please keep him out of the Jeong fight:
For some mysterious reason, my name keeps coming up in connection with that of Sarah Jeong, a writer recently hired by the New York Times editorial board. I am not familiar with her work, but there is a social-media campaign currently under way, sometimes using my name, seeking to have her fired from the position in response to some odious and boneheaded tweets that might be summarized as “Derka derka white people.”
I am agnostic on the question of whom the New York Times hires and why. They employ some excellent reporters, a couple of very good columnists (Hey, Ross!), a fair number of mediocrities, and Paul Krugman.
I assume that the editors of the Times knew exactly who and what Jeong was when they hired her. If not, then it isn’t Jeong who needs to be fired — it’s the negligent people who hired her.
If, on the other hand, the Times is more or less satisfied with Jeong, then it should resist the social-media mob campaign to have her dismissed. It is up to institutions to hold the line against mass hysteria and the mob mentality of social media.
[…]
I’ve heard some people on the right say, “If Kevin Williamson has to get fired by the Atlantic, then Sarah Jeong has to get fired by the New York Times.” The Times can hire and fire whomever it likes — but not in my name. I’m sure that many of the people invoking my experience are well-meaning friends, but I’ll thank them to leave me out of this.
Dear @sarahjeong, Your tweet that says "#CancelWhitePeople" is dated Nov 18, 2014. That was the same day we were all waiting for the grand jury announcement in Ferguson, MO. Are you standing by your "I was responding to racist trolls on Twitter" statement? @nytimes pic.twitter.com/xQOVGDviYG
— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) August 2, 2018
Make no mistake the things hurled at Jeong were atrocious, but so was her response. In all, I find that many an Asian progressive like to take the anti-white, cultural appropriation angle to limits that border on mockery. Views that are so idiotic you have to do double takes, like some Asian guy freaking out over a white girl wearing a Chinese-influenced dress to prom. Even the Chinese were okay with it. White people raised me; I’m adopted from South Korea (love you mom and dad), so I’m a bit biased. Yet, living among these people I can attest that they’re not different from any other human on planet earth. Some are great and some are a**holes. Just how some Asian people are nice and some are complete D-bags. My white parents gave me a better life in America, so to those who say f**k white people, their words not mine, and #CancelWhitePeople—go to hell. What is this? Does it add to your score in being a member of the brain dead progressive Left? Luckily, most of this stuff is met and should be met with a collective eyeroll. White people aren’t going anywhere; so daydreaming about genocide is a waste of time. Second, keeping Jeong employed at The Times might have its benefits:
Agreed. Instead of her being fired, we get to own that lib for years now. https://t.co/uMlLqRVbOl
— Jeremiah Stephan Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) August 3, 2018
People trying to get Sarah Jeong fired yesterday for her racist tweets completely missed her awesome tweets about her new coworkers. NYT Christmas parties are going to be lit af pic.twitter.com/T1sPcex9Pz
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 3, 2018
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 3, 2018
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 3, 2018
People should really learn to have more fun with old tweets, is what I’m saying. You wanted a quick scalp. You didn’t think it through. Every man that has has to work with her at the NYT is going to have to go to work in a giant hamster ball
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 3, 2018
In summation, digital lynch mobs = bad. Uncomfortable work environment at the New York Times = good. Be better people.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 3, 2018
We can fight The Times over this. They won’t budge, and they shouldn’t this is their choice, no matter how dumb, or we can focus on winning the 2018 midterms, which will send this entre news staff into a meltdown mode, which could be very satisfying. There are bigger fish to fry here. This election cycle, and building to the slugfest that will be 2020. I’m angry, appalled, and disgusted by Jeong’s tweets. Only a liberal could get away with it, but frankly I’d rather own these people by winning the next election, watching the Mueller probe yield nothing on collusion, and watching them blow up every time President Trump calls them fake news. Pick your battles.
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The Verge disturbed by the lack of "good-faith conversation" about Sarah Jeong's tweets https://t.co/GwrwuDSfpk
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 2, 2018
***
UPDATE: Oh, we got some 'f**k the police' and kill all men tweets.
New York Times Sarah Jeong tweets "fuck the police" multiple times, advocates for violence against cops, tells people to use guns against police officers, fantasizes about killing cops herself, want's to "kill" all menhttps://t.co/OPRWNnjeFM pic.twitter.com/AjHuN77Wn3
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) August 3, 2018