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Are Arkansas Tax Dollars Going to a Domestic Terrorist?

Thursday evening, Angela Davis will speak at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. On the university’s website, Davis is described as someone who has “devoted her life to social justice.” The bio also states that Davis “became nationally known in the 1970s.” Unfortunately, the school fails to tell readers why Davis became so well known.

On August 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson stormed a Marin County courtroom with a pistol to free his brother and two other prisoners known as the Soledad Brothers. On their way out of the courtroom, the men took five hostages, including Judge Harold Haley, an assistant district attorney, and three jurors. They taped a sawed-off shotgun under the chin of the judge. By the time the standoff ended, the judge’s head had been blown off, three others were dead, two hostages were wounded, and one convict was wounded as well. All of the guns used in the hostage taking — including the sawed-off shotgun — were owned by Angela Davis.

In fact, the shotgun was purchased by Davis just two days before the California courthouse incident. When it was purchased, it had not been sawed-off. Davis also purchased large amounts of ammo for the weapons, including shells for the shotgun which were used to kill Judge Haley. Jackson, the initiator of the hostage taking, was the brother of Davis’s boyfriend.

Two months after Davis was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List, she was captured in New York City, arrested, and charged with kidnapping and murder. Her campaign for freedom from prison then went national, garnering sympathy from such noted criminal justice experts as John Lennon and The Rolling Stones. Davis was acquitted at her trial in 1972, but the defense in the case never disputed that the guns used to kill the judge and the three others were owned by Davis.

Davis is a long-time member of the Communist Party — in fact, according to her Wikipedia page, she has twice been the party’s candidate for vice president (she has since left for the much more reasonable “Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism”).

When she’s not advocating for violent revolution, Davis travels the country preaching “social justice” and is an outspoken activist for the abolition of the American prison system. Her speech at UALR will reportedly be centered around these topics. She also released a book recently, entitled, “The Meaning of Freedom” — apparently she defines freedom as Communism and blowing peoples’ brains out.

In a statement to The Arkansas Project, state Senator Jason Rapert called Davis’s appearance at UALR “unconscionable:”

“I think it is unconscionable that taxpayer dollars are being utilized to host a speaker who is an avowed Communist [and who] … was closely associated with acts of violence, even though she was acquitted. Those who have used taxpayer money in this way with knowledge of Miss Davis’s background should be ashamed of themselves.” 

I asked the senator if there are any reforms he might propose to ensure that this type of thing doesn’t happen again:

“We should look at more oversight. I don’t know that we can legislate good judgment, but those who were in position to make this decision should have known better. I am disappointed in their failure to understand it is not appropriate to spend over $4,000 of taxpayer money to hire a Communist to come to Arkansas and speak to college students at a public institution.”

I think it’s important to note that Angela Davis isn’t just your typical far-left lecturer–she’s not nearly as harmless as Michael Moore or even Van Jones. This is a person whom one could reasonably conclude is responsible for multiple acts of murderous violence. To echo Senator Rapert, it certainly seems unconscionable that she is now being subsidized by Arkansas taxpayers.

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11 thoughts on “Are Arkansas Tax Dollars Going to a Domestic Terrorist?

  • Thanks for the article. I am confused though how she can be found not guilty in the criminal court system and you and the State Senator (The Office had it right) can continue to condemn her. She was not convicted and therefore committed no crime in the eyes of the law. As for bringing someone who isnt a “conway business man with conway values” I applaud the university for sharing different views and perspectives with college students. The attrocity here is that you and the state senator want drones coming out of our educational settings who have not had the full opportunity to form their own opinions and thoughts.

    I also appreciate your writing this article, might make the trip down to see her.

    Reply
    • Nic Horton

      Allow me to relieve your confusion: Angela Davis bought guns and ammo that were used to kill people two days later. <-- That's how I can "continue to condemn her." In the eyes of the law, she was not convicted of a crime, but that does not mean she did nothing wrong. It means there was not enough evidence to convict her. It's refreshing to see such tolerance from liberals regarding gun issues though. I wonder what your reaction would be if Miss Davis was a conservative? To your last point: I don't believe anyone has said Miss Davis should not be allowed to speak. Rather, it has been brought into question whether or not it is appropriate for taxpayer dollars to be given to a domestic terrorist.

      Reply
      • mark morell

        Heck if you want a dedicated communist to speak, invite Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton

        Reply
      • Gary kirby

        Let her talk all she want, just not on my dollar!!

        Reply
  • Mark Johnson

    Likewise, I wouldn’t mind having O.J. Simpson speak on campus. I just don’t want to pay him. Like Angela Davis (absolutely like Angela Davis!), a California jury found him not guilty.

    This is a great lesson on how the left provides funds to creeps like this.

    Reply
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    • Donald L. Wheatley

      I sure object to have any of my taxpayer funds to be given to Angela
      Davis. Would be a travesty to use taxpayer monies to pay to this woman. I object.

      Reply
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  • Gary kirby

    Let her speak all you want, just not on my dime!!

    Reply
  • Gary kirby

    I don’t have to listen to her garbage and I shouldn’t have to pay for it!!

    Reply
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