BARKER BASHES TIGER FANS FOR BOOING BARACK
Clemson University President James Barker took a break from artificially inflating his school’s national ranking this week to chastise Tiger football fans for exercising their First Amendment rights.
Barker is upset that a ceremony to induct ROTC cadets into the military – held during Saturday’s Clemson-Virginia Tech game at Death Valley – was interrupted by boo birds.
Specifically, “a number of fans booed during the section of the oath (the cadets) take to obey the President of the United States,” Barker said.
“I understand that we are in the home stretch of a heated presidential election and that freedom of speech is a right which makes our country great,” Barker wrote in a blast email to Clemson students and faculty. “Regardless of one’s political leanings, however, this ceremony was a sacred moment to the recruits, their families, and many others in attendance. Many Clemson people have contacted me to express their sadness and disappointment at this public display of disrespect for the office of the President and the young people taking a solemn oath that day. I share those sentiments.”
Barker went on to say that “negative campaigning is intensifying on both sides” and that “the heated rhetoric and lack of civility we hear every day on TV, radio and in social media can be contagious.”
He then closed his missive by stating that “we have one President and he is President of us all.”
Hmmmmm …
We get that it’s rude for people to boo during a ceremony like this, but Barker’s whiny response strikes us as equally offensive. Seriously … any statement that begins with “I know the First Amendment is important BUT …” should probably not be followed to its conclusion.
And while perhaps not in this context, let’s be real … Obama deserves to get booed.
***
77 comments
What a d-bag.
It’s really an oath to obey banksters at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.
It was a reasonable letter from him in that people used the moment for their own petty political selfishness. Most people are so ignorant of policy matters that they just take a stab at criticizing someone who they believe is responsible for their misery. People chose to exercise their First Amendment rights. Barker exercised his.
face,
This is the same Barker whom you trash on a regular basis, is it not?
What is your point? I can certainly run down a list of problems his administration has had, and especially how he has contributed to those problems. What I find interesting about this situation is that he seems to have been perfectly honest about what he saw and how he felt about the “rancor,” and he is now being called out for speaking his mind by the same idiots that chose to boo the president.
face,
The “point” must be too simple for you to understand.
Jim Barker was right. We left that kind of BS behavior behind long years ago.
Harvey Gantt paved the way in concert with Robert C. Edwards, and Marion Reeves of Irmo made me proud when Hootie Ingram signed him up.
Yeah, I know, the boos weren’t all racist in nature but enough of ’em was to justify this post. The boos was cause Clemson is the second most conservative school of Higher Education in SC. Bob Jones University, of course, being the most conservative.
Barker didn’t sign that letter without acquiescence from others of responsibility in that administration. He sent it on behalf of most Clemson men and women, the majority of whom were appalled at the outburst.
Good on him.
Frank,
I assume you have the stats that show that “enough” of the boos were “racist” in nature. So what was that threshold number and how did you come up with it?
Pluckmudder,
I have 48 years of status and stats as a loyal Tiger fan, graduate and unrepentant supporter.
I have the same right to voice my opinion according to the same Constitional right that those jackasses are using to excuse their loutish behavior last Saturday.
My remark as to racial overtures of some, not all, of the booing malcontents was measured for a reason, fairness. Any person of literacy could clearly read that my comment was deliberately measured. None-the-less, I recognize that your anally inquisitive approach to those whom you don’t agree with is to be expected.
Deal with it.
Frank like Bear you are dead go celebrate the Bluebonnet bowl.
If you don’t mind you Nipponese junk dealer, I was partial to the Orange Bowl.
Hahahahaha!
Frank is DEAD on. And how does he know the boos were mostly racist in nature? Like me, he has probably lived in the Clemson area enough years (19) to hear it first hand.
If I had $20 for every derogatory, racist, comment made to me by an Upstate South Carolinian about African Americans, my investment portfolio would be well up into seven figures in lieu of six.
@SOD….
Not most, but enough to justify as I indicated in my comment.
Yes, my first visit to Clemson was 1964. My first year in 1970. My last visit, Homecoming, 2012. Seats in Section UT for 36 years.
We don’t have the market cornered on prejudice or lack of decorum, but we damn sure have our moments.
The words I heard in my last Clemson outing that most would find offensive included: nigger, nigger, and nigga (with his voice lowered as though he was embarrased to use the word, and yes, I think he was.), respectively. I was stunned to hear them in the subset I was participating with. Others were, too, and quietly walked away from the conversations. Those three misguided buddies represented 5% of the total subset (for the benefit of pluffmudder). I didn’t interact with the entire subset, but I suspect a handful of them were similarly obnoxious.
Now, I’ve said enough and will only add…
Go Tigers!
SOD,
So your investment would only pay off in the upstate? All other areas of the state (and nation) are pristine? Your “logic” is even less viable than Frank’s.
So booing during a ceremony that some people take very seriously is rude, but pointing out that it is rude is just as offensive? Bull fucking shit dude.
Westboro Baptist Church is rude and offensive as hell protesting funerals. I guess that means I’m just as bad as WBC now!
If my boys, Wayne Mass, of Sumter and Harry Olszewski of Baltimore, Md. could have about 15 minutes each with FITS, they’d teach him a lot about rude and offensive.
Then they’d mop Perimeter Road with his fat ass.
Harry and Wayne sound like real homos.
The WBC crowd can forever kiss my ass. They are not doing God’s will.
@Todd….
6’4″ -240 lbs. and 5’11’ – 250 lbs., respectively, both All-Americans and both professionals.
Yeah, they was real homos, momo.
I knew Harry O. He was 235 max, which is why he didn’t have a successful pro career. Nonetheless, he was the best blocker I ever saw play at Clemson.
@marshall….
Yeah, he was my best Clemson guard ever. I can see that boy, Harry O., #69, pulling from his guard position leading Buddy Gore on the power sweep right now.
3 yards and a cloud of dust.
I wuz sorry when Harry passed a few years ago.
“6’4? -240 lbs. and 5’11? – 250 lbs., respectively, both All-Americans and both professionals.”
Mmmmmm! Oh, my! All American homos….
Of course those hillbillies booed
zxvzxcv,
Obviously you were not there. When the part of the oath that says “uphold the Constitution” was read, there were cheers. The next phrase is “obey the orders of the President”. Perhaps the boos were indicative of Barry Hussein not upholding the Constitution as he swore to do.
A jackass reply. Barack Obama, like it or not, is the duly elected President of the United States until January 20th, 2013. If Governor Romney wins, he is. And as such, he is your President, my President, and the troops President. Its the idea of a duly elected civilian being the Commander in Chief of the military that the Founding Fathers wanted to protect us from a military state. And, with Napoleon in Europe, Hitler, and all the guys in funny hats running South America, it was a wise thing. You chuck it if you are pissed about who is President. I will not. I am a proud and free American with no fear of who is the duly elected President. Just saying. Get a life perhaps. I dunno.
Perhaps the boos were indicative of Barry Hussein not upholding the Constitution as he swore to do.
What makes the boos disrespectful is that it is disrespecting the oath that the cadets are swearing to, as well as the ceremony itself. Nothing about what was going on said you had to agree wholly with the president and everything he’s ever done. If you are booing one part of the oath, you are not being respectful of it or the people making that very oath, who very likely harbor their own disagreements with the president but have put those aside in order to follow his leadership anyways.
I don’t care if people boo the president, but I do care if they choose an absolutely shitty time to do it.
Barker needs to take off his skirt.
I’m not a fan of Barry (obviously), nor anything Clemson, but Barker is correct, and there’s nothing wrong with his missive. But it’s a stretch to try to make the boos racist in nature.
OMG, I agree with Sid
I agree with sid, the boos aren’t racist just because the president is black. Unless a lot of those people were blurting out racial slurs (which would likely get you kicked out of the stadium under ANY circumstances), there’s no real evidence of it.
Sorry- Barker is a MONUMENTAL douchebag assclown (stipulated), but he is, however, right on this one. You do not boo POTUS (directly or otherwise) during a ceremony swearing in military recruits. You don’t boo at all. It’s just tacky and stupid. Civil discourse is dying; common etiquette is dying; polite society is dying. So, even ol’ Barker is right now and then. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while…
I was there. The halftime included a patriotic ceremony honoring veterans, and a reading of names of the dozens of service men and women from S.C. who had given their lives in the post 9/11 wars. Wreaths and empty boots. It was somewhat serious and emotional as compared ot the usual crap the band plays. The smattering (it was just a smattering) of boos during the swearing in was incredibly disrespectful to those getting sworn in who might be named as deceased at halftime of next year’s game, the military, and the office of the POTUS. It made most who heard it cringe, and you could hear that reaction in the stadium. I’m no huge fan of Barker or Obama, but I have no problem with Barker’s letter. It would have been better if he used the words “a number of sh1theads booed” instead.
Civil discourse is dying; common etiquette is dying; polite society is dying.
You do know South Carolina is the state with the infamous honor of having an elected official beat another elected official mercilessly with his cane, right?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_Brooks#Sumner_assault
Sad but true, brother. We can still lament the passing, though, even if that passing actually started a long time ago…
Big Ole T must be real conflicted about this.
Perhaps this wasn’t the ideal venue at which to hold such a ceremony and expect good behavior from all in attendance.
Yes, it was Clemson. Where if you are a Black basketball coach and win year in year out, you are ran off. Where if you are redneck football coach who is not one of them, and win a national championship and win 96 games you are ran off. And the big rumor they put out is that your daughter went with a Black guy. Yep, that place. Wonderful place that Clemson. Where kids take an enlistment oath and drunk and/or pissed off rednecks at the Black guy in the White House, boo and act like jackasses. Yeah, Clemson. Talented black athletes that are recruited by that place should not even give them the time of day.
Fawls, and the black basketball coach who was “run off” was? and your proof is? I will have to concede that USCe has never run off a black basketball coach. Why is that?
Barker’s wife prolly made him write that stupid thang.
Somebody please tell Obama to start packing. Just saying.
If Obama loses, Romney is the President these young people will serve for most of their time. You booed him too, jackass.
The young folks were taking the oath to follow the orders of the President. That means, if Romney wins you jackasses were booing them following his orders come January 20th. Just pathetic. And though you have to the right to boo while young folks take the oath, I got the right to call you a jackass for doing it.
But, it was at Clemson. Class and decorum has not been their way. We should not be shocked.
Class and decorum, huh?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/10/15/south-carolina-fan-mooning-lsu/1634239/
Funny, ain’t it, how them chickens come home to roost.
If the Commander in Chief was a Republican you would all be wailing about the disrespect. Hypocrites and racists here, mostly.
True dat!
Andy get your azz back in the kitchen
If the Commander in Chief was a Republican they would have been no booing.
toyota: Get your head out of your azz.
The main thing here is that this booing, and actions like it, are rampant in our country today. We no longer respect the office. Now, some of our Presidents have done less than great jobs, and some have done some less than respectful things (Monica).
But we used to care in this country. We used to say certain things meant something. No, I’m saying we go back to the false innocence of decades gone by. Just saying that we need to get some civility back in this country.
On November 6th you can record your “boo” with your vote.
UH OH! Clemson fans are smarter than I thought. They understand what the current sitting (on his bony ass of course) president is all about.
Note to my Gamecocks: Be ready for the big game because if the Tigers have that same energy towards us, then it will be a tough, tough game.
GO COCKS!!!
That little nanny can suck a lemon! I boed that peace of crap as loud as i could no atter what the cadets thought. They shoulda boed to. Barker is a liberal and can rot for all I care. His type ran danny of and now we should run him of.
So, Clemson has a patriotic ceremony honoring veterans, and a reading of names of the dozens of service men and women from S.C. who had given their lives in the post 9/11 wars.
And you, every one else who booed and everyone with same type comments on this message board all lack common decency ……
As far as FITS, you get the biggest egg on your face for this one! You lack decency at all….even though I know you wear lack of decency as a badge of honor and pride!
http://www.orangeandwhite.com/news/2012/oct/20/military-appreciation-day-daniel-rodriguez-major-r/?print=1
You are a f***ing stupid, uneducated moron. Obviously you never went to college, and probably didn’t even graduate from high school with those pathetic english skills. It’s the ignorant rednecks like you who were booing at the game, NOT the actual alumni who went to Clemson.
I was at the game and am a Clemson Graduate. I was embarrassed by the boos. I admire President Barker for calling out those fans for disrespecting our ROTC students and their families while pledging to protect us and this country.
In addtion, the boos were disrespectful to the players and their families as well. All of those students athletes are working hard to represent Clemson as best they can and to have some fans disrespect their contributions to a better and safer country showed a lack of dignity and character.
Those booing were the same ones talking/not removing their hats/not saluting or placing their hand over their hearts during the playing of the National Anthem. We have lost all respect and sense of decorum. I don’t care if it is a football game. I would bet a pretty penny not one of those booing has ever served or will ever serve in the military. My WWII veteran father would roll over in his grave. I am so glad that my Vietnam Vet husband was not subjected to that ignorance. Grow up people.
How many grands you got, Grandma? I got seven myself.
I agree with your comments above.
Sadly, I have recently attended the funerals of two of my friends, both Vietnam Vets, one a cousin. We attended our cousin’s funeral in 1967 when they sent his body home. In 1969, I attended a football teammates funeral when they sent him home. In 1971, I witnessed the interment of my neighbor when he was sent home.
I won’t speak for them, but I doubt they would have enjoyed the booing as much as the louts who did the noisemaking. Similarly, I doubt if either of them would be Democrats today.
God Bless your husband and his comrades for their service.
The sad and ironic thing about this story is the rednecks have no problem cheering all the BLACK football players on the field, but the same racist rednecks boo our black President. It’s just sickening, embarrassing and disgusting.
Your observation supports the idea that they are not racist. How could a racist possibly spend his own money to buy a ticket and cheer for BLACK players? Racists hate black people, right?
I agree the boos were inappropriate for the occasion, though.
No his observations indicate that racists rednecks have no problem cheering black people when they are entertaining them or serving them food. Roman royalty had no problem cheering gladiators, but they were still slaves being killed for entertainment.
Wow! Racist rednecks = Roman royalty. And, forcing enslaved gladiators to fight to the death = watching free college students (who worked hard for the opportunity) play football. What’s next, a Hitler comparison?
Sure, Nazis tried to eradicate gays, labor unions, communists, and Jews and sought to subjugate non-whites whom they considered lazy and shiftless. Which party does this sound most like?
Sounds like the National Socialist party to me.
You have a legal right to be a dumbass, but not a moral one. Barker was right to give voice to the silent majority, and Tigers and Gamecocks alike need to stand in unison against this type of boorish behavior whenever it rears its ugly head.
Stay classy fits.
Isn’t this the same blog lamenting a personal exchange between a reporter and a State Dept official last week?
Clemson fans look like a bunch of dumbass rednecks, incapable of separating their political feelings from the the point of the ceremony.
If the redneck label fits, wear it.
I dont have a problem with blacks but I do have one with libral pos’s and I can boo who’ever I wanto boo thank you very mcuh! I boo that old sack spurier to. Dabo is the man!
yabba dabbo doodoo dabo gunna luz 2 dem coots
F. OFF!!!
You stupid idiot.
Obama is the President and booing the President, regardless of party, is offensive to all the people of the United States!
You just continue to be a right wing; Dumb A$$!
Haha at you. You said all people of the United States. Aparently it wasnt last saturday was it you coot punk?
Simple case of trashy republicans.
Jim, it’s never too late to get hooked on phonics.
The booing had no place in an ROTC ceremony. That’s the whole point. All the other “free speech” rhetoric is a straw man. The kids didn’t want to have to hear a bunch of fuckin rednecks boo the President during their ceremony. That’s it.
Most, if not all of you are misguided. Whether you like Obama or not, the Office should be respected. We have our opportunity soon to vote him out. Focus on that.
What happened was due to very small group.
As for Barker, you people do not know him at all. It’s funny that through all the trashing and misinformation touted by FITS concerning the CU ranking and those who bash his administration that CU keeps moving on . You all seem to forget that CU has a great reputation and your ignorant comments will not change that.
Give it up!
The delusional high and mighty princess is back to tell all that she is so much better than all the other teenage girls she acts like, by doing nothing but being coy about putting others down to make herself feel better about her crappy life.
Give it up sweetie!
We dont care none about dam rankings in class we care about football like the curb stomp were putting on the Deaks tonight. Dabo is the man!
yabba dabba doodoo dabo gunna luz 2 dem coots
Barker is a thoughtful man – and completely right to chastise a bunch of idiots that can’t be trusted to be let alone in public. This was an important moment in the life of these students and like it or don’t the military expects blind obedience. OBEDIENCE because in a war zone you don’t have time to answer 20 questions. One of the requirements IS obedience to the President of the USA. You don’t like it sit here on your fat asses enjoying the freedom to condemn those who agree to take that oath whether or not they like the President becasue they know serving their country is IMPORTANT. You don’t like who is in charge vote him out but don’t ruin my son’s day with your rude, obnoxious, behavior – I suppose we will see you next at a soldiers funeral with the crazy church members from Kansas, protesting?? Freedom of speech, right?
Obey comrade Obama!