Professor: Otto Warmbier got "what he deserved"

[Floyd R. Turbo]

People from all over the country are calling for a University of Delaware adjunct professor to be fired after she wrote on Facebook that Otto Warmbier "got exactly what he deserved" after being taken into custody by North Korea, falling into a coma and dying.

On her personal Facebook page, Kathy Dettwyler, an anthropology professor, wrote Tuesday that Warmbier was "typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes."

"These are the same kids who cry about their grades because they didn't think they'd really have to read and study the material to get a good grade. ... His parents ultimately are to blame for his growing up thinking he could get away with whatever he wanted. Maybe in the US, where young, white, rich, clueless white males routinely get away with raping women. Not so much in North Korea. And of course, it's Ottos' parents who will pay the price for the rest of their lives."

Dettwyler made similar remarks in the comments section of an article published by the National Review. Her Facebook page has since been taken down or made private.


https://usat.ly/2tEgmm1

[LuvLoogie]

1. That's a really shitty thing to say. The dean has a problem should students enrolled

in her classes begin to ask for an alternative. It is after the end of the school year, though. I suppose the dean could just let the market place sort it out. If enrollment significantly drops in her classes...math always wins.

[Rustyeye77]

2. ""typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes."

damn...she makes it sound like a bad thing.


lolo

[Madam45for2923]

3. She is too harsh and out of line but there are better ways to convey what she is saying.

[Loki Liesmith]

28. And maybe you don't convey it at all

Until well after the victim is buried and the family has mourned.

[Madam45for2923]

30. Maybe best to not wait that much since it could happen to others in the meantime.

[joeybee12]

87. Maybe not say anything since the idiot never knew the kid

Ir his upbringing. There's absolutely nothing to defend about what she said

[Madam45for2923]

95. Geesh! We are all saying something and we don't know the kid.

I said she did cross the line and was harsh. But we can still find ways to talk about this situation without crossing the line into heart-less and thus being too harsh.

[joeybee12]

96. Yeesh is right. What she said probably has nothing to do with this situation

She should keep her ignorant racist mouth shut, yeah let's all talk about privileged white males because that's all there are out there

[Madam45for2923]

103. Okee! As you were...

joeybee12
96. Yeesh is right. What she said probably has nothing to do with this situation

She should keep her ignorant racist mouth shut, yeah let's all talk about privileged white males because that's all there are out there

[FM123]

4. "These are the same kids..."

Really?
How the hell does she know?
What gives her the right to just generalize like that when she doesn't even know that particular individual or all the fact surrounding the events. She may be a teacher, but she doesn't deserve the title educator.

[Ilsa]

6. Well said. She's way out of line, even IF it is possible she

is right about about 50% of what she said.
No one deserves the treatment that young man endured.

[Rorey]

5. I watched 20/20 last night

I'm not at all convinced that he did what the North Koreans accused him of doing. I think he just happened to be the one they picked for their political ploy.

And Dettwyler is a POS.

[hlthe2b]

9. I didn't see it, but I did see the video of him trying to steal a propaganda poster which

quite obviously should have been construed as nothing more than a foolish prank, but this was North f__ing Korea, so such common sense does not play out there. His death seems nothing less than state-sponsored murder, IMO.

And, though I have all the sympathy in the world for his parents, they share in his foolishness, having been ignorant to what is going on in N. Korea, yet not even attempting to check the State Department site before encouraging him to go. Now, they not only are dealing with their unfathomable loss, but undoubtedly their own guilt. I would not wish that on anyone.

What did the 20/20 show convey?


Since I moved from the subject of this posting, I'll add my obligatory condemnation of Dettwyler.

[Rorey]

13. The video was very grainy.

It just didn't look like him to me. They didn't take him until the group got to the airport, if I heard correctly. That 5th floor is allegedly there for surveillance of the rest of the hotel. One would think they would have nabbed him before he left the hotel if he really did commit this prank.

He was a very smart guy. I don't think he would have done such a stupid thing after all of the warnings they were given before getting to North Korea. Based on his intelligence and the grainy video, I don't think he did it.

The program was very interesting, and I'm glad I watched, but I wonder if Kim Jong Un enjoys the publicity. That thought bothers me. I wish people would boycott North Korea, including politicians. Freeze him out. Deny him the attention he craves.

[hlthe2b]

35. Sorry, but I don't think a "very smart guy" would have gone to North Korea... I'm not blaming him

for his own death mind you, as I think it was state-sponsored murder. But "very smart?" Seems that act (of going) was the antithesis.

[Rorey]

66. How about "book smart, but common sense stupid"

I agree that it wasn't a wise decision to go there. He was young, and many young people think they're invincible.

[Tanuki]

15. I'm curious....in the video you saw, how certain did you feel that it was

actually Warmbier? I've read some accounts that describe the video as being grainy and the figure shadowy and unrecognizable.

https://www.google.com/amp/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/north-korea-back-otto-warmbiers-strange-sad-trip-48113955

..."A state-run news agency released a short, grainy video with a shadowy, unrecognizable figure that purported to show Warmbier taking the banner down from the wall of his hotel.".....

[hlthe2b]

32. I never heard his parents, friends, others express doubt that it was him...

and, I looked for that. Perhaps I missed some who questioned it.

In the absence of questioning from those who knew him, I assumed it was likely real. Certain? How on earth could I be certain?

[Rorey]

68. I think one friend was doubtful

I wonder if they asked the others. Did he have any contact with his family, or anyone, after his arrest? I don't know. Maybe his friends and family took his "confession" as proof that he did it, but could have been coerced.

[Tanuki]

85. According to this article, the family was skeptical about the confession

but kept quiet so as not to humiliate the North Koreans.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/otto-warmbiers-family-kept-his-jewishness-under-wraps-while-north-korea-held-him-hostage/

......WASHINGTON — The family of Otto Warmbier, the American college student who died on Monday, days after his release from 17 months of captivity in North Korea, was advised to keep his Jewish background and identity concealed while officials tried to negotiate his release.

That was because the North Korean justification for his imprisonment centered on a dubious claim that Warmbier had stolen a propaganda poster in a Pyongyang hotel lobby on orders from the Friendship United Methodist Church in Wyoming, Ohio, to bring it back “as a trophy” in exchange for a used car worth $10,000.


“We didn’t want to share it,” said Mickey Bergman, who worked on negotiations for Warmbier’s release, referring to the fact of Warmbier’s Jewishness. “The family chose, rightfully so, not to share that information while he was in captivity… because they didn’t want to embarrass [North Korea] by explaining that he actually was Jewish” and thus would not have been affiliated with the church.

“That’s why that part of the story was kept quiet,” added Bergman, executive director of The Richardson Center, an organization founded by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson that works to negotiate the release of prisoners and hostages held by hostile regimes.

.......

A public memorial for Wambier was scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. at Wyoming High School in Wyoming, Ohio, where he had been a student. Rabbi Jake Rubin, the UVA Hillel director who traveled with him to Israel, will officiate at the service.".....(more)

[Rorey]

91. Has anyone from that church said anything about this?

I find it unlikely that a church would advocate stealing something, and the fact that Warmbier was Jewish makes it even more implausible.

Even if the truth is exposed, it won't matter. Kim Jong Un is a monster and he still has the leverage of several American prisoners in his custody.

After all of this, nobody should be wreckless enough to go into that wretched place.

[obamanut2012]

114. I feel very sure it wasn't him in the video

I have no idea if he sneaked onto the fifth floor or not, but that video was obviously not him.

[leftyladyfrommo]

38. I have always wondered about that myself.

You just don't know. It might have all been a setup.

That is why Americans just should never go there.

[Rorey]

69. I don't see the attraction of going there

Anywhere that is under a dictatorship is not on my list of places I'd like to visit.

[Persisted]

7. I've missed Hannah Bell. nt

[QC]

14. She was banned years before you joined. n/t

[m-lekktor]

44. yean I saw somebody post "you Better Believe It" whose join date was 17 June.

Of course they are towing the current party line here so they are safe.

[BainsBane]

57. Only most of them don't

and missing Hannah Bell and her admiration about N Korea is hardly consistent with the "current party line."

[Persisted]

77. It's difficult to convey snark. I assure you, my line is toed. nt

[m-lekktor]

100. its obvious the hannah bell comment was sarcasm.

i doubt that "new" person is a fan of hannah bell. and the comment i made you are responding to i was referring to the person who made the "you Better Believe It" comment. UNLESS the same person made both which i wasnt aware of then.

[QC]

118. The "new" person got PPR'ed.

How sad.

[m-lekktor]

131. I am sure the people who came after me on this thread are.

sad.

[QC]

133. And I'm sure they will apologize to you any day now. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

122. Yeah, I had that argument repeatedly with her, under several different incarnations.

She was staggeringly full of shit on the topic of North Korea, among other things.

[Persisted]

81. Toe the line. I was being naughty, not nautical. nt

[Cha]

92. "towing"? "safe"? What exactly do you know?

[Codeine]

40. What was your old name? nt

[Autumn]

104. I remember when msanthrope and Hannah Bell would go round and round.

Both are gone now. So many old DUers gone.

[Persisted]

105. Lots of women posters purged. You can follow Bravenak on twitter.

Msanthrope too, in between her chemo cycles.

[Autumn]

109. Twitter? I'll have to pass, not a fan of either but welcome to DU.

[melman]

117. Wow

That's fantastic. I can't wait to not do that.

[Warren DeMontague]

119. Nailed it.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Being killed for being naive seems a bit harsh.

[Blue_true]

10. Harsh. But she is right.

Anericans in other countries need to observe the customs of those countries or don't go there. I don't go to dictatorships or chaotic placed because something bad will likely happen to me.

[CatWoman]

16. I had a conversation with a co worker the other day

and she said pretty much the same thing with the caveat being "white privilege".

How many stories have we read highlighting young white Americans in that light?

You know, the ones who go to the Coliseum only to deface it with graffiti, for example?

[joeybee12]

88. Absolutely amazes me that anyone defends this sack of shit professor

Who never knew the kid or his family. She's a complete jack off

[grossproffit]

123. I'm sickened as well. Disgusting that anyone could defend this 'professor.'

[USALiberal]

93. Wow, classy. n/t

[Blue_true]

108. Straight forward. The Professor spoke poorly, but the substance

of what she said is right.

[USALiberal]

113. Well, at least you exposed yourself, which is always good. n/t

[Blue_true]

116. Whatever you claim. I am done. nt

[ripcord]

106. Really?

Do you also support Trump's immigration policies? Ship them out, maybe lock them up for awhile to teach them a lesson?

[Blue_true]

107. Wow, did you jump the shark.

Living in a country peacefully and obeying laws have nothing to do with your assertion. Undocumented immigrants in this country overwhelmingly obey our laws and customs, it is our immigration laws that are screwed up. We should have a good work visa for laborers that allow people to come, work and go home if they want to, knowing that they can come back to work.

I have visited and lived in other countries. There are some places that I won't go to for safety reasons, North Korea being one of those places. I would go to Iran, but would acutely respect their customs and won't deface artifacts, even posters that they think are important, even if I feel otherwise.

[Warren DeMontague]

120. Someone did.

[demmiblue]

11. What an arsehole. n/t

[Calculating]

12. She is right, although unnecessarily harsh

Not only did this guy do something stupid by traveling to North Korea(The most hostile country to Americans on Earth), but once he was there he did something mind mindbogglingly stupid and stole a political poster because his girlfriend wanted him to bring one back. This guy probably got away with breaking the rules his entire life and thought he was immune to consequences. His family even described him as a 'risk taker' who loved to live on the edge.

[Mr. Ected]

17. It was foolish to travel to NK. It was foolish to steal a propaganda poster.

But to suggest he deserved to DIE because of it, or that he belonged to a category of Americans that require some sort of punishment because they were born rich, white and male? That type of hate is not acceptable. To support the rights of others, particularly minorities, does not conversely require scorning whites or males or even the wealthy.

These comments should lead to her dismissal. And they likely will.

[greytdemocrat]

19. Exactly.

She is POS.

[treestar]

18. I don't think she should be fired

I'm tired of every outlandish thing being said leading to a demand to fire the person. She is at a college, where the students are adults and can handle a harsh opinion.

I don't think he deserved it, but would be aware that NK would think so. That's what he should have taken into account for his own safety.

[BainsBane]

23. If she's adjunct, she's hired on an ad hoc basis

They can simply not hire her again.

[MichMan]

53. I disagree

I would be concerned as a white male to be enrolled in any of her classes. She quite clearly has strong feelings and her negative views on white males would indicate a potential to not treat them fairly in class.

[treestar]

132. Yes, that part seemed pretty unjustified

If she'd stopped with Otto W. who should not have gone to NK but one there, should have been careful.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

20. She's not very sympathetic, but the whole affair smells fishy.

After a couple of years in NK prison, he's sent home, where he suddenly dies. Nobody claims to know the cause of his coma/paralysis state, or even the cause of death. But, it was decided: no autopsy, so no answers.

I wonder ...

[BainsBane]

22. They didn't do an autopsy?

That is odd.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. The family declined an autopsy.

It's odd, because I thought if the cause of death was suspicious or unknown, the state would do an autopsy regardless of family feelings. I guess I was wrong about that.

[irisblue]

45. Me too

[smirkymonkey]

65. I think so too. Especially since the manner of his death was questionable.

If they could have proven that it was torture and not some kind of "infection" as the North Koreans claim, I would think it would make a lot of difference legally.

[cwydro]

102. I found the fact they didn't want an autopsy to be very strange.

The whole story is odd. And tragic.

[BainsBane]

21. Adjunct? She's toast

What a cruel thing to say.

[patricia92243]

25. I have read several DU posts on this subject. It is shocking how many

progressives say the exact same thing - just word it a little different. Their attitude is he stole a poster, so it is all right if he dies.

That attitude sounds like the Republicans. The Republicans are unable to project sympathy or understanding unless/when it happens to them personally. They have zero empathy.

We Democrats are known for our empathy - the ability to put ourselves in the other person's shoes.

[Calculating]

26. It's about more than just the poster stealer's death

Through his foolishness, he basically gave NK an American prisoner/hostage. That can put our country in a potentially compromised position, or have other fallout. What if this had somehow started an international incident or war? His actions could have had major fallout on an international scale, and this was all because his girlfriend wanted him to steal a political poster to take back(that's the very definition of an entitled attitude).

[smirkymonkey]

67. You have a point. It was a very stupid thing to do.

I do not by any means think he deserved his fate and I feel terribly sorry for his family. I just hope this deters future "adventurers" from trying the same stunt. It is not just themselves they are putting in jeopardy, it is entire nations.

[treestar]

33. No one said that

What is expressed is that doing that in North Korea would not result in the same consequences as the American justice system and that one who goes to NK should realize that and conduct themselves accordingly - and that the Sec. of State advises Americans not to travel there, so even going there is risky.

[Behind the Aegis]

47. That empathy is limited to some.

Apparently, not when it is certain kinds of people.

[EllieBC]

125. Yeah I wonder if they use "should have known better"

across the board to all crimes and criminals.

Doubt it.

I'm sure instead they'll cry "he's just a kid" other times.

[nycbos]

27. What a terrible thing to say.

This is more evidence to use Barack Obama's words at a college commencement "you meet many people who are book smart but have zero common sense."


People think they need to share every single thought that crosses there mind.

[Sanity Claws]

29. She'll be fired

Or more accurately, her contract won't be renewed. Then we can say that she got what she deserved.

Also, did you note that she wrote "Ottos' parents?" It should be Otto's parents. She is not that smart an adjunct professor in more ways than one.

[gordianot]

31. Americans need to understand the extremes of human behavior.

This young man did not deserve to die but he did through a fatal lack of caution. Those who go to North Korea and ignore the danger are as egregious as those who voted for Trump. People want to handle that which will kill them place all of us in danger.

[treestar]

34. +1

[LisaM]

36. Her timing and rhetoric are a bit off, but..

she is obviously trying to make a larger point. Unfortunately, the same crowd who thinks you shouldn't ask if someone was wearing a seatbelt after dying in a car crash will sharpen their knives. I think that after these incidents, it's exactly the time to ask these questions. And, the young man's family failed to admit he dud anything wrong! They praised his 'adventurous spirit!'

[BannonsLiver]

43. I wonder

If they don't believe he did anything wrong because they're skeptical about NK's version of the story? I know I am.

[LisaM]

130. I don't believe North Korea's version in the least

but I don't think he should have gone there, either.

[joeybee12]

89. No she's not

She's a racist POS who never knew the kid or the circumstances and projects her racist thinking onto the situation

[aikoaiko]

37. He deserved reasonable punishment, not torture and death.

It's unbelievable someone would say that.

[heaven05]

39. I APPLAUD the Professor

for the truth about rich white male entitlement.

[B2G]

48. "I'm shocked",

said no one.

[heaven05]

124. don't be "shocked"

by response to the ultimate truth of white entitlement and privilege in this society. I'm not. You have a good one. And your snark is obvious and unnecessary in this day and age of a racist as CIC money grubbing crook.

[TeamPooka]

41. Getting imprisoned and killed for your prank is not an example of white privilege. Fail Professor.

[BainsBane]

58. the entire argument is illogical

and hateful, frankly.

Your typical privileged kid vacations on the Fl beaches or summer's in the Hamptons or Europe. They don't venture to N Korea, a sworn enemy of their home country.

[TeamPooka]

83. Exactly

[Mariana]

63. He had no expectation of being imprisoned and killed.

He obviously assumed that there wouldn't be any consequences for his theft, or he wouldn't have done it in the first place. The fact that he was in North Korea doesn't change that. The fact that the punishment he received was extreme doesn't change it, either.

[BannonsLiver]

42. Well she sounds like an absolute delight

[Not Ruth]

46. She is generalizing about white privilege and toxic masculinity

Neither of which is unusual to generalize about, especially for an anthropology professor.

She is showing a lack of compassion towards the family

[LittleBlue]

49. Interesting that it's rarely a PhD in math, physics, chemistry, etc making these idiotic statements

Natural sciences and math seem not to attract the mentally ill, hateful, attention seeking crowd. Judging by her bitter comments, those studies were far too difficult for her.

[EllieBC]

126. They have better things to do than sow seeds of division and hatred.

For the most part at least.

[Cairycat]

50. I think no one deserves what happened to Otto Warmbier

but I also don't think Dr. Dettwyler deserves to be fired for speaking her mind.

Otto Warmbier should have known that going to North Korea was risky. And he certainly should have known that taking a poster was very, very risky in that political climate. From his overprivileged upbringing, he may have thought he would be able to evade consequences for those choices. So I can see Dr. Dettwyler's point.

Now, I know Kathy Dettwyler. Her research has contributed a great deal in her field. She did not start from a position of privilege, she worked hard to accomplish what she has. However rough or over-the-top you find her opinion, I don't think it justifies firing.

[MichMan]

54. Her obvious animosity towards white male students is a problem

If I was a white male student in any of her classes, I would be concerned that I would be treated fairly. She has no business teaching with that attitude

[Cairycat]

62. I'm quite certain she has no animosity to white men, per se

but rather to excessive privilege and acting entitled. And if that was Otto Warmbier's problem, then what happened is tragic, but he himself bears some of the responsibility.

[Goodheart]

64. Per se? How are you certain of that?

She sounds like a hater... based on race. We've got a handy label for that type of person.

[oasis]

51. What a dumb statement to be publicly associated with.

[Orcrist]

52. Too Harsh But....

I'm not agreeing with this professor that this guy deserved the sentence he got for simply trying to steal a poster. Nor do I feel he deserved death. By our standards what happened to this young man was a horrible miscarriage of justice. But that is precisely why you don't go to a place like North Korea. Horrible miscarriages of justice are the norm there not the exception. Their current government is one of the worst totalitarian regimes to ever exist on the planet. Their laws and the punishments for violating them are like something out of the middle ages. Nobody, be they a citizen or foreign visitor, have any constitutional or civil rights in that country. And on top of all that their leader is genuinely insane to boot. He had one of his top generals executed for falling asleep at a meeting. You don't vacation in a place like that. Why in the hell would anybody go there? Outside of possibly Syria or Iran it's the most dangerous place for an American citizen. I'm sorry but anyone that looks at a place like that and thinks, "OH, that's where I want to go on vacation" has serious mental problems. Mental problems that contributed to their own death.

[sharedvalues]

55. Don't amplify right wing talking points. This is ONE GUY.

You can always find one person who is shameless and hurtful on any issue. Don't play into the GOP hands by repeating their bullshit - they identify these single people and amplify their views. Just like on climate science. Just like on tobacco. Just like on asbestos.

[B2G]

59. The only ones 'amplifiying' right wing talking points,

are those who are agreeing with this idiot.

[sharedvalues]

94. The OP is amplifying right wing talking points sadly, and so are we

Even arguing against right wing talking points makes them somewhat effective.
Remember Nixon "I am not a crook".

We all are helping defeat ourselves when we argue about a single person that the right blows out of control.

The best thing to do is ignore stories like this. Don't talk about them. That's the only way progressives can succeed.

[B2G]

97. Sorry, I disagree.

I can't ignore shit like this. It transcends politics. Until someone drags politics into it. Some things are just black or white, right or wrong.

And when someone like this idiot professor tries to insert politics into it, I'm going to speak out.

[sharedvalues]

98. Have you read "Don't Think of An Elephant"?

That book explains why saying "I have to argue with this one professor highlighted by the GOP when there are 300M people with diverse views in the country!" leads to the GOP running America and trampling on you and me.

[B2G]

99. Have you read what others have said

About this young man? Some really nasty shit. Silence is consent.

I'll pick my own battles, thanks. You do you.

[sharedvalues]

101. Spend as much time on Laura Ingraham(HRC kill)?

Of course I disapprove of the professor, incredibly strong ly.

But think about how much time progressives spent discussing Laura Ingraham statements - basically, no time at all.:

http://www.mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/04/laura-ingraham-suggests-hillary-clinton-may-try-kill-fbi-director-after-election/214304

This is the beauty of the GOP PR strategy. They selectively amplify a few crazies and get progressives and media to talk about them. While the media then ignores the far more numerous right wing crazies. It's selective attention, shaped by GOP PR.
Same strategy used with climate change, tobacco, asbstos-- create doubt by highlighting a few crazies.

[leftyladyfrommo]

56. No one deserves what happened to him.

But Americans can be really stupid when they visit other countries. Look at the kids who are caught carrying drugs and end up in a foreign prison for years.

The laws in other countries can be draconian. The punishments for even petty crimes can be years in some awful hellhole of a prison.

But kids his age are naive. They just don't understand how bad it can get.

That said, I don't think college professors should be fired for stupid things they say. Colleges should be bastions of free speech.

[Goodheart]

60. Why didn't she just come right out and say it...

"He's white, I resent that, so it's OK if he was executed for a childish prank that harmed no one."

You know... I certainly agree that white people are advantaged.... and white people are certainly privileged relative to everyone else.

But her rhetoric is toxic bullshit. No, he DIDN'T deserve it, and she wouldn't be saying the same thing if young Mr. Wambeir weren't white... something he can't control. AS IF young black people are not capable of pranks or punky attitudes when walking into a class.

Delaware SHOULD fire her hate-filled butt.

[malaise]

61. I don't think he deserved what he got any more than I think

a Jamaican or other foreigner deserves to die in an ICE lock up - or Peter Tosh's son deserves to be in a coma months after he was locked up in a New Jersey jail for smoking weed. He was beaten up by someone - wardens say a fellow prisoner - but he was in their care.

Either all human beings have the right to life or none of us have that right. Otto is no more important to me than the Iraqis slaughtered by Americans in prisons in their own country.

And GITMO is not in North Korea. It's the expectation of exceptionalism that pisses off the rest of the planet.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

[Nevernose]

70. How many kids have died in AMERICAN jails this year?

Beat, starved, fucking BOILED ALIVE?

And yet we're all supposed to be outraged at what happened to some entitled, stupid little shit?

[melman]

71. What the fuck?

So hateful.

[B2G]

72. Yes. You are supposed to be outraged about both.

I can't believe I even have to say this in here.

[demmiblue]

73. We should be outraged about all people who face injustice, torture and death. n/t

[EllieBC]

128. Using this idiot professor's logic, they must have deserved it.

Or is that different?

[Nevernose]

134. He went on "adventure tourism"

Went out of his way to do something stupid and dangerous -- which we've all done, especially when younger -- and financially support the North Korean regime while he was at it.

Of all the places on planet earth to trespass before vandalizing and stealing government property, he chose North Korea. That's beyond being young and thoughtless, that's entitled and stupid.

I think what irks me isn't him. I think what irks me is the wall to wall media coverage. If he was poor, black, innocent, and American, he could have literally been boiled alive by the police and most Americans wouldn't have even heard about it.

It's not young people doing stupid shit that bothers me, it's the breathtaking hypocrisy of our media in their breathless coverage of OW, treating this as a national tragedy and him as some sort of martyr, when dozens of people of color are tortured to death every year right here at home and CNN doesn't say shit about them.

[EllieBC]

135. I don't really believe the NK leadership version of events.

Or the coerced confession. The video was grainy at best.

I just find it odd that for all the times I see people giving the benefit of the doubt to young people who may have committed crimes, the opposite was true here.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

74. If she's a liberal, I hope that she realizes how much it hurts her cause.

There's former Democratic voters who are swayed to vote Republican over those kinds of remarks. Those people are more likely to support social programs and compromise with Democrats!

It's the economically conservative Republicans who will never compromise. THEY are the Republican base who won't switch sides no matter how neoliberal the Democrats behave! The people who voted for Trump due to race-based fear mongering are actually more likely (as a group) to want compromise with Democrats according to this survey of Trump voters: https://www.voterstudygroup.org/reports/2016-elections/the-five-types-trump-voters

[B2G]

75. So much this.

This kind of shit just gives the Repubs something to point to and say "See? You want to vote for these people?"

[Coventina]

76. I would never say that. But I have had difficulty mustering outrage over it.

Especially after all the "blame Obama" rhetoric coming from the family.

[Persisted]

86. President and Mrs. Obama would be the first ones to remind us that terrible

grief warps everything.

They would gladly take the family's anger if it brought them a moment of peace.

[Coventina]

110. Glad you know them personally well enough to speak for them on that.

[Persisted]

112. No one speaks for them. But look at their example. nt

[hrmjustin]

78. Wow! The lack of sympathy from this woman and some posters in this thread is amazing.

Sickening actually!

[joeybee12]

90. Amen

The worst of DU is on display here

[aikoaiko]

79. The professor's RateMyProfessor page is right in line with her recent comments.

Katherine Dettwyler University of Delaware:
http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=771453


What a shame if this controversy will undermine her breastfeeding activism.

https://lactationmatters.org/2015/06/17/qa-with-ilca15-speaker-katherine-dettwyler/

[Bernardo de La Paz]

80. Brain death is not appropriate punishment for poster theft. Young white rich clueless or not. . nt

[B2G]

82. It's amazing to me how many here take the NKs at face value.

Hell, they won't accept the results of months long trials in THIS country, yet a grainy video and an hour long "trial" with a "confession" is the absolute truth.

Unfuckingbelievable.

[Sneederbunk]

84. Needs to learn the art of keeping your mouth shut.

[DefenseLawyer]

111. We all have it coming

[Madam45for2923]

115. Many of us are saying the woman screwed up but people want to read more into our words.

My answer above seemed to provoke some weird overreaction.

Not sure what that is about.

[Warren DeMontague]

121. Another finely tuned and exquisitely calibrated high-performance asshole from the asshole factory.

They sure are churnin' em out like gangbusters, these days! Dad gum industry, boy howdy.

[greymattermom]

127. A friend of mine is an adjunct professor

He complains by quoting the student's question, then adding "Bless their hearts".

[Eyeball_Kid]

129. Warmbier suffered from extensive brain damage. That sounds like trauma, possibly beatings.

And Dettwyler says that he deserved what he got? What kind of monster says such things?

[Iggo]

137. I hope nobody punches her in the nose. She doesn't deserve that. (n/t)

[LittleBlue]

138. Interwebz says she's been fired

Or at least they didn't decide to employ her next quarter. Good luck to her finding another job after this.