Harvard professor leaves US after arrest with pellet gun near synagogue, said he was hunting rats
https://apnews.com/article/harvard-professor-brazil-antisemitism-yom-kippur-e05208fb596d2759e438b983f4ce3c9c
133 points · 14 comments · view on lemmy.world
14 Comments
nulluser@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 268d
Walking around outside, in the US, at night, with something other people would easily think is a gun. At best, this guy lacks basic common sense.
And reckless to boot.
I call horseshit. We've got several Jewish community gathering places near us, and subtle they are not. You'd have to be completely ignorant of Judaism to not instantly recognize them for what they are. You can't live next to one and not know it.
So, yeah, he knew. Not saying the guy was being antisemitic, but something sure isn't adding up. At best he's a fucking idiot.
njm1314@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 268d
I was with you until the not recognizing Jewish gathering places part. There's like a Jewish Community Center kind of thing less than a mile to me that I probably passed tens of thousands of times in my life and I didn't realize what it was until a week ago.
lmmarsano@lemmynsfw.com · 6 pts · 268d
Common sense is a myth & lack of it is unsurprising. Nothing of substance here.
Octagon9561@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 268d
Not saying nothing happened but this story doesn't add up and makes no sense. Wouldn't be the first time the US is fabricating lies about an immigrant.
CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 268d
Um, pellet guns make a loud noise?
knightly@pawb.social · 2 pts · 268d
Depends on the pellet gun. The spring-powered ones are pretty quiet, but if it uses compressed air or CO2 cartridges then there's a bit of a pop when the gasses escape from behind the pellet.
Fedizen@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 268d
Harvard Professor fully unaware of his surroundings? Sure, its happened before.
Harvard Professor knowingly doing awful things and leaning on people's goodwill to give him some kind of benefit of the doubt until more evidence comes out? Sure, its happened before.
I would honestly believe his story more if he didnt work at harvard and chum it up with all the kids of the richest people on earth.
Manjushri@piefed.social · -3 pts · 268d
How subtle... no one would ever refer to Jews as rats, right? Right?
gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 268d
dhork@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 268d
As outrageous as that sounds, I know a lot of professors/PhD's, and many of them are that clueless. They have a lot of very specific knowledge in their field, but may not have much practical knowledge about the rest of the world.
Still, this is the type of instance where revoking his visa may still be justified, even if he ended up having most of his other consequences suspended.
It sucks to be on the side of history that still tries to be reasonable, even while the other side goes full throttle and wouldn't give the same rational thinking any thought.
porcoesphino@mander.xyz · 11 pts · 268d
I wouldn't even say clueless, he's from Brasil. Name some Candomblé holidays and how they attend. Most tourists don't know the religious holidays or the practices of the places they're visiting. The synagogue isn't saying it was based in bigotry.
That said, a visiting law professor breaking car windows with a BB gun raises enough eyebrows on its own.
jacksilver@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 268d
Yeah, I think it's the combination of things. Breaking personal property is pretty much universally frowned upon, and if he's breaking car windows he was just as likely to hit a person.
Not sure if that's enough to be deported, but it wouldn't be an outrageous outcome even in the past.
Octagon9561@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 268d
If the synagogue itself is saying it has nothing to do with antisemitism, it's pretty clear Homeland Security is full of shit and spreading lies.
motor_spirit@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 268d
widowdoll@ttrpg.network · -3 pts · 268d
I get it.