Max Littman does special Investigative reports for The Rooster, a newsletter.
John “Rambo” Fortney should focus more on his podcast and less on defending clear assaults.
In his rambling, incoherent opinion piece, Fortney, the communications director of the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus, insinuates that a “lunge” by “Mr. Hoodie” was aggressive and reasonably resulted in self-defense.
This could not be less of the truth.
There was no reason for violence
Viewing The Rooster video before the tackle, you can clearly see that Luke M. Perez, an assistant professor affiliated with Ohio State’s Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society, took a step into the path of independent cameraman Mike Newman — Fortney’s so-called “Mr. Hoodie.”
Newman was headed to an open door, with a university official inside.
That is not cause du jure to tackle someone, whether Fortney wants to admit it or not.
Fortney apparently believes himself to be in a warzone, but Smith Hall at Ohio State is not in Afghanistan.
Neither firearms nor the Krav Maga training described in Fortney’s column are needed.
In fact, Ohio State is a public institution, and has an open campus policy where main campus is open to the public, including academic facilities.
There’s a reason the trespassing charges were dropped against Newman and The Rooster newsletter author DJ Byrnes. They had every right to be there.
If everyone at Ohio State who gets within 21-feet of someone, as Fortney suggests, is a reasonable threat distance, then I can’t help but wonder why the oval doesn’t turn into an open MMA match every day between classes.
Certainly, I was bumped into many times going from class to class, and it was never an issue because I was an adult who was capable of understanding the difference between a threat and someone walking towards a door.
The real reason for Fortney’s outrage
Comparing a blogger and a documentarian to Charlie Kirk’s shooter was the perfect ending to Mr. Fortney’s piece.
A ridiculous statement to fit a ridiculous piece.
Fortney clearly has a vendetta against Mr. Byrnes and The Rooster, perhaps because of The Rooster’s continued reporting of the impressively low view totals of his podcast.
In his fantasy-land reporters have to be wearing suits and ties to be protected under the First Amendment, and they’re certainly a danger if not.
That is not what the First Amendment says, perhaps. Fortney and the Chase Center could benefit from some of the civics education they pretend to provide.
Max Littman does special Investigative reports for The Rooster, a newsletter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ‘Rambo’ wannabe’s defense of OSU professor rooted in vendetta | Opinion
Reporting by Max Littman, Guest columnist / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
