A recent college graduate and conservative activist who posed with an assault rifle for her graduation photos went viral this week—and now the woman, who is white, is claiming to be a victim of “blatant racism” for the pushback she received.
Kaitlin Bennett, who just graduated from Kent State University in Ohio, insists she was making a statement about Second Amendment rights and female victimhood. The photos show her carrying an AR-10 around the campus infamous for the shooting deaths of four students.
I have no apologies for my graduation photos. As a woman, I refuse to be a victim & the second amendment ensures that I don’t have to be. pic.twitter.com/5CKmQobrMb
— Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) May 15, 2018
Now that I graduated from @KentState, I can finally arm myself on campus. I should have been able to do so as a student- especially since 4 unarmed students were shot and killed by the government on this campus. #CampusCarryNow pic.twitter.com/a91fQH44cq
— Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) May 13, 2018
Bennett went on Fox and Friends Thursday to discuss the backlash to her photos, which went garnered tens of thousands of likes and comments Twitter.
“I was not expecting the blatant racism that’s been thrown at me. The right out death threats,” she told Steve Doocy.
Critics have pointed out the white privilege of Bennett’s ability to tote a gun without consequence around the campus, which bans students, staff, and faculty from carrying “deadly weapons.” State law allows graduates and visitors to openly carry weapons outdoors, according to the Washington Post, but many said a person of color trying to carry an assault rifle around campus wouldn’t receive the same treatment.
If person of color was walking around campus with a gun the whole damn police station would come and shoot them in a second #WhitePrivilege
— ⭐️🍧☆〜（ゝ。∂）😇🧝🏽♀️ (@Rilezmae) May 15, 2018
Even Doocy seemed a little taken aback by Bennett’s claim that she’s now facing “racism.”
“They’re saying I have white privilege for going out on campus with my AR-10,” Bennett said. “They are saying that this all has to do with me being white. I think that’s very insulting to minorities. I don’t think anything bad would happen to them. I actually had a Black police officer with me the whole time.”
H/T Splinter
