A shocking scene in Starkville last weekend reminded hardworking Americans that hateful behavior still surfaces in public — and it can have real consequences. While Dave Portnoy was filming one of his popular One Bite pizza reviews outside a local restaurant, a man in the crowd hurled an antisemitic remark and reportedly tossed coins at Portnoy, a vile act caught on video and shared widely online. The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Mississippi State student Patrick McClintock, was later arrested and charged with disturbing the peace after authorities reviewed the footage and public complaints.
This was not a harmless shout from the cheap seats — it was a targeted, hateful interruption aimed at a Jewish American in public. The incident occurred on November 7, and Starkville police issued a warrant over the weekend before taking McClintock into custody on November 10; he was processed, released on bond, and later voluntarily withdrew from Mississippi State University. Communities expect college campuses to be places of learning, not breeding grounds for public intimidation, and this student’s alleged behavior crossed that line.
Local law enforcement was clear-eyed about the balance between free speech and public order. The Starkville Police Department emphasized that offensive words alone can be protected speech, but when language is paired with disruptive acts or conduct that risks violence, authorities will step in to maintain safety — exactly what the department said when it moved to arrest the suspect after the video went viral. That is the right approach: defend the First Amendment, but don’t tolerate behavior that turns protected expression into public endangerment.
The reaction online has been predictably polarized, with a fundraiser sprung up that raised tens of thousands in support of the accused within a day — a sobering reminder that outrage can be monetized and weaponized. The fundraiser, hosted on a Christian crowdfunding site, pulled in nearly $30,000 and featured comments and themes that crossed into antisemitic conspiracy territory, showing how quickly an isolated incident can be amplified into a wider cultural fight. Patriots who love this country and its values must reject both antisemitism and the cash-driven mob mentality that excuses it.
Conservatives should be unambiguous here: antisemitism and any racial or religious hatred are unacceptable, and those who commit public harassment must face consequences under the law. At the same time, we should be skeptical of campus administrations and media elites who rush to politicize incidents rather than focus on facts and fair application of the law. Mississippi State officials and local police did what any responsible community should: they identified the suspect, enforced public-order laws, and reminded everyone that safety and respect are nonnegotiable.
This episode ought to be a wake-up call for Americans tired of the double standard: defend free speech fiercely, but enforce law and order without fear or favor. Stand with victims of hate and with communities that will not let public spaces be hijacked by violent rhetoric, and demand that universities stop treating intolerance like a political sport. If we want to preserve a free, civil society, we must call out hatred, support fair enforcement, and refuse to let rage and fundraising replace responsibility.
