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a blatant act of racism

Discussion in '2007 Archive' started by moondg, Oct 10, 2007.

  1. moondg

    moondg Member
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    NEW YORK (CNN) -- A rally Wednesday afternoon at Columbia University was held to protest the discovery of a noose on the office door of an African-American professor.
    [​IMG] The noose was found Tuesday, hanging from a door at Columbia's Teachers College.
    http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/10/columbia.noose/



    [​IMG]



    var CNN_ArticleChanger = new CNN_imageChanger('cnnImgChngr','/2007/US/10/10/columbia.noose/imgChng/p1-0.init.exclude.html',2,1);//CNN.imageChanger.load('cnnImgChngr','imgChng/p1-0.exclude.html');The noose was found Tuesday at Columbia's Teachers College, said Joe Levine, executive director for external affairs at Teachers College.
    The New York Police Department is investigating the matter as a hate crime.
    The apparent target, Madonna Constantine, 44, is a professor of psychology and education at Teachers College. She co-wrote the book "Addressing Racism: Facilitating Cultural Competence in Mental Health and Educational Settings."
    Constantine issued a statement saying, "I am upset that the Teachers College community has been exposed to such an unbelievably vile incident, and I would like us to stay strong in the face of such a blatant act of racism.

    How does this say racism? Were blacks the only people ever hung? I thought this was a way of execution in the old west days.
     
    #1 moondg, Oct 10, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2007
  2. UnchartedSpirit

    UnchartedSpirit New Member

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    Maybe but then this thread would be bombarded with tasteless jokes about how that teacher was treating/grading his classes...so lets keep it as a racism issue.

    BTW, New York is NOT part of the old west. Even still, African Americans were the only race that was lynched which was normally a more brutal and/or humiliating act (I went through a whole book of pictures in middle school) than a regular hanging; with no intrest in real justice involved.
     
  3. Hopeful

    Hopeful New Member

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    You have lived a very sheltered life indeed if you are in North Mississippi and do not know that a noose is a very racially-charged anti-black symbol all over the country, but PARTICULARLY in the south (where I live also).

    An action like this is INTENDED to be racially divisive. The noose would have been used to convey an anti-black message...and it would be intended to strike fear and traumatize the individual it was left for. It IS a "hate crime", and I don't even like that terminology. But seeing something like this makes me understand (finally) why it was determined as necessary to make a "hate crime law"--to cover just these kinds of incidents--terrorizing a person just because they are ANY color is wrong and should be punished. It is not an innocent bit of mischief.
     
  4. moondg

    moondg Member
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    I do not think a noose is racially-charged. It means someone should be hung period. White or black, if the teacher was white would it be racial. If there was no note how do they know it was racial? I am not scared of a rope are you? My child plays with a rope all the time it will not hurt you. People need to quit saying every thing is racial. If someone says someone needs killing black or white that does not have to be a racial issue. I am tired of everyone wearing there feelings on there sleeve. People need to suck it up and quit crying.
     
  5. johnjudge

    johnjudge Member

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    It is in bad taste for sure, but how does this "Hate Crime" compare to the "Hate Crime" of a school kid tossing a piece of ham on a table? The definition of a so called" Hate Crime" is way too broad to be acceptable, at least in my eyes.

    Remember, as Christians we are to speak out against items, but soon saying being a gay is a sin will land you in jail because it is a "Hate Crime".......will you still think that it is a "good law"?
     
  6. North Carolina Tentmaker

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    um, sorry, that is not even close to being true. Men and women of all races have been lynched throughout history. While many of the victoms have been African Americans they were certainly not alone. The following wikipedia article says that there were 4743 lynchings that took place in the United States between 1882 and 1968 (there are no records prior to 1882 and none have been recorded since 1968). Of those 4743, 3500 or 74% were black, but that still leaves 1243 that were not. I am not saying that racism did not play a part in at least some of those executions, but all the victoms were not black.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching

    From the article:
    One of my college history projects was on the murder of Mary Phagan and the subsequent Lynching of Leo Franks. For those not familiar with the story Franks was proven innocent by the evidence and his sentence was commuted by Georgia governor John Slaton, but on Aug 16, 1915 a group of 25 men took Franks out of the state prison and hung him. The "Knights of Mary Phagan" changed their name in November of 1915 into a new organization, the "Knights of the Klu Klux Klan." Franks was a Jewish yankee carpet bagger, but he was definitly white, was innocent, and was lynched.

    Yes for those of you who did not know the KKK as founded by General Bedford Forest after the civil war (which was not really a racist group) disappeared in the early 1870s and no organization existed by that name again until 1915.


    I have lived my entire life in the south (GA, SC, NC, and TX). I have even lived in majority black counties where I was the minority. Until this year I have never heard of a noose being a racist symbol.

    When I went into Iraq as part of the gulf war my buddies and me in my vehicle tied a big noose out of nylon cord and hung it in front of our armored vehicle. We intended it as a symbol of intimidation. We wanted to strike fear into our enemy. We wanted them to give up before we had to kill them. It never occured to us that it was racist, and yes one of us was African American and from Mississippi.

    Now if you want to see a real act of racism look at this:

    http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2007/10/talladega_public_health_risk.html
     
  7. North Carolina Tentmaker

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    [​IMG] Wow, look at this racist
     
  8. Hopeful

    Hopeful New Member

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    Okay, guys, I obviously should have been more explicit in my statement about the noose being a racist statement.

    To the black community at large--PER STATEMENTS FROM THAT COMMUNITY--the noose is a racial slur. It is known to be a racial slur TO THEM. In my neck of the woods, a noose placed on a black man's door would be a "known" racist action, just as a burning cross in their yard would be. The symbols for racism ARE KNOWN in this area. Perhaps they're not in other parts of the South or the rest of the country unless you are part of "that" community??

    The individual in the news article has written a book about ....racism. Therefore the noose, in my opinion--but obviously not JUST my opinion, based on the news stories--should be interpreted as a racist and intentionally emotionally harmful symbol and action. And I don't think a person is "just being a whiner" if they are targeted by hateful and malicious actions--even if there is no bodily or property harm involved.

    However, I agree completely that "hate crimes" laws are some of the easiest to abuse/misuse/misapply. One certainly can't adequately outlaw/legislate hate. The only real solution is, of course, to change the heart--and the only real way to do that is through Christ.
     
  9. UnchartedSpirit

    UnchartedSpirit New Member

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    Give it up, Hopeful, no one else here has even seen a black person, much less know what a Black community is like...though it IS probably a safe thing to not try to expirience such a place...
     
  10. Joshua Rhodes

    Joshua Rhodes <img src=/jrhodes.jpg>

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    Some people came up to our youth pastor a few weeks ago during our Global Impact Missions Celebration and told him that they had sent "a couple of those colored boys over to the youth building" so they wouldn't be "lurking about in the sanctuary" before the service started. This was 15 minutes before the church service began.

    If it had been me, I would have said, "Boy I'm glad you sent them over there... they might have offended our missionary guests from Africa!"

    Amazing that even today we're dealing with this stuff. :tear:
     
  11. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Yuk.

    In the last 4-5 years, most of our church's racists have passed away and gone to, er.....wherever it is they went to. A couple of 'em left. Good riddance. If they don't want to obey the Word and love others as Jesus did....then "don't let the back door hitcha where the Good Lord splitcha!"

    I'm glad our bunch here is finally starting to get it. When people of any ethnicity, racially mixed marriages, etc. enter our door now, it's a non-issue. Took us long enough!

    Joshua, Praying you'll have the patience to deal with those who demean God's creation.
     
  12. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    If a noose was hung from a black persons door here where I live, it would be assumed it was racially intended. However, blacks joke with other blacks like that, with nooses and other comments, and its considered ok.
     
  13. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    I'll say this in the most temperant way I can....

    Anyone who claims ignorance pertaining to what a noose symbolizes in the African American community has either never had a history class or is feigning ignorance because they are racist themselves.

    Yes, hanging used to be a way of executing people in the old west. So, today, if you placed a noose on a cowboy's front door, that would signify a threat. EVERYBODY would understand that.

    African American people were HUNTED and lynched by the KKK. Just as white sheets and white hoods are racists symbols to the African American community, so are nooses.

    Let's at least have an honest conversation.....

    What level of response should there have been to this sick joke or threat? I don't know and right now I don't have time to ponder over it.
     
    #13 Scarlett O., Oct 11, 2007
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2007
  14. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    This is a good illustration that designating certain crimes as "hate crimes" is purely subjective and certainly unconstitutional.

    A noose hung on anyone's door , regardless of race, could certainly be considered a threat. The color of the individuals involved matters not one bit.
     
    #14 carpro, Oct 11, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 11, 2007
  15. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    just like it's sweet to hear black rappers call their women what Don Imus got fired for, but it ain't ever right for a white person to call them that.:BangHead:
     
  16. moondg

    moondg Member
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    I did not say this was not a threat to this woman. Someone was saying she should be hung. That is very clear, I think for someone to say this is racist just because of the noose they are jumping to conclusions. They are assuming a non-black person put up the noose. We do not know if they were black or white. If a black did it is it racist?
    If everybody would understand a threat if it were hung on a cowboys door why not this it is the same threat. Hung by the neck until dead. Dead is dead white or black.
    We are having a honest conversation I wanted to know who in there infinite wisdom classified a noose as racist? I did not say racism was not the reason I do not know who put up the noose.
    Maybe some time when you have time you can share your wisdom on this since you know who put up the noose. If you do not know who put up the noose you are just making assumptions.
     
  17. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Now this I agree with. All crime is hate crime. "Hate Crimes" (new definition) attempts the impossible task of policing and punishing thought. The result is unequal justice--the exact quandary that brought about "hate crime" legislation.

    Having said that, I hope that they find the idiot that did this. If it's a white person that did it, they're being a racist pig. If it's a non-white, then their attempt to inflame racial tensions is despicable. Either way, we have a lowlife on our hands.
     
  18. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    I agree with many posters...one cannot ignore the the history here. The noose symbolism is going to profoundly impact Black Americans because of the sick things done in years past. And yes, hanging happened....but hanging based upon racial hatred was disproportionately slanted toward blacks during many decades.
     
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