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Fraternity expels 3 linked to statue noose, suspends Ole Miss chapter

Somerville

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And some insist racism is dead in America

Fraternity expels 3 linked to statue noose, suspends Ole Miss chapter

The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity said it has indefinitely suspended its chapter at Ole Miss and has expelled three 19-year-old freshmen who it said were responsible for the "desecration" last weekend of a campus statue honoring the school's first black student.

<snip>

A witness saw two young men leaving the area near the statue, which depicts Meredith striding forward. A coiled rope and a former Georgia state flag with a Confederate battle emblem were wrapped around the statue's neck.

Meredith, 80, told the Los Angeles Times this week from his Mississippi home that the incident showed that youths weren't being taught right from wrong.
 
Best part of the story:

"It is embarrassing that these men had previously identified with our fraternity," Brian Warren Jr., the organization’s chief executive, said in a statement late Friday.

"SigEp has championed racial equality and issues on diversity since 1959, when it became the first national fraternity to invite members of all races, creeds and religions to join its membership," Warren said. "For this to occur in 2014 is an insult to the legacy of James Meredith, the University of Mississippi community and the SigEp alumni who fought for racial equality in the late 1950s."

Fraternity expels 3 linked to statue noose, suspends Ole Miss chapter - latimes.com
 
The act itself isn't 'racist' to me - could be a ****ty joke. Our country has certainly made it permissible to make race-related jokes. Many comedians thrive on this (Key and Peele, Tosh.0 - etc).

What would make it racist is the intent, the overall behavior or attitude of these individuals. If they were in fact doing it for racially charged, hate fueled reasons VS they thought it would just be dumb and funny.
 
And some insist racism is dead in America

Oh for God's sake. A kid prank. Yeah, it's a racist prank. The kids probably aren't. Who knows?

Frankly, I think the fraternity HQ over-reacted. If anything, the kids should have been suspended from the school.
 
The act itself isn't 'racist' to me - could be a ****ty joke. Our country has certainly made it permissible to make race-related jokes. Many comedians thrive on this (Key and Peele, Tosh.0 - etc).

What would make it racist is the intent, the overall behavior or attitude of these individuals. If they were in fact doing it for racially charged, hate fueled reasons VS they thought it would just be dumb and funny.

Racism does not depend on the intent. Ever. Racism depends on the act. And considering our nation's clear history of racism against blacks, past and present, those of you who are going to try to convince us that the Ole Miss noose incident is not racism have a VERY difficult task ahead of you.
 
Is that the same Uni where some students were shouting racist insults when Obama got re-elected?
 
The act itself isn't 'racist' to me - could be a ****ty joke. Our country has certainly made it permissible to make race-related jokes. Many comedians thrive on this (Key and Peele, Tosh.0 - etc).

What would make it racist is the intent, the overall behavior or attitude of these individuals. If they were in fact doing it for racially charged, hate fueled reasons VS they thought it would just be dumb and funny.

Exactly. They were trolling and it blew up in their faces.

Good on the fraternity for saving face, I guess. However, I don't think that racism was the primary motivation.
 
Racism does not depend on the intent. Ever. Racism depends on the act. And considering our nation's clear history of racism against blacks, past and present, those of you who are going to try to convince us that the Ole Miss noose incident is not racism have a VERY difficult task ahead of you.

I've seen nothing that tells me *the act* itself is racist. I've seen everything tell me *the intent* makes it racist.
 
I don't care what their intend was. They vandalized a school statue and that is never right.


The act itself isn't 'racist' to me - could be a ****ty joke. Our country has certainly made it permissible to make race-related jokes. Many comedians thrive on this (Key and Peele, Tosh.0 - etc).

What would make it racist is the intent, the overall behavior or attitude of these individuals. If they were in fact doing it for racially charged, hate fueled reasons VS they thought it would just be dumb and funny.
 
I've seen nothing that tells me *the act* itself is racist. I've seen everything tell me *the intent* makes it racist.

Question: If I'm in the kitchen with someone, I lose my balance and bump into them, and they fall on the stove and burn their hand, does it make it hurt any less?
 
I've seen nothing that tells me *the act* itself is racist. I've seen everything tell me *the intent* makes it racist.

How can putting a noose around the neck of a statue of James Meredith not be racist? Is there any way to say it wasn't a reference to lynching?
 
Question: If I'm in the kitchen with someone, I lose my balance and bump into them, and they fall on the stove and burn their hand, does it make it hurt any less?

It makes it an accident VS intentional. It can make a world of difference. Imagine if my husband accidentally hurt me VS intentionally hurt me. One is 'no biggie, you didn't mean to' and the other is '**** off - I'm leaving'

Intent matters a lot in our country in a variety of ways.

By expelling the students I believe they're saying that the 'intent was to be hateful - not just silly'
 
The act itself isn't 'racist' to me - could be a ****ty joke. Our country has certainly made it permissible to make race-related jokes. Many comedians thrive on this (Key and Peele, Tosh.0 - etc). What would make it racist is the intent, the overall behavior or attitude of these individuals. If they were in fact doing it for racially charged, hate fueled reasons VS they thought it would just be dumb and funny.

And I see it as a ****ty racist joke. I missed the episode where Key and Peele lynched a statue, or anyone for that matter. (and I watch them a lot) Big difference between standing there telling a joke so the world sees you and petty vandalism late at night. There are reports of two whites guys on campus shouting racial slurs... guess that is funny too.

I'd say a late night act of vandalism along a violent racial theme being seen as 'funny' says more about the racist attitude of the 'pranksters' than anything else.

Funny and stupid is white washing the University President's car, painting his dog blue, filling a fountain with detergent...
 
Is that the same Uni where some students were shouting racist insults when Obama got re-elected?

That's the one:

According to local reports, up to 400 students from the University of Mississippi staged a riotous protest last night at the news of Obama’s reelection. The Jackson Clarion Ledger reported that “students were heard shouting racial epithets about Obama and African Americans in general. Police were called to the scene and the crowd broke up around 12:30 a.m.”

Reports conflict over whether rocks were thrown, but Twitter images testify that an “Obama Biden” campaign sign was burned. No one was arrested or injured — in the context of the Oxford campus’s history of racist violence, it’s a stretch to call last night’s incident a “riot.”

link

400 vs three - I wonder why the harsh reaction this time around?
 
The act itself isn't 'racist' to me - could be a ****ty joke. Our country has certainly made it permissible to make race-related jokes. Many comedians thrive on this (Key and Peele, Tosh.0 - etc).

What would make it racist is the intent, the overall behavior or attitude of these individuals. If they were in fact doing it for racially charged, hate fueled reasons VS they thought it would just be dumb and funny.
I disagree. Tosh.0 and Key and Peele aren't comedians. ;) Agree on your other points.
 
400 vs three - I wonder why the harsh reaction this time around?
Probably because the riot was expected and there were probably more incidents of such protests at the same time. The noose incident occurred out of the blue and I don't recall any other similar incidents happening at the time.
 
I don't care what their intend was. They vandalized a school statue and that is never right.

Oh BS. Climb down off the horse. It's actually part of the culture of some campuses to mess with the statuary in ever more creative ways. My own freshman class placed a 5 foot paper mache penis on the statue of the university's founder.

There isn't a culture on earth that has no racism. The key is in how it's dealt with. What more do you require than what has happenned to address the incident? You looking for the death penalty or something?

Three students' careers and lives have been permanently impacted because they carried out what could very well have been a stupid college prank. A fraternity that has openned itself up to all races has lost it's charter. Massive over reaction fueled by the guilty minds of a bunch of white liberals.
 
How can putting a noose around the neck of a statue of James Meredith not be racist? Is there any way to say it wasn't a reference to lynching?

Heh, you're living in a culture where kids play Jackass and you have ask that?
 
Racism does not depend on the intent. Ever. Racism depends on the act. And considering our nation's clear history of racism against blacks, past and present, those of you who are going to try to convince us that the Ole Miss noose incident is not racism have a VERY difficult task ahead of you.

So every comedian who made a racial joke is guilty of racism, though their intent was obviously in jest.

/snooze
 
Oh BS. Climb down off the horse. It's actually part of the culture of some campuses to mess with the statuary in ever more creative ways. My own freshman class placed a 5 foot paper mache penis on the statue of the university's founder.

There isn't a culture on earth that has no racism. The key is in how it's dealt with. What more do you require than what has happenned to address the incident? You looking for the death penalty or something?

Three students' careers and lives have been permanently impacted because they carried out what could very well have been a stupid college prank. A fraternity that has openned itself up to all races has lost it's charter. Massive over reaction fueled by the guilty minds of a bunch of white liberals.

You put a paper mache penis on the statue??!! Horrors, what sexism!
 
Heh, you're living in a culture where kids play Jackass and you have ask that?

I am?
Sorry, I don't know what 'jackass' is and it's a long way to the nearest kid who might tell me so you'll have to enlighten me.
 
I am?
Sorry, I don't know what 'jackass' is and it's a long way to the nearest kid who might tell me so you'll have to enlighten me.

So, IF you're in the US, you're admitting your cultural ignorance, and in that case don't have the wherewithall to judge this situation to begin with.
 
So, IF you're in the US, you're admitting your cultural ignorance, and in that case don't have the wherewithall to judge this situation to begin with.

Ohferfvcksake.

Gotcha.
 
It is Mississippi, a solid red state so no real surprise there.
 
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