2nd day in a row for above the fold headlines (both racism and Ebola)
In response to the first incident of racial vandalism aimed at black teacher Carolyn Gardner at Amherst Regional High School back in October last year, Amherst school officials simply covered it up.
It was only after an incident of student bullying that led to a Facebook "threat" and the dramatic closing of the High School that ongoing incidents of racism and bullying became public. Although it didn't fit the Politically Correct agenda because it was black on white bullying.
So I have to wonder what would have happened at UMass if officials and the impacted students had simply cleaned up the graffiti and said nothing?
Yes racism is intolerable, but then so is nuclear war. One of those things where you don't get much of a public argument from an opposing view -- especially here in "Nuclear Free" Amherst.
Unless of course you're an anonymous troll.
22 comments:
Anonymous Troll Says:
I must have missed something
I'm concerned that this is a hoax. Josh Odam stated that he himself found the writing after getting back from Ferguson. So did someone know exactly when he was getting back and they wrote it right before? Or did no one else at all notice the large black scribbling on the white door for some time?
Tolerance is a cop out for those that don't have the ability to respect someone.
You teach tolerance to ignorant people. Smart people learn how to respect.
I only tolerate things I don't agree with but I don't have the power to change. Thus tolerance is also a sign of weakness on such topics. For example, I tolerate that fact that I have 1000's of political leaders. Most people tolerate rape.
But I understand, so many of us were taught to make our dislike and hate PC via the word tolerance.
You don't tolerate other races. Such actions should be shamed, not promoted at schools and papers. You respect them or you get wise enough to treat people as individuals while recognizing and respecting their family history and genetics.
Tolerance is a joke, and the jokes on people that use it.
Pen says it well, please see the link on my name.
It's getting to the point where you need a scorecard to keep up with what you should be outraged, offended, afraid and/or hysterical about.
Yeah I guess part of my concern is the "Little Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome.
Getting people all worked up for what could be nothing means somewhere down the road, when we should be outraged, we will just be too tired.
Playing a bit of Devil's Advocate: isn't Calvin Terrell just a big-old-Troll, too? Stirring up trouble...
I guess the difference is he's using our taxpayer dollars to troll?
(for the record: my seventh and eighth graders got a lot out of the controversial assembly, and I'm not worried about them being Emotionally Scarred because they were exposed to Scary Ideas).
Well whatever he peddles sure doesn't seem to quell the trolls, since his first appearance at ARHS was only about a month before the first (covered up) incident against Carolyn Gardner.
And in the current case of Mr. Terrell, he's not using tax dollars. Amherst College is picking up his expensive tab.
$38,000, or a boatload of bitcoins.
I do think colleges need to find a better way to respond to these incidents, whether the perpetrators are genuine bigots or so-called hate crime hoaxers (as at Oberlin, Vassar, Sweet Briar, Grand Valley, Claremont College, and Central CT State). Bigots and hoaxers alike must revel in the current model of response.
Indeed. And they sure did print up those t-shirts pretty quickly. Of course now I'm wondering who paid for them?
Or did no one else at all notice the large black scribbling on the white door for some time?
Dorm staff -- both RAs and Janitors -- are required to watch for this sort of stuff and to document/report it upon observation.
RAs are supposed to make a 911 call, the UMPD is supposed to document, photograph & arrange for removal of it. This protocol was established after a rather nasty incident in the early '90s and I believe is still in effect. (All hell would have broken loose were it ever to have been eliminated...)
And they sure did print up those t-shirts pretty quickly. Of course now I'm wondering who paid for them?
Probably the SGA -- most likely out of the "Student Bridges" slush fund, just like they did the "Justice for Jason" shirts.
That's why UMass shut down the Minuteman Newspaper -- we had that all documented down to copies of bills & purchase orders (that UM admin folk had signed) and we were going to run it in our third issue.
Maybe UMPD should institute a "student informant" program for racial crimes.
Maybe UMPD should institute a "student informant" program for racial crimes.
Like they don't have enough being fabricated already????
Any police investigation should work inside out. They should go first to the person who witnessed or first saw the crime and then proceed out from that point. Could get more interesting than what it seems.
"Any police investigation should work inside out. They should go first to the person who witnessed or first saw the crime and then proceed out from that point."
Yes, that worked so well with the rape hoaxes, didn't it? Cops KNEW from the get-go that they were hoaxes when the victim's clothes were dry but theirs were soaking wet (it had rained that morning) and hence knew that she hadn't been in the Rhododendrons...
To Dr. Ed,
Just saying what the process should be not what it is always.
Anon 7:09 -- you're probably thinking what I am, aren't you?
Sad -- one of these days there really will be a wolf and no one will pay any attention.
Kinda line what happened with Ebola -- back in March it was in a few rural villages and nobody payed much attention to it because there had been so many scares before.
Well.... This time....
You know, it would be nice to have a little bit of tolerance at UMass.
The only problem is that the most intolerant people are the ones who are supposedly in favor of it...
Anonymous @ October 17, 2014 at 9:39 AM is correct.
This has all the markings of a self-created stunt by Josh Odam to attract attention to racism in society. UMass officials probably know this but have their hands tied. Revealing the truth would turn Odam into more of a victim.
Self created or created by one of his buddies without telling him...
Good message from Chancellor to the campus community today. It was nice to see that some progress has been made on the investigation.
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Letter from the Chancellor:
Dear Campus Community,
As part of a thorough and ongoing investigation conducted by the UMass Police, an individual has been charged today in court in connection with his alleged involvement in two recent incidents where racist, intimidating messages were scrawled on residence hall doors.
The person arrested, a UMass Amherst student, was arraigned on two charges: vandalize property, and property damage to intimidate. In general, a hate crime in Massachusetts occurs when the defendant’s underlying criminal conduct is motivated by hatred, bias or prejudice, based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national orgin, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexual orientation of another individual or group of individuals. The charge of property damage to intimidate provides the basis for a hate crime prosecution.
Matters like this are also typically addressed through the Code of Student Conduct. The code clearly states that students are expected to uphold a high standard of civility to ensure a safe and healthy campus, and the university has a special concern for incidents in which individuals or groups are subject to intimidation or harassment because of membership in a particular group. In all such cases, alleged violators face significant and prompt sanctions. The student in this case is no longer on our campus.
Meanwhile, UMass Police continue their investigation into similar incidents where racist, threatening messages were written on students’ doors in other residence halls. Your assistance is vital. If you have witnessed or experienced an act of bias, please report it to the residential life staff in your building, the Dean of Students Office at (413) 545-2684 or UMPD at (413) 545-2121. For reporting to UMPD in confidence, use the TIPS Line at (413) 577-8477.
As we all agreed last week at the Town Hall Meeting on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, our community faces many challenges to strengthen the bonds of inclusion, respect and compassion. We will do so by working together, and I want to thank everyone for their support as we deal with these difficult issues.
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy
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