Race factor doesn't mean crime is racially motivated
This letter is in response to the racist and sexist incident that occurred on April 5 between two residents of Case Hall. While I do not doubt the validity of the claim by Megan Threats, I do not understand why the incident was regarded as racist. Yes, the two people involved were of two different races and genders, but were the causes behind Max Schurig slapping Threats racially rooted? Just because the victim happened to be of another race than the attacker, that does not make it a racist occurrence.
If the victim had been a white woman and the attacker a black male, would The State News have called the incident racially motivated? If there had been a protest, would it have been covered by The State News or would this protest be regarded as racist? If we as a country ever truly want to get past racial tensions, we need to stop seeing color and start seeing people, and stop assuming that violence against someone of a different race is racially motivated.
Jessica Byrom
international relations junior
Published on Thursday, April 24, 2008
Comments
MSUAlum2001
04/25/08 @ 8:04am
I can't believe I'm going to actually say this…but I agree with Jessica on this one. I think this is the first time I've agreed with her.
AJ Rice
04/25/08 @ 8:04am
I don’t usually write in on these but let us all get one thing clear. There were MULTIPLE INCIDENTS. For instance, two girls moving out of case because the N-word was written on their door. Or another black female who had “fat black bi***” written on her door, or another incident where “Black bit**** are evil” was written on her door. Now, I would like for someone to explain to me how that is not racist. Please..I’m waiting…
AJ Rice
04/25/08 @ 8:06am
Oh yea…does this say anything about..uhh…racist AND sexist. Just checking.
Kain
04/25/08 @ 8:37am
“For instance, two girls moving out of case because the N-word was written on their door.”
Congrats to them – they gave the racist pukes who wrote that enormous power over them. What a wonderful message to send – if you insult us with a slur, we’ll leave. Well done.
“Or another black female who had “fat black bi***” written on her door.”
Was she fat? Black? Bi+chy? If she was, how does this make it racist or sexist? People write “fat stupid a$$hat on my neighbor’s door. Guess what? He’s all three. Doesn’t make the writer of that message prejudiced against fat, stupid, or a$$hat people.
“Black bit**** are evil”
Actually, ALL bi+ches are evil. Otherwise they wouldn’t be called a bi+ch. Addressing one subset doesn’t imply racism. I could just as easily say “White scumbags are evil.” It doesn’t imply that I’m a racist – unless I claim that BLACK scumbags aren’t.
People will all find racism and sexism where there is none. I agree with the OP – unless you can prove that the same events would NOT have happened if the victim was the same race, you have no argument.
AJ Rice
04/25/08 @ 9:00am
Well Kain..so we agree, some of the incidents were indeed racist. As for your other comments, well I’ll address them in full later. I find it interesting, however, that when you describe what is written on your neighbor’s door, there is no mention of race. So, by your own admission, there’s a difference here. LOL..as for your hypothetical…anything is possible by fiat. I proved my point, it is you that have to prove that race isn’t a factor, when it was clearly invoked by the perpetrators. Oh…why are you defending racists and sexists? Just curious?
Jason
04/25/08 @ 9:02am
Kain- “unless you can prove that the same events would NOT have happened if the victim was the same race, you have no argument.”
How can you prove a negative?
I see your point, but don’t you think a string of events directed exclusively at black people is likley to be racially motivated? You also failed to address the use of the N-word. I think this string of events provides an argument that it was racially motivated. The fact that it does not appear that white girls were similarly targeted also supports such an argument.
Kain
04/25/08 @ 10:02am
“I find it interesting, however, that when you describe what is written on your neighbor’s door, there is no mention of race.”
Exactly. See? Think for a bit, and you’ll get it.
“Oh…why are you defending racists and sexists? Just curious?”
Actually, I was addressing free thought. Sad that you cannot see that. Perhaps your ability to see racism where none is prevalent is blinding you? Prove to me that the following statement is racist because of the word BLACK is in it and you can label me a racist all you want:
All black people who hate Asians are racist maggots
I welcome your response.
“How can you prove a negative?”
See? That’s the hard part. It’s easier to label someone a racist than figure out that they just don’t like someone. Suppose two people of the same race are at a bar, bump into each other, and spill their drinks on each other. One apologizes politely. The other, drunk and an a$$hat, calls the the apologizer an expletive and throws a punch. Why? Because he’s an a$$hat. Now imagine the same scenario, but with two differently-raced people. How do you know that it’s because someone is a racist and NOT that he’s an a$$hat? If he drops a racial slur, then I can understand it. But otherwise, simply having a confrontation with a person of a different race does not automatically make it a racist incident.
Jason
04/25/08 @ 11:05am
Kain- My “how can you prove a negative” comment was addressed at your comment that there is “no argument” that these acts were racist unless you prove whatever that negative is. You are right that a white person calling a black person a bad name isn’t necessarily racist. But in this case we do have racial slurs and what appears to be a string of event addressed solely at black students.
You still have failed to address the fact that racial slurs were in fact used.
You continue to focus solely on the words and are ignoring some broader contexts surrounding the messages. Taking those messages in isolation, they certainly could be free from racial motivation. Afterall, how do we know they weren’t written by a black man or woman? However, looking at all the facts, it seems more likely that these messages were racially motivated.
what?
04/25/08 @ 11:28am
“Congrats to them – they gave the racist pukes who wrote that enormous power over them. What a wonderful message to send – if you insult us with a slur, we’ll leave. Well done.”
I’m glad you recognize the connection between the word nigger and violence and hatred. Surely, a person who would responds to the word nigger being written on their door is not thinking clearly.
A DeLay
04/25/08 @ 11:54am
I am in total agreement with this article for multiple reasons. Yes, a crime was committed, but it this worth the witch hunt? Mentors, HD’s, and James Madison students have been label racists in light of these events. There has been a lot of knee jerking, and as far as I know, not enough trying to solve the problem internally. I heard that after the incident on the first floor of South Case, the Mentor and others tried to help the situation, and held floor meeting that were not attended by the person in question. Now that RA is under fire?
Is there a problem? Or coarse, but we cannot keep engaging in these which hunts and protests that JMC related groups have been having.
Finally, in the e-mail that was sent regarding the…not so much protest, but handing out of information in the south complex courtyard, African-Americans were referred to as men and women, and in one case it was written “In another event, a white girl…”. Referring to some as men/women and others as girl/boy is inflaming the situation.
TJ
04/25/08 @ 2:18pm
“I’m glad you recognize the connection between the word nigger and violence and hatred. Surely, a person who would responds to the word ni—er being written on their door is not thinking clearly.”
I got what he/she said. If everyone hit up with a slur rolled over and left, the racist wins. At some point you have to stand your ground and show that a slur or expletive won’t make you run in fear.
Megan S.
04/25/08 @ 4:36pm
We live in a society and culture where differences in race and gender are used as oppression, that is a fact that contributes to many experiences that people of color and women have. Maybe people should think about what it would feel like to be a black female who was threatened by a white male, who has far more privilege because of his race and sex. What is a white guy had threatened to slap another white guy? would that have even happened and how would the response be different..dont be so quick to say things are not racially motivated, because racism is something that pervades our culture…you can say its not true, but the people who are affected by it would argue differently.
“If we as a country ever truly want to get past racial tensions, we need to stop seeing color and start seeing people, and stop assuming that violence against someone of a different race is racially motivated.”
HOw about you focus more on ending the racism that exists than on scrutiinizing people who speak out against it. the bottom line is that people do see color, people are affected by racism everyday, and ignoring is is not the solution for ending it. Think about that.
I also think this sounds a lot like blaming people of color for perpetuating racism…so watch what you say because that can be construed as VERY offensive.
James Madison
04/26/08 @ 11:25am
In response to AJ RICE I think it is important that we view all of these incidents isolated and see if there is racial motivation to them. I agree that instances where derogatory racial words are used or written on property it should be considered as racism and as a hate crime.
HOWEVER, in instances such as the Max/Megan slapping incident we need to gather all of the information before we yell RACISM because the fact is that the incident you referenced and the one Jessica was referencing with Max were different isolated incidents.
stereotype, behavior, culture
05/02/08 @ 1:44pm
Kyle Mays & AJ Rice = violent aggitators… psuedo-intellectual black separatists… racial criminal apologists… typical chimp stereotypes!
stereotype
Definition:
1. reduce somebody to a category: to categorize individuals according to a standardized image or idea based on traits or behaviors typically attributed to members of the group to which they belong.
Can anyone guess which group these two exhibit the traits and behaviors of?
BTW: most people (even blacks) use the “N” word as an epithet based on behavior and culture, not color! “Whut” size shoe?
RE: TJ et al.
05/02/08 @ 4:31pm
Duh, the Black students in Case Hall haven’t run in fear from a damn thing. The opposite, they’re standing tall and fighting. What you think the protest was for? Let’s keep it simple: white people writing “nigger” and “black bitch” on doors will be taken to task. White men who slap Black women in the face with get dealt with.
Here’s a lesson for white folk at MSU: you don’t write racial slurs on Case Hall doors, and you don’t slap Black women in the face on Madison boat rides Period. End of lesson.
whut "taken to task... dealt with..." means to this above stereotypical bonobo
05/02/08 @ 5:56pm
source: dept. of justice website
http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm
Homicide trends in the U.S.
Trends by race
Racial differences exist, with blacks disproportionately represented among homicide offenders
In 2005, offending rates for blacks were more than 7 times higher than the rates for whites
Homicide Offending Rates per 100,000 Population by Race
2005 White 3.5 Black 26.5
People of color! Say it loud! Say it proud! “It’s not the color, it’s the culture!”
RE: RE: TJ et al.
05/03/08 @ 11:10pm
Why do you continue to make race the issue, not the action? Why do African-Americans stand together in solidarity over everything because of race? Why not do it because they’re your friend, or because they’re a good person, or because the action was wrong?
I am speaking specifically about the issue at the JMC Charity Ball, where the issue has been inflamed… drastically, because of race. Feel free to continue inflaming the situation – you’re just creating animosity towards yourselves by making ridiculous claims and crying racism when the actions were not racial. Were the actions dumb and wrong? Yes. Was it because Max was white and Megan was black? No.
cool
05/04/08 @ 12:40pm
this trend of fighting on the internet is so annoying. and can someone tell me why the girl was slapped? was it because this kid had some unexplainable hatred for black people and had no better way to express it, or was it over something not racist? i hate italian people, and i find the best way to show it is slapping them at james madison events, and then wiping the spaghetti sauce off of my hand after.