Noose at Columbia

[Royd 0]

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I don't want to be merely tolerated because of my skin color, cultural heritage, religion. I want to be accepted as an equal. I won't tolerate anything less.

There are some people who are in your close circle of friends, some that you just ignore, and others who you just tolerate their presence.

[DSE 5]

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I don't want to be merely tolerated because of my skin color, cultural heritage, religion. I want to be accepted as an equal. I won't tolerate anything less.

There are some people who are in your close circle of friends, some that you just ignore, and others who you just tolerate their presence.

You've never borrowed money? Never needed to apply for employment? Needed help with a flat tire, wanted to attend an event, sit on a particular bench or under a particular tree?
And wanted to be accepted equally outside your "circle of close friends?"

[NCclimber 0]

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I don't want to be merely tolerated because of my skin color, cultural heritage, religion. I want to be accepted as an equal. I won't tolerate anything less.

There are some people who are in your close circle of friends, some that you just ignore, and others who you just tolerate their presence.

You've never borrowed money? Never needed to apply for employment? Needed help with a flat tire, wanted to attend an event, sit on a particular bench or under a particular tree? And wanted to be accepted equally outside your "circle of close friends?"

Sounds like problems from 50-60 years ago.

[DSE 5]

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Sounds like problems from 50-60 years ago.

Something an ostrich might say.

[Royd 0]

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You've never borrowed money? Never needed to apply for employment? Needed help with a flat tire, wanted to attend an event, sit on a particular bench or under a particular tree?
And wanted to be accepted equally outside your "circle of close friends?"

Sure I have. I walk up to the circle of cool freeflyers and hot skychicks and I get ignored like I'm some old RW flyer, so I feel your pain.

[NCclimber 0]

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Sounds like problems from 50-60 years ago.

Something an ostrich might say.

We all see what we want to see. If people are convinced racism and intolerance are widespread, I'm sure they will be able to find examples to justify their point of view... whether or not it's realistic.

[mnealtx 0]

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It seems to me that most of the people who scream and rant about racism are themselves models of intolerance.

I don't want to be merely tolerated because of my skin color, cultural heritage, religion. I want to be accepted as an equal. I won't tolerate anything less.

Not demanding special treatment or privileges because of skin color, cultural heritage, religion, etc. goes a LONG way towards establishing equality.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Richards 0]

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You've never borrowed money?

When have you been refused a loan because of your skin colour?

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Needed help with a flat tire, wanted to attend an event, sit on a particular bench or under a particular tree?

When have you been denied the right to sit on a particular bench or sit under a particular tree due to your skin colour?

As for the changing of a tire I would be curious to hear the circumstances.

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[billvon 3,072]

>If people are convinced racism and intolerance are widespread, I'm
>sure they will be able to find examples to justify their point of view...
>whether or not it's realistic.

Yes. Just as there are people who are convinced that 'racism' is just a political topic that minorities use to get attention, and they see the world through that filter. It's an easy filter to reinforce, especially when someone lives in a homogeneous neighborhood where they see no racism because they see no other races.

The truth, as usual, is somewhere in between.

[Richards 0]

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Just as there are people who are convinced that 'racism' is just a political topic that minorities use to get attention, and they see the world through that filter.

I doubt most people would take it to that extreme. Most just wish that there would be some sort of official acknowledgement that this does happen. It's almost as though it is taboo to recognise it. I do not personally beleive that racism is just a term used by minorities and that all claims are merely race-baits. I do however see that it does happen with alarming frequency. I also see that anyone who points out that it happens is usually accused of either being a racist, having their head in the sand and/or being accused of wanting to beleive there is no racism so as to protect a status quo.

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[NCclimber 0]

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>If people are convinced racism and intolerance are widespread, I'm
>sure they will be able to find examples to justify their point of view...
>whether or not it's realistic.

Yes. Just as there are people who are convinced that 'racism' is just a political topic that minorities use to get attention, and they see the world through that filter. It's an easy filter to reinforce, especially when someone lives in a homogeneous neighborhood where they see no racism because they see no other races.

The truth, as usual, is somewhere in between.

Of course, you don't hear about those people in the homogeneous neighborhoods making a spectacle of themselves about the absence of racism.

I recently saw a young girl on TV, who was getting on a bus to Jena, LA. She was talking about how brave MLK had been during all those civil rights marches... how she had always wished she could do something that brave... and that now she going to be able to do just that.

Now that the Jena 6 story has passed (for now), it's interesting to find out which details were left out of the mainstream reporting and which details were embellished.

[lawrocket 3]

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There is, in my early estimation, a 50/50 chance that she put the noose up there herself.

Actually, I'm up to 70 percent odds that she did it, and 25 percent odds that it was a member of the University Staff or Faculty.

I say this because Columbia University has refused to turn over security videotape that could help identify who hung the noose.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071011/ap_on_re_us/columbia_noose

So, it appears that early investigation is making Columbia assume a defensive posture.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[billvon 3,072]

>Of course, you don't hear about those people in the
>homogeneous neighborhoods making a spectacle of themselves about
>the absence of racism.

Perhaps you recently heard Bill O'Reilly make a spectacle of himself when talking about the surprising absence of incompetence and "culture corruption" in a local black restaurant?

[NCclimber 0]

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>Of course, you don't hear about those people in the
>homogeneous neighborhoods making a spectacle of themselves about
>the absence of racism.

Perhaps you recently heard Bill O'Reilly make a spectacle of himself when talking about the surprising absence of incompetence and "culture corruption" in a local black restaurant?

Nice interpretation, Bill.

[DSE 5]

Or Don Imus
Sid Rosenberg
Rush Limbaugh (forced to resign for racist comments)
Hal Turner (Fired for anti-homosexual comments)
Adam Carolla (Fired for anti-Asian commentary)

or...

Some folks don't won't see bias as a problem, because it's NIMBY.
Others exist within it every day.
More than likely, neither side will ever accept the other.
Some people feel they're superior based on skin color, religion, sexual preference, and it likely will always be so. Society hasn't progressed much in 2000 years.

[lawrocket 3]

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Society hasn't progressed much in 2000 years.

Sure it has. There are just outliers who are vocal. As a whole, society has changed DRAMATICALLY. Don't let certain individuals, who would have been the societal norm even 609 years ago, reflect society as a whoel.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[billvon 3,072]

>Nice interpretation, Bill.

So in your book, a woman boarding a bus to participate in a civil rights march is "making a spectacle of herself" but a man who expresses surprise (on a popular radio show) that black restaurant can be just as nice as white restaurant is not.

Got it.

[masterblaster72 0]

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There is, in my early estimation, a 50/50 chance that she put the noose up there herself.

Actually, I'm up to 70 percent odds that she did it, and 25 percent odds that it was a member of the University Staff or Faculty.

I say this because Columbia University has refused to turn over security videotape that could help identify who hung the noose.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071011/ap_on_re_us/columbia_noose

So, it appears that early investigation is making Columbia assume a defensive posture.

My girlfriend is a student at Teacher's College. She said the streets around her dorm have been crowded since yesterday, and that there are some angry people on the streets there.

I think there could be many reasons they won't turn over the tapes just yet: 1. damage control to the university's image and 2. to prevent potential unrest 3. they don't know what to make of the tape yet 4. their security department have their own internal procedures that don't allow such quick turnover of security material.

I think you're being a bit prejudiced (I don't mean prejudiced in the racist sense) about what you're surmising here...not saying that it's not out of the realm of possibility that the professor did this herself; it's just too early to tell at this point.

On the other hand, I could see how this would fuel your suspicion:

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Court records show Constantine filed a defamation lawsuit in May against another professor of psychology and education,

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[lawrocket 3]

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I think there could be many reasons they won't turn over the tapes just yet: 1. damage control to the university's image

Damage control means helping find the responsible person and fignering that person. Quickly.

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2. to prevent potential unrest

You posted there are angry people in the streets now. It doesn't seem to be doing that. Perhaps the opposite.

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3. they don't know what to make of the tape yet

So let the cops help them. It's police business once a report was made and the school in interfering.

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4. their security department have their own internal procedures that don't allow such quick turnover of security material.

Again, let the cops handle it. It gives me the impression that the University has something to hide - that there will be egg on the face.

And I am not alone. An air of untrustworthiness is being generated. It can be quashed quite easily, but why is the university not cooperating?

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[warpedskydiver 0]

Hey Douglas, wanna see some bias? follow me around for a few days with a video camera.

People often take one look at me and decide I am some skinhead neo nazi, or racist.

I got used to it, I just let them keep on deluding themselves.

[DSE 5]

One of our former employees is heavily tattooed, pierced, etc. We had one client that didn't want him in their offices, simply because of how he looked. We explained that regardless of how they perceived him, if they wanted quality lighting, he'd stay. If they wanted mediocre lighting, he could leave. I'd like to say it surprised me that they'd made up their mind about this very quiet, incredibly talented young man (who is now working on the new "Batman" in the UK) who is honest, respectful, and creative, based on his appearance and nothing more. I admit, I looked at him funny once in a while, but only because I was trying to decipher some of his tats.

[DZJ 0]

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We had one client that didn't want him in their offices, simply because of how he looked.

Isn't that the client's prerogative?

[billvon 3,072]

> One of our former employees is heavily tattooed, pierced, etc.

Well, that's a bit different. I recall one guy who came into Amy's ER one night with a swastika tatooed on his forehead. They started taking care of him. His mother ran around screaming "You're treating him differently just because he has a swastika on his forehead!"

Finally one of the residents said "uh, isn't that why he got it?"

Body modification/jewelry/tattoos are voluntary modifications you make to your body, and if you choose to do them in a visible place, make a statement whether you want them to or not. Some people will agree with the statement (whether it's a swastika, or a picture of a half naked woman, or a big cross) and some won't. That's life.

Take a different angle. Imagine that guy A came into the client's office with a sweat stained wife beater T-shirt, and guy B came into the office with a clean button-down shirt. The client will likely make a judgment that one is more professional/disciplined than the other based on their clothing. Doesn't mean that that's reality, but that's most people's experience coming into play.

[DSE 5]

why/how were they treating him different?
Treating him faster? With less compassion? More compassion?

I agree with your points on perception, particularly in matters of choice. My guy was wearing our standard 'uniform' of a golf shirt, nice jeans, and well groomed, no different than anyone else. I have my peeves about how he was inked, but it also didn' prevent me from getting to know him and his history.

[billvon 3,072]

> why/how were they treating him different?

They weren't really treating him any differently, but his mother didn't believe that. Indeed, the fact that he was screaming at them as well had more to do with their dislike of him than the swastika - but they get paid to take care of people whether they like them or not.