Small world.

I’ve found you to be a passionate, rational and thoughtful opiner on this subject.

I suspect you are in the minority on that one.

Sorta-funny story re: Al Sharpton. I went to college in the Bronx. One day my girlfriend and I were coming back from Coney Island, got off the D train at Fordham Road and were walking back to campus. We see a pretty large contingent of people walking together on the sidewalk, along with TV cameras, I am walking, looking at the cameras and not where I am going and BAM! run right into Al Sharpton (got him kinda shoulder to shoulder. He was wearing this long purple robe-type thing and had very long curls at the time. Some guy who I assume was in his enourage pulled me away and brusquely tossed me aside. I mumbled a quick “sorry” and got the hell away from there.

That was also the day of the infamous mermaid parade at Coney Island, (google it, but not at work) which I had no idea even existed and kind of stumbled upon. So pretty surreal day all in all.

“Trust. But verify.”

Very wise words, Chap. And for what it’s worth, I’ve found you to be a passionate, rational and thoughtful opiner on this subject.

On February 21st, 2008 at 8:56 am, Boomer said: Having not grown up in the post Civil War reconstruction era in the “Deep South” I am still trying to wrap my mind around the symbol of a hangman’s noose as a hate crime. I guess the Confederate battle flag is no longer the symbol of white oppression from Nathan Bedford Forest days as founder of the KKK. With most of my life being spent in the Western part of the country and being well read on local history I still associate it with the hanging of murderers, cattle rustlers, and horse thieves from the frontier justice of the “Wild West” era of American history.

Boomer, I have to answer this and I hope perhaps I can even start an email conversation with you if you would like.

I can understand how many people associate the Confederate Battle Flag with slavery and oppression and I respect that opinion but it does remain an opinion. Nathan B. Forrest actually left the KKK after it changed from a means to drive off carpetbaggers into the hate-filled organization it became. The Confederate flag (And thus, the battle flag by proxy) remains to me a proud remembrance of my heritage as a Southerner. It also represents the attempt of many brave men (On both sides in regards to the soldiers who served) to prevent the centralization of power into a centralized and all-powerful federal government.

Slavery was indeed an abhorrence to mankind and should rightfully be condemned and actively impeded even where it still exists to this day. However, as a true lover of history as well, I still believe in the larger issue of Individual States Rights and NOT having to answer to an all-seeing pseudo-omniscient federal system.

It is my humble opinion that while slavery was a main issue of the civil war, the civil war itself was not fought exclusively because of slavery. Look at Lincoln’s group associations in the 1850’s and the facts that slavery, while not as prevalent in the North, was not legally abolished in the North until almost a full two years after it was abolished in the South.

I do understand how it can become a divisive issue for many people and I kept mine indoors in order to avoid offending people out of a sense of common courtesy and not because of being PC or out of some fear of being offensive.

That being said, I do fully agree with you on a noose being quite innocuous in certain circumstances and the mere display should not offend anyone more than any other personal display. However, if it is hung on someone’s door, placed in a tree in their yard under cover of night, it could be seen much the same as the old burning crosses and I do see how it could be considered worthy of investigation and in some instances, prosecution. I believe threats and intimidation are still crimes despite PC run amok.

As for me, I shall hang my Confederate Battle Flag with pride within the confines of my home. I had mine there with all of my friends who I daresay, were and remain a very diverse group of people.

As for history, any lover of History is someone I would be proud to have as a friend … even if by chance they were as ugly as me. I do not care what people look like, only about the quality and content of their character.

(MM and RM: If you must remove this post I understand but I hope you will allow it to remain)

Thanks

On February 21st, 2008 at 12:48 pm, chapoutier said:

but as a society, I think we’re over it.

I tend to agree. I would not call America a racist nation or society. That, I think we all agree, is far different from saying that racism doesn’t exist in our society.

Here is a poll done by Rasmussen that I found interesting. To summarize, the poll says that 74% of Americans are willing to vote for a woman and 77% for a black person. That’s pretty good and I would say probably underestimates because I suspect some people found it difficult to separate their unwillingness to vote for the particular woman and black man in the race now from their overall opinion on the subject.

But what was also interesting is that only 54 and 56 percent, respectively, thought their friends, family, neighbors would vote for a woman/black person. So I guess perhaps the perception of racism (and sexism) outperforms the reality.

What interests me about the survey are the questions that weren’t asked (e.g., how likely is it that you, your friends or family would vote for a Caucasian or Republican candidate). You can’t get a complete picture of the extent of racism in society without asking those questions.

At Columbia, one of the rules that every single instructor, teacher’s aid and profesor repeats time and time again, is “Plagiarism will not be allowed.”

The professor who became famous for finding a mock noose on her door knob has been revealed to …

Ms. Constantine, congratulations. Step on up and present your get-out-of-jail free card and receive you autographed picture of Mrs. Obama.

Everything fits and it is not a surprise. Sorry about the appearance of prejudice on my part, but since no one will be punished, least of all Ms. Constantine, such is not a concern.

Columbia U. noose professor sanctioned for fraud; claims she’s a “victim of structural racism.” Previous Colossus reports available here…….

In an update on this story here, some very fishy news has come up, telling that the professor whose office had a noose-rope hung on her door has been sanctioned for mass plagiarism (via Hot Air):…

But it’s OK, because she’s a fighter for "social justice.": Professor Madonna Constantine has been sanctioned by Teachers College for plagiarism, according to a memo obtained by Spectator Tuesday evening. The memo, dated Feb. 18, was hand-d…

but as a society, I think we’re over it.

I tend to agree. I would not call America a racist nation or society. That, I think we all agree, is far different from saying that racism doesn’t exist in our society.

Here is a poll done by Rasmussen that I found interesting. To summarize, the poll says that 74% of Americans are willing to vote for a woman and 77% for a black person. That’s pretty good and I would say probably underestimates because I suspect some people found it difficult to separate their unwillingness to vote for the particular woman and black man in the race now from their overall opinion on the subject.

But what was also interesting is that only 54 and 56 percent, respectively, thought their friends, family, neighbors would vote for a woman/black person. So I guess perhaps the perception of racism (and sexism) outperforms the reality.

Uh no, she’s a liar and a thief…

I have worked in Academia and this unfortunately doesn’t surprise me. Chaputier, maybe it’s one reason I was so cynical. I’ve been harping about the unreleased video. That poor Psychologist was murdered in Manhattan and the police had the building surveillance video out the next day. But months later, no sign of the noose video.

I personally think “Instutional Racism” has finally “jumped the shark.” A moron tries to get on a plane with a box cutter and claims racism when arrested. A fraud at Columbia is exposed for stealing the works of others and claims racism. The wife of an ivy-league educated black man running for POTUS(let me repeat, running for Pres), herself ivy-league educated and making $275,000 a year hints at racism to galvanize the Brandeys of the world.

Sorry, I think people of all races are sick of it and tuning it out. If Obama has shown anything, it’s that the claims of racism holding people back no longer apply.

Like a forest fire that’s been beaten down that has hot spots flare up, there will surely be instances of racism and bigotry, but the claims of the race baiters are, from this point on, null and void.

Sorry, that’s how I see it. And yes, I know individual haters are out there, but as a society, I think we’re over it.

So rather than trying to gain political points, people like the good professor here should not cry racism when something doesn’t go their way but save it for real incidents of racism.

Why all of the sudden am I thinking of Bill Clinton circa January 2008?….

Hmmm….I guess the mind wanders.