There seem to be two main theories about the nooses found in a lab on the campus of Central Michigan University last month. One, that their construction and placement were intentional acts of racial intimidation. Two, as was claimed in a message to www.cm-life.com, they were merely Halloween pranks. I'd like to offer a third theory: They were placed by someone, possibly a black person, in order to trigger a wave of interest in racial issues and "diversity." I do not know which theory is correct. My third theory is at least worth thinking about because the events at CMU roughly conform to a pattern which I have already described in a previous blog entry, Deja UVA: Racist Incidents at the University of Virginia:
Deja UVA: Racist Incidents at the University of VirginiaHere is a hoax that did not fit the pattern:
Alicia Hardin at Trinity International UniversityHere is the case of a woman who seems to have been ineptly trying to follow the script:
Kerri Dunn: Pale CriminalThe above also discusses an incident at the University of Texas. Finally, the mother of all cases of possibly fake hate crimes perpetrated for political reasons:
Virtual Racism at the University of Michigan in the Winter of 1987
After you've read and studied a few of these episodes, your first question, when a "noose in the lab" incident occurs will not be, "How could anyone do a horrible thing like this?" but rather, "OK, now who actually did this, and why?" And, like I said on another blog post, you'll want to hold off a bit on the candlelight vigil stuff.
Right after the Nov. 27 Fighting for Diversity rally sponsored by the CMU chapter of the NAACP, the university held its "sixth annual diversity forum." [Sue: Unconscious bigotry most dangerous / Forum highlights national racial issues minorities face By Thomas Marcetti, 11/28/07, cm-life.com] "Sue" is Derald Wing Sue, a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University. He is quoted:
It is not the overt racists, not the skinheads or the Klansmen that does the most damage. . . . . It is someone who means well, but cannot see how biased and bigoted they are.So here we have one of his fundamental presumptions: that we white people have profound flaws in our ways of thinking, and these flaws -- that we don't even know about, for the most part -- are the reason people of color do not, on the average, do as well in their lives as we, on the average, do in ours. It is a truly stupid idea, but you will find variations of it expressed by many "scholars" of "diversity" these days. They don't have all that much objective instances of bigotry to complain about so they start mythologizing about things like "invisible knapsacks" and "unconscious bigotry."
If that were the only objectionable idea reported in the cm-life.com article, I would simply write it off as the anti-white bigotry that it is and forget about it. But there is an agenda behind the moronic theorizing. Let me again quote from the cm-life.com article:
Joiner said there is a possibility for change and for things to get better."Culture is fluid. It changes with time, experience and life circumstances," he said. "We need to learn to adjust to other cultures, too often we let stereotypes hinder us in that progression."
The problem, Sue said, is that values and stereotypes are ingrained at an early age.
"We're trying to deal with people who have experienced a flawed system," he said.
All three agreed teaching children about other cultures and about acceptance is vital to changing the status quo. "We're here to engage and increase our knowledge of a very important topic," she said.
It seems that Mr. Sue and his multicultural cadres want to tweak our elementary school curricula so that our children will grow up without "unconscious bigotry" so that minorities, no longer subject to "micro-aggressions" inflicted by white people who "cannot see how biased and bigoted they are," will thrive and prosper and find success, acclaim and happiness in precisely the same proportions that those things are found by white people.
Once you get away from the pleasant sounding platitudes you hear in a "diversity forum," once you look at some of the actual programs put in place by enthusiasts of "diversity," you start to see the ugly, sinister side of it all. See:
"Anti-Racism": the Mailed Fist of Multiculturalism By Lawrence Auster (FrontPageMagazine.com, Friday, July 16, 2004)Now, I don't know whether or not Mr. Sue would approve of the harsh, manipulative or cultic methods described in the above articles. But, in general, the abuses are inflicted by people who tend to speak and write and who seem to think like Sue, so my wariness is well justified. I've read accounts where "learning about other cultures" is little more than an exercise in making white kids ashamed to be white. After all, if the problem is "unconscious bigotry," then you would necessarily have to mess with people's heads, wouldn't you, in order to correct the problem?Diversity Boot Camp Closed At The University Of Delaware—But Big Brother Is Still Going Strong By John Derbyshire November 19, 2007
University of Michigan Youth Intergroup Dialogue Brainwashing Project (November 1, 2005, by Me)
If Mr. Sue and his colleagues have such a virtuoso command over cultural transformation, why do they not infiltrate into our inner cities and transform the culture that produces bad schools, massive illegitimacy and corrupt governments? Why does he not address the "gangsta's paradise" described in a song by an artist named "Coolio?" Here are some of the lyrics:
They say I gotta learnNow, Mr. Sue, if you are reading this, there is a call for help! So go help they guy, OK? Oh, I forgot. You couldn't help. Or, you're doing the best you can, because the root cause of all the social pathologies in Detroit is the "unconscious bigotry" of white kids in Isabella County. Right. OK. Your heart is in the right place. We will have to give you a prize some day.
But nobody's here to teach me.
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?
I guess they can't.
I guess they won't.
I guess they front,
That's why I know my life is out of luck, fool!
I've been studying the "diversity" movement off and on for over 20 years. I have never heard of anyone in their late 30s or early 40s say anything like, "The diversity training I got back when I was in college is the reason I'm now a successful, happy, compassionate citizen." But I have found that the purveyors of "diversity" tend to be dishonest, manipulative, self-righteous opportunists.
If you want to learn from people of other races, nationalities and cultures, walk up and introduce yourself and try to start a conversation. You don't need a diversity specialist to hold your hand. Of course, you know that already. Anyway, to be honest, I have a lot more respect for the average black person than I do for the average white diversity pimp.
But you really should study the recent events at CMU and relate them to events at other institutions, because issues relating to race, ethnicity, nationality and culture will play important roles in your future, whether you want them to or not.
A White College Student's Guide to Political Activism
American Renaissance. This site features a discussion forum. Every weekday, about a dozen or so new articles, mostly from smaller mainstream media outlets, are excerpted, posted and commented on by readers. The comments vary in quality -- some are "racist" by my standards, but some are truly profound. But I don't recommend this site for the comments, I recommend it for the news itself. If you read four or five postings every weekday for two weeks, you will have a much better understanding of race relations in the U.S.A.
VDare.com is another "race realist" site that tends to focus on immigration issues. It is named after Virginia Dare, who was the first child born to English parents in North America.
An American Renaissance discussion thread of the CMU 'noose' incident. By the way, I do regard some of the AmRen comments as "racist" in that they project attributes of a few black people -- the hoaxers, the whiners, the agitators -- onto all black people. We can't neglect the hoaxers because there are always a few people around them trying to score some cheese at the expense of white people. But we should always remember, at least 99 percent of black people in the U.S.A. are not hate crime hoaxers. And at least 99 percent of white people in the U.S.A. are not perpetrators of hate crimes.
Firehouse incident with noose was a hoax / Firefighter admits placing rope, note By Justin Fenton | Sun reporter December 2, 2007
The Knoxville Horror: Crime, Race, The Media, And “Anti-Racism” By Nicholas Stix, VDare.com, October 31, 2007
Don't be an enabler in the spread of prejudice December 6, 2007 BY LINDA V. PARKER
Noose Outcry: A New Entry in the Campus Hall of Shame By Katherine Kersten Star Tribune | Friday, November 23, 2007
Noose protest planned By Lisa Satayut and SUSAN FIELD For the Morning Sun PUBLISHED: Thursday, November 29, 2007
Officials find 'undercurrent of racial intolerance' at CMU November 16, 2007 By ROBIN ERB FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER
From City Hall to campuses, free speech creates tension Noose-throwing incident latest of local controversies Chris Andrews Lansing State Journal November 18, 2007 CMU has policy on distributing fliers
Alma Mater Angry rap lyrics against the concept of 'diversity' as taught in American universities.
Diversity survey reveals racial tension on campus By: Lindsay Knake, cm-life.com, 12/7/07
Busloads protest nooses on CMU campus Saturday, December 8, 2007 AMY PAYNETHE SAGINAW NEWS
Protesters call nooses a hate crime, call for charges Midland Daily News, staff reports, 12/08/2007
Activists protest sluggish pace of CMU noose probe / Crowd of 150 wants student identified, prosecuted Saturday, December 8, 2007, Santiago Esparza, The Detroit News. Includes interesting quote from a member of the "Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion Interfaith Partners": "Hate is no joke. . . . Hate is never a joke." Right, right. We need lots more absolutism and self-righteousness, then we'll all get along!
Mutilated cat, laptop theft put students on-edge By: Caitlin Foyt, 12/10/07, cm-life.com
Learning from Diversity / The Case for Expatriation, Fred Reed, December 8, 2007.
Prosecutor seeks further investigation / Lack of clear victim could impede case By: Alex Piazza, 12/10/07, cm-life.com
Google News search for: "central michigan university" nooses
Google News search for: cmu nooses
Noose incident won't halt diversity efforts BY MICHAEL RAO, December 15, 2007, Detroit Free Press. Some sanctimonious drivel boilerplate, if you're in the mood.
CMU holds forum on race issues By Lisa Satayut, Sun Staff Writer, Morning Sun, January 10, 2008
Decision delayed for further review By Alex Piazza, cm-life.com, 1/11/08
Panel focuses on hate crimes, racial diversity Heather Hammons, cm-life.com, 1/11/08
Addendum, February 11, 2008:
It's been about a month since I last checked on the status of the "investigaion" into the noose incident. It is still not complete! Also -- funny thing, here -- the "civil rights activists" who were, figuratively speaking, up in arms and parading around Mt. Pleasant back in December, have been blissfully quiet for the last few months.
Fortunately, my craving for further information on the "CMU Noose Incident" has been temporarily satisified by an artical in the Saginaw News about the CMU student government president. (Andy Hoag, February 09, 2008). Two quotes are of interest:
"The student, who made the nooses from flexible plastic tubing, told authorities it was a prank with no racial implications. Isabella County Prosecutor Larry J. Burdick has said he needs more time to determine if a crime was committed. He still has not make a decision on the case."Yeah, "teaching diversity." Forgive my blatant conspiracy-mongering, but I think that may have been the whole point all along.
. . .
"If he thought it was a joke, we need to show the history of these incidents and show it's not a joke," Zeig says. "It was a good opportunity to show we need to do a better job of teaching diversity."
Addendum, February 21, 2008:
More news today! First, "Jonathan Kay on Richard Warman and Canada's Phony-Racism Industry" posted on American Reniassance. The article describes a rather nasty posting on a website that turns out to have been posted by an "anti-racist" activist. A substantial number of "racist" incidents turn out to be hoaxes perpetrated by people trying to proove a need for "diversity training" or whatever.
This brings us to our second news item for today: Noose student remains unknown - University not allowed to release name, punishment By Alex Piazza, cm-life.com, 2/20/08. The person who confessed is described simply as a "male" and the prosecutor still hasn't finished his investigation.
Addendum, March 26, 2008:
A few more links:
Fake Hate Crimes Of The Past: Cornell 1969 James Fulford, VDare.com, 7 March 2008 @ 7:23 pm
Caucus discusses nooses, education David Veselenak, cm-life.com, 3/14/08.
Blog: Noose student suspended until Aug. 1 -- University unable to comment on Internet posting Alex Piazza, cm-life.com, 3/26/08
What Ever Happened to the “Noose Student” at CMU?
Leaked Info: Noose Student at Central Michigan Suspended. The guilty male is . . . white! (Well, shucks, why didn't they just come out and say all that in the first place???)
GVSU forum weighs hate vs. free speech issues Nardy Baeza Bickel, The Grand Rapids Press, April 01, 2008
NOOSE 'TIES' EYED -- PROF FILES SUBPOENAED Murray Weiss, New York Post, March 31, 2008.
Media Manufactured Noose Mania By Marcus Epstein, VDare.com, April 9, 2008.
Addendum, August 4, 2008:
I saw the following a few weeks ago:
Hate law expansion sought to make prosecutions easier / Advocates set to push changes through Legislature BY CHRIS CHRISTOFF, FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF, July 24, 2008.
You see, the whole "noose" thing isn't about justice, it isn't about protecting people who might
actually be intimidated. It's about punishing people. It's about the contemptible self-righteousness
of people like Linda Parker. In other words, the "Hate law" is motivated by hatred, pure and simple.
Anyway.... Here is the American Renaissance discussion thread.
Addendum, August 6, 2008:
After preparing the above August 4 addendum, I clicked on the Google News search link while reviewing this updated page. There was lots of news! I put most of the links I found on a separate page: Central Michigan University Hate Crime Noose Links
Copyright © 2007, 2008
If you want to link to this article, try copying and pasting:
<a href="http://m3peeps.org/03/cmu.htm">Thoughts for the White Students of Central Michigan University Concerning the 'Noose' Incident</a>