2008 Woodie Awards
Tightening the noose
Our View
Daily Vidette Editorial Board
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Viewpoint
A piece of rope, tied in a particular way, has showed the nation in recent months that it has not made nearly as much progress toward racial equality as it thought.
Nooses, nearly 40-50 of them, have been reported as parts of hate crimes across the country since September, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A recent CNN article detailed many of the instances, and asked the question, can some of these displays of nooses be just innocent pranks?
A noose in a Coast Guard office, a post office at ground zero, the office of a Columbia University professor.
Could any of these instances be simply pranks?
The answer is a firm no.
Nooses are not only a symbol of a cruel punishment, but also associated with slavery.
When one chooses to display this symbol, whether it is on their own property or on someone else's, they are making a conscious decision to send a message of hate.
When it comes to an issue like racism, acts like these can not be justified or viewed as "all in fun."
At this time of year many will argue Halloween displays and similar decorations should be exempt. While they should be, people need to keep in mind that there will be those who are still offended.
But why nooses, and why such a large upswing in their presence?
For one, there is a snowball effect. It is obvious racism is more prevalent than we think in the United States, and when one of these symbols appears on a tree or doorstep, this becomes acceptable in the minds of those that share similar racist sentiments.
It is also an anonymous form of racism. Anyone could tie a rope in the complicated knot and decide to harass a neighbor or colleague, under a complete veil of anonymity. The assailant got their cathartic fulfillment by expressing their thoughts without ever opening their mouths.
And with this anonymity, there is a cowardice. The nooses, in many cases, carry words like "white power" painted on them. Ironically, the "white power" in these instances is so limited, that the bigoted individuals cannot show their faces or express themselves outright.
Instead, we see an example of the quiet, festering racism in this country that all too often we celebrate as having overcome.
While it may not be spoken outright, or absolutely assumed as a shared sentiment, racism is apparent in our own community, state and country.
While Jena, La. was the catalyst for recent noose displays, it isn't the only racist town in the United States.
As a society, we still have much progress to make before we can even think of declaring that we have overcome the problem of racism.
Nooses, nearly 40-50 of them, have been reported as parts of hate crimes across the country since September, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A recent CNN article detailed many of the instances, and asked the question, can some of these displays of nooses be just innocent pranks?
A noose in a Coast Guard office, a post office at ground zero, the office of a Columbia University professor.
Could any of these instances be simply pranks?
The answer is a firm no.
Nooses are not only a symbol of a cruel punishment, but also associated with slavery.
When one chooses to display this symbol, whether it is on their own property or on someone else's, they are making a conscious decision to send a message of hate.
When it comes to an issue like racism, acts like these can not be justified or viewed as "all in fun."
At this time of year many will argue Halloween displays and similar decorations should be exempt. While they should be, people need to keep in mind that there will be those who are still offended.
But why nooses, and why such a large upswing in their presence?
For one, there is a snowball effect. It is obvious racism is more prevalent than we think in the United States, and when one of these symbols appears on a tree or doorstep, this becomes acceptable in the minds of those that share similar racist sentiments.
It is also an anonymous form of racism. Anyone could tie a rope in the complicated knot and decide to harass a neighbor or colleague, under a complete veil of anonymity. The assailant got their cathartic fulfillment by expressing their thoughts without ever opening their mouths.
And with this anonymity, there is a cowardice. The nooses, in many cases, carry words like "white power" painted on them. Ironically, the "white power" in these instances is so limited, that the bigoted individuals cannot show their faces or express themselves outright.
Instead, we see an example of the quiet, festering racism in this country that all too often we celebrate as having overcome.
While it may not be spoken outright, or absolutely assumed as a shared sentiment, racism is apparent in our own community, state and country.
While Jena, La. was the catalyst for recent noose displays, it isn't the only racist town in the United States.
As a society, we still have much progress to make before we can even think of declaring that we have overcome the problem of racism.
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