Hate Crimes at Cal State San Marcos- Action Today at Noon!
Last Wednesday night (March 3), our brothers and sisters at Cal State San Marcos were victims too of hate speech– graffiti denigrating African Americans, Chican@s, Arab Americans, and the LGBTQ commmunity was found in Markstein Hall. In response, students, faculty, and staff are rallying TODAY from noon to one in Kellogg Plaza. Please join in solidarity if you can.
More information on the event can be found on the Facebook event here.
Below, see the message from the campus president sent out to the community on March 4th:
Date: March 4, 2010
To: The Campus Community
From: President Karen S. Haynes
Subject: Hate Crimes On Campus Will Not Be Tolerated
The University Police Department has informed me that they received a call last night about 9:00 p.m. with a report of hate speech on campus. A bathroom stall in Markstein Hall was vandalized with graffiti targeting multiple groups. University police are investigating this incident as a hate crime.
I deplore and am saddened that an individual would commit such a senseless and hurtful act. I will not tolerate any attempts to intimidate or threaten our University community. Diversity and tolerance are among our highest values at CSUSM. We will do everything possible to uphold these values and to protect the learning environment and public safety of our University.
Staff are available to assist students in our Cross Cultural Center, Women’s Center, LGBTQ Pride Center, Student Health and Counseling Center, and the Dean of Students Office. Employees may seek assistance from the Employee Assistance Program through the Human Resources and Equal Opportunity Office.
University police are taking all necessary steps to bring the person responsible to justice. I ask that anyone with information regarding this crime contact University Police at 760-750-4567. Information may be provided anonymously through San Diego County Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 888-580-8477, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week or by visiting: www.sdcrimestoppers.com. Attached is a police photograph of the graffiti.
I urge our campus community to speak in one voice and send a message that hate crime will not be tolerated at CSUSM.
[photo of the graffiti below, click to full size. Trigger warning]
Stop the Racism, Sexism and Homophobia at UC San Diego 
Racism begins with our families, parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents, people we admire, respect and love.
However, as we grow and mature we come to the realization that what we were told by our family when we were children were slanted lies base on their prejudices. We realize that most people are like ourselves and not so different and want the same things, like a home, steady work, a healthcare and schools for our children (if you travel you will see this). We realize that most people are of good hearts and goodwill.
This reminds me of a parable from the good book where a Levite and Priest come upon a man who fell among thieves and they both individually passed by and didn’t stop to help him.
Finally a man of another race came by, he got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy and got down with the injured man, administered first aid, and helped the man in need.
Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his fellow man.
You see, the Levite and the Priest were afraid, they asked themselves, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
That’s the question before us. The question is not, “If I stop to help our fellow man in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help our fellow man, what will happen to him or her?” That’s the question.
This current climate of blaming, mocking or demeaning others for our own short comings, is not new, we have had this before and we have conquered it. Remember “Evil flourishes when good men (and women) do nothing”. Raise your voices with those of us who believe we are equal and we can win this battle again.
God bless all my brothers and sister that stood side by side with our brothers and sisters in need, when you saw a wrong you tried to correct it, you may argue the methods but not the reasons. I know God will not discriminate by country of origin, our sex, our orientation, color of our skin, or our religion as men do.
In my opinion this is what the small portions of the republican party of “birthers, baggers and blowhards” have brought you. These kids are good at “Follow the Leader” of their dullard leaders, they listen to Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush and Savage and the rest of the Blowhards, they are young and dumb. Are you surprise at what they do when you know what they think? The world is complicated and most republicans (Hamiliton, Lincoln, Roosevelt) believe that we should use government a little to increase social mobility, now its about dancing around the claim of government is the problem. The sainted Reagan passed the biggest tax increase in American history and as a result federal employment increased, but facts are lost when mired in mysticism and superstition. Although most republicans are trying to distant themselves from this fringe they have a long way to go.
those types of remarks are written on the walls of bathroom ALL the time. yes, it’s hurtful, but I don’t know if anyone can do anything about it.
Dear Chancellor Fox:
I am writing to you concerning the continued racial controversies at various University of California campuses. Since the noose left at the UCSD library has been removed, I’m contemplating to send you a new one. Why? Because a good old-fashioned lynching is in order.
Before you rush to conclusions, let me explain.
The current episode of turmoil began with a local party whose theme poked fun at stereotypes supposedly representative of South Central LA. Any reasonable person would readily perceive this approach as satire, a longstanding literary and dramatic device. Was it offensive? As with most satire, it definitely was – and that is good.
You see, when we are offended, we are likely to react. Unless that reaction is simply a knee-jerk response (such as that by your office), a reaction requires activation of one’s brain. You may agree that activating our brains is infinitely preferable over mindlessly swallowing whatever b.s. we happen to be served.
One particularly unpalatable piece of b.s. that is shoved down our collective throat is “diversity.”
In its original form, diversity is highly desirable. In nature, biologically diverse ecosystems are less vulnerable to diseases and more productive than monocultures. On a university campus, opposing (or even merely different) viewpoints spur lively debate, which in turn fosters creativity and innovation. Without question, humanity collectively benefits from the contributions inspired by a large variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Why has the University of California chosen to adopt race/ethnicity as the single decisive factor in furthering diversity? Are you ensuring UCSD receives a balanced mix of Republicans and Democrats? Gays and heterosexuals? Opera lovers and metal heads? Meat eaters and vegans? How about students who prefer the writings of Ayn Rand versus those of Karl Marx? Perhaps a proper mix of students interested in quantum physics and aspiring poets (and those writing poetry about quantum physics)? Folks that can appreciate Dr. Seuss on a subversive level, and those who can’t? I’m virtually certain that more diverse viewpoints will result from any of these arbitrary traits than the color of someone’s skin.
I assumed that college application essays served to differentiate students beyond grades and test scores. It appears that with all the budget cuts, there is no staff to read them. Therefore, instead of treating students as the unique individuals they are, it seems easier to simply lump them into categories with emotionally charged labels.
Sure, race and ethnicity, along with height, weight and gender, are the most obvious traits we notice about people we meet, before they have a chance to open their mouths and let us glean some insight into more substantial aspects of their personas. But isn’t that precisely the sort of simpleminded superficiality higher education is supposed to eradicate?
Throughout history, people with their own agendas have used arbitrary traits to unite, divide and discriminate against people. Each time, they applied a nice, shiny euphemism. “Preserving family values” – sounds like a good thing, right? How about “preserving the pure blood of the Aryan race?” It gives us cold chills today, but it sounded perfectly benign, even laudable, during the Nazi era.
Another shiny euphemism is “diversity.” If we add more “blacks” (however you may define that label), we will create a student body that is more balanced and representative of our society – so goes the reasoning du jour. Are we going to assume that “blacks” … come from challenged socioeconomic backgrounds? Are more conscious about human rights? Have rhythm? Jump higher?
I am not privy to UCSD’s list of stereotypical “black” traits. Make no mistake, that list exists, even if it is only implied – because every time we attempt to force a group of diverse (in its original meaning) individuals under a labeled (or red and white striped) hat, we give birth to such a list. Such a list, while perhaps not offensive at first glance, is far more damaging than the list of attributes used by the Compton Cookout as the recommended attire, behavior and attitude of its attendees. Because any list that is born under the auspices of a prestigious institution such as UCSD will automatically be imbued with a sense of legitimacy.
The characteristics we choose to identify others and ourselves mark the dividing lines between social groups. By focusing on race, we are furthering this broken model of diversity.
If we allow racial definitions to divide us, if we allow the fear of symbols to control us, if we allow the threat of persecution to silence us, our race – the human race – will succumb to the worst form of slavery.
This is my call to hunt down and publicly execute the ignorant and racist notions that have hijacked the concept of diversity. What better place than a library, a place of learning and organized knowledge? Let’s hang these ill-conceived ideas from the rafters and let their rotting corpses remind us that if we want to vanquish racism, we must start by treating all people equally.
For if we allow misguided preconceptions to live, we are bound to witness the death of the accomplishments brought by the Civil Rights Movement, of free speech, and of our human dignity.
Yours sincerely,
The Cat in the Hood
Are you the same Cat in the Hood that posted a piece of paper on the wall at Cafe Roma with the following poem?
Chancellor Fox, you silly goose,
you must have some screws a-loose!
All this news and abuse
just because of noose misuse?
A hood on the head of Dr. Seuss?
“Hate crime,” that’s the term you choose
Is your plan to light a fuse?
Race and color, those are views
from the days of persecuting Jews.
All those labels you try to use
are a notion I refuse
We’re just one race, despite our hues.
Please, Ms. Fox, take history’s cues,
or we students sure will lose!
(signed: -The Cat in the Hood)
Will UC stamp down on the violent homophobia being espoused by Muslim students on campus?
I doubt it. The administration is too scared. They like to pretend that it’s mostly a Christian thing. And while the evangelical nutcases certainly annoy and harass gays on campus, the Muslims make threats and quote from the Koran to justify killings in the Middle East.
Will UCSD challenge the homophobia of the Arab-American students?
Just cause we speak, look, and have different traditions does not mean that we should hate each other. Do not judge a book by it’s cover. Open it and read it. I’m black and a Christian. Does that make you want to kill me?
Hate crime victims hardly get justice. I have been facing continuous harassment and torture for last six years. I wrote hundreds of articles on theses crimes but did not get justice.