Cool.

So, if I'm concerned over liberal protests on my campus, I can deem that a hinderance? Why do some people deserve authority to deem things offensive and thus not allowable, while others don't?

Yes. There are student organizations aimed at reducing the influence of liberalism on college campuses. They target professors who they deem liberal (many times they are wrong because they assume all professors in a certain discipline are liberals who can't distinguish scholarly discourse from personal opinion) and campus activities.

It really depends on the "offense" and who is offended. There are students who protest against some professors who lecture against racism because it goes against whatever (often warped) views these students were raised to have. Of course these students aren't taken seriously by administration when they complain because an investigation doesn't uncover any cause for action. However, if the same professors begin their racism lectures with "white people are the devil and kill all the white people" or "if you think there's racism it's only because you're a dumb minority who would rather get high than work" then there is definitely cause for action. The professor can claim to be joking or whatever but this delivery clearly threatens the learning environment and potentially the campus culture of tolerance and diversity.

Aside from the debatable specifics of this incident, has anyone heard of a party or function thrown by Black students with a theme that is meant to imitate or derive from European influenced culture? I mean, I have yet to see a flyer from a predominately Black org. that publicizes a St. Patrick's Day or Oktoberfest celebration(with people dressed in sparkling green hats or lederhosen). I know I'm generalizing, but there seems to be a trend among many party-planning caucasian americans to mimic what they perceive to be Black or other minorities' cultures in their celebrations. I've been invited to Jamaican, Mexican, and Asian themed parties by plenty of white students(they probably didn't cross the line, but the ignorance is apparent), but have yet to see a Norweigan or Irish party hosted by Black students.

I'm not saying that a "hood" party is cultural or anything, but it seems like many white students get a thrill out of partying like "cool minorities", but won't have anything to do with them otherwise. To be honest I don't really care what happens at JHU. The broken nose and two black eyes are already there for all to see. I just wanted to beat a horse while it's dying.


-GC's Most High

DSTS, I agree, but my deeming it won't make the university take action. Universities take action in response to politically correct claims a lot more than they do against others. Thats what it boils down to for me, the BSU could go "racism" and the university goes "where, kick em off!" IFC or a Christian group likely wouldnt have such success. But regardless, I don't go to JHU, so the thrill of this thread is starting to wane on me. Kick everyone off, I've lost my interest.

Cool.

This thread was never thrilling.

Ah, complaining about a fraternity using a non-offensive term and theme from mainstream entertainment enjoyed by all races is a good way to divert attention from the fact that the city is a dump that can't address its inherent problems. The old mayor of Newark used to do this too. I think Republicans do it with gay marriage.

Good one Baltimore!

-Rudey
--I bet it does have a high rate of HIV too but that's cool because I like ladies with std's that start with the letter H.

That's pretty rough holding the group liable to that extent for the idiocy of an individual.

Look, I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. Should they have done it? No, probably not. Most people today recognize a joke as a joke (even an offensive one), but hey, we all know some will take it seriously, so we shouldn't do something that we know will truly offend and hurt another person.

But legal action? Are you kidding me? Bite me. Seriously. That's absolutely stupid. Should I sue the next black woman that tells me I dance like a white girl, tells me she can show me how to do it better? Should I get all offended and tell her she's racist and get upset? I mean, it IS a RACIST joke, but it's a JOKE.

Unless there's some obvious threat involved, or some absolutely blatant hate joke, there is no point in flipping out. Certainly NO basis to sue.

ETA: I do not see how they could say for certain the skeleton was anything BUT a Pirates of the Carribean reference. How do they know it is not? And I also do not see what they cited in the article as necessarily racist. I guess we know what they were probably implying by "hood", but does NO ONE of another race buy into the "bling" trend?

The consequence here doesn't seem that out of line based on the inablility of the group to use good judgment. I've not sure that diversity training ever really helps, but it doesn't hurt. The group seems to need some additional advisors.

The party and especially the invite just seem dumb, dumb, dumb. But finding them guilty of "harassment and intimidation" strikes me as a little extreme. Somebody explain it to me. Who was harassed and intimidated? People accidentally viewing the invitation on Facebook? Guest at the party? People who came to the partly uninvited?

It would seem to me that you'd have to have victim to be guilty of harassment and intimidation, or are they saying that the community at large was victimized?