If I see a shoelace on the floor, I see a shoelace. If I see a shoelace on a door handle in a campus dorm, I think someone is saying, “Keep out while I’m having sex.” If you’re not seeing a shoelace, it’s because someone is jacking you up to believe it’s other than a shoelace. Maybe the first reaction should always be to not assume, rather than always jumping to the assumption that something is somehow racist.
Via Free Beacon:
The Michigan State University administration condemned the appearance of a “noose” in a dormitory on Wednesday, calling it a racist symbol and a threat.
“I was distressed this morning to learn of a racial incident in one of our residence halls,” MSU President Lou Anna Simon said in a statement. “A student reported a noose was hung outside of her room. I want to recognize the courage it took for the student to report this incident.”
“I want to be clear: This type of behavior is not tolerated on our campus,” Simon continued. “No Spartan should ever feel targeted based on their race, or other ways in which they identify. A noose is a symbol of intimidation and threat that has a horrendous history in America.”