NAACP: Expel NC Students For Anti-Obama Graffiti

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina NAACP wants North Carolina State University to expel four students accused of painting racist messages about President-elect Obama on campus.

School Chancellor James Oblinger held a closed-door meeting Wednesday with NAACP President Rev. William Barber to discuss the graffiti in the campus free expression tunnel.

Barber wants an official response within 48 hours. Oblinger says both sides have agreed to move forward.

Four students admitted spray-painting the messages, including one that used a racial slur and suggested shooting Obama in the head.

Officials have said the unidentified students won't face criminal charges because the writing wasn't a hate crime since it was written on a wall where free speech is encouraged.

Comments

[NewRaleighTim]

I graduated from NCSU in 2003 and it does not surprise me. Despite the pervasive Obama support in Raleigh now, there are still plenty of hold outs. I started a simple reader poll about the graffiti on a Raleigh news blog.

http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/ncsu-free-to-express-racial-hate/

[research]

Threatening the president is a federal crime.

They must be required to atone with community service

and a public apology.

Jail, if they do it again.

[Erik Ose - Huffpost Blogger]

This was one of several post-election, anti-Obama acts of racist terrorism perpetrated by pathetic bigots. Since election night, there has been a string of disturbing firebombings, assaults, and incidents of vandalism directed at African-Americans.

A black church burned in Massachusetts. A black family's car torched while parked next to their house in Western Pennsylvania, "Obama" spraypainted on the trunk. A 17 year-old Muslim, African-American youth beaten with baseball bats on Staten Island, New York by a gang of four white men who repeatedly screamed, "Obama!"

Charitable funds have been set up to support the victims. For more info, see this report from NewsOne:

http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/racist-terrorism-follows-obama-victory/#more-36552

[ccmd]

HE THREATE NED THE PRESIDENT-ELECT THIS IS A FE DERAL OFFE NSE!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!

[smltnks]

A friend of mine, a college graduate, professional women, mother in her 50's told me yesterday that that God is so sad because of the election of Obama. She lives in Tx, a christian conservative, seemingly very normal woman. How can this happen? How can anyone believe that this brilliant man who preaches tolerance, equality for all, is not the answer to a "christian" nation. A nation of all faiths. I told her it is the opposite I am sure that God, whomever he or she might be, is quite happy. She knows of my political views, so had never mentioned the election before. I am sad for her.

[heyjoe]

I was watching Morning Joe on MSNBC this morning 11/13/2008 and the Editor of Time Mag. was rolling out the new cover. It is of Barack Obama superimposed in the famous picture of FDR in his car with a cigerette in his mouth. Well some STUPID JERK on the panel makes the statement of that (the cigerette) being the new NIGGERETTE.

I AM DONE WITH MSNBC! THEY CAN KISS MY *$@!!!

[moongoober]

you are joking, right?
the person on the panel said "nicorette"
that is a gum that aids in quitting smoking, which Obama has done.
i hope you were joking, although it's not funny one bit.
bye

[piper1233]

Isn't defacing Public or Private Property a reason in itself fore expelling these vandals?

[grecogrant]

I am traveling in europe now and since election day ..the Europeans have been loving wonderful and happy , I had at least four instances with White americans bitching about my Obama button from young to old ..they came up to me and boy did I let those racists have it ..in Paris there was a big rally , in Rome there was a big rally all pro Obama..I am thrilled at the level of happiness and support the continent is giving..so s*rew those little white morons..it is gone and over that way of damn thinking.
Mkae them work in an old folks home everyday and see what torture that is....

[bellecloche]

Free speech doesn't cover death threats.

[confuseddemocrat]

I agree, If it was just racial slurs...so what... ignore it

But the death threat is actually a federal offense and should be investigated as such

If similar comments were made against Bush 43, I would feel the same way...the students should be expelled

Free speech doesn't allow us to yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater, therefore we should not be allowed to issue death threats against the Prez-elect even if it is supposed to be a "joke"

[PT6]

When this was a pure Engineering University, even in the 1960's, we were more open minded than this!

These students should be expelled for at least a semester or two!

[iswideopen]

Are these the children of republicans? Is this what they want to be represented by? No wonder they are in the "wilderness". May they forever remain. There is a saying; "when we know better, we do better". Republicans, start "teaching" so you can catch up with the rest of America and Americans. The "base" will not win elections any longer. This behavior is no longer acceptable to the electorate at large. We will reject you every time.

[florestanchi]

In theory, free speech is encouraged everywhere in the United States, yet the chancellor seems to imply that hate crimes cannot occur in any context where free speech is encouraged. Why would the legislature define hate crimes and prescribe specific penalties for them if they are in point of fact impossible to commit?

Whether hate speech can and should be distinguished from other forms of speech from a First Amendment protection perspective is a dilemma that has plagued the scholarly legal community for decades. That said, the very existence of hate crime legislation is surely meant to preclude launching this debate de novo with each and every instance of hate-based misconduct. No law can be just unless it is justly applied, and inciting violence against a standing senator and the future President of the United States is about as inflammatory as speech gets.

[rw97]

Inbred hillbillies.

[morbie5]

I didn't know inbred hillbillies went to college...

[piper1233]

You have a prejudice against inbred hillbillies going to college?

[egal]

So...it's no longer a hate crime to say you want to (or encourage other people to) kill a person due to something different about that person?

One person's freedom extends only so far as it doesn't harm another person. Sometimes, the line is blurry; but there should be no doubt that shouting, in graffiti, for the death of the President-Elect is neither protected free speech nor not-a-hate-crime.

Being against his policies, not liking his character, fine subjects for discussion in a democracy--and there can be arguments about where hoping somebody will die falls, although the legal line pretty much is cut off at the point where a suggestion, offer, or order to kill somebody begins.

But the category of "protected speech" shouldn't extend to knwingly harmful falsehoods and MUST NOT extend to murderous rants, whatever the medium in which they are spouted.

If we let such things pass under the radar as free speech, we both enourage hatred and harmfulness, but we also denigrate the very purpose of free speech--the ability to freely express oneself, educate oneself, ally oneself--and smear the foundations of a democracy so that it becomes something less, something more blood-soaked, repressive, and irresponsible.

[ZimboChick]

What constitutes a hate crime in America and who is affected?