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

[BosieO]

A word can make some of you "to riot" but for some of you gays becoming 2nd class its ok ??? SHAME ON YOU to put so much power on words rather than actions...­...Yes I don't racism, BUT I HATE YOUR HYPOCRISY!!

[hilaritee]

i would encourage you to think about why the media is so interested in blaming the black vote for the passing of prop 8...less than 10% of the population in california is black and yet they are being identified as the cause....h­mmm, seems odd to me.

[Badbone]

What's so odd? They voted 70% for it.

[fan4truth]

Take a look at Nate Silver's post from fivethirtyeight.com about the actual effect that blacks & latinos had on the vote for prop 8 in CA. He's the genius that predicted the Obama landslide.

After that, take your hypocrisy and shove it straight up your @$$. I voted no on Prop 8 & am sick of hearing this bullcrap about how blacks came out against it & helped to vote it down.

Nate Silver, Mr. I-run-the-numbers GENIUS refutes this claim completely. Word belie actions. If you had a racial slur against your race you'd be up in arms too. So screw off jerk.

[Vurz]

The truth is, the majority of the people who voted for Prop 8 were white. Yes, Hispanic-americans and african- americans voted against the bill in a higher percentage, but the majority of the votes cast for Proposition 8 were white.

"Now, it's true that if new voters had voted against Prop 8 at the same rates that they voted for Obama, the measure probably would have failed. But that does not mean that the new voters were harmful on balance -- they were helpful on balance. If California's electorate had been the same as it was in 2004, Prop 8 would have passed by a wider margin."

The problem with being mad at every African, Hispanic, Asian or Caucasian American voter in California is that quite a lot of them voted "No" on 8. Painting everyone with the same brush doesn't help, it can only alienate the people who voted for civil rights.

Right now, you know that there are 5,544,962 Californians that voted "no". Those are your base to build on. Outreach to change 270,000 minds or add 270,000 new voters from the group of people that you know didn't vote and you are good to go. It'll take perseverance, but you can do it.

[ChiGuy]

Try something like that in a northern state, and they'd be headed for hate crime charges. No ifs, and, or buts about it.

I thought you were better than that North Carolina.

[Trogenhorse]

That is a threat against a sitting senator and a president elect! Expelled is the least of their troubles

[chronic]

Expelled? They should be arrest for the threat!!!!

[MaximMaximus]

That graffiti should read "Ashamed to be a living proof of Darwin for having written a bigotted graffiti in the first place. I need medical help asap!"

[huffyISaHottie]

only in a southern university is that not a hate crime

[Indie2008]

If these were blue-collar factory workers instead of college students, would they still call it "Free speech"? Is no one held accountable for anything anymore? Let them find a college that better represents their philosophy.

[Nclghtning]

Yesterday, i wanted heads to roll. Today, I am having some reservations. What they did offends me as an American, as a black man and as a UNC Chapel hill grad (we hate all things NC State with their redneck fanbase). Expelling them would only help create 4 more uneducated skin heads and I do see some mitigating factors. 1) This happened immediately after the election results, they were a bit hot headed and drunk...no excuse but mitigates it just a tad. 2) They confessed and 3) They did it in a free expression area,. Although their specific words are not protected free speech, they probably thought they were within their legal rights...i­gnorance of the law (NC State students are general ignorant of many things) is no excuse but for me, mitigating,
Instead of expelling them, add additional requirements for graduation such as several classes in social diversity and black history. Tomorrow I'll probably change my mind again and believe "B.O. should be carved on their faces.

[huffyISaHottie]

i find an educated skin head much scarier than an uneducated one

[Badbone]

Well that's what I did, and that's what I encourage all skins with good head on their shouders to do. Grow out your hair, look respectable, go to college. Then get a good job that lets you help other Whites.

But please don't let what you see on TV about us scare you. In a very real way, it's people like us that are the best chance this nation has. If it is every to be saved (and there is plenty of argument on that point), it will come from people like us.

I daresay as the country gets darker, you may find yourself agreeing with us. Now *that's* a scary thought! ;)

[research]

You're catchcing the Obama civility.

Ok, I'll try to also.

The threats of shooting the president elect are criminal.

Don't expel them, but there must be some community service atonement for this.

[Haditup2here]

No, they need to make public apologies and let everyone see their faces. As for community
service, they should be mandated to clean up trash along 5-10 miles of interstate. If peace protesters can be targeted by homeland security, why should they get a slap on their hands.

In earnest, I have to disagree. Any racist remarks written on the wall construes an
environment of hatred and intolerance. Expulsion is the least NC State could do and I hope students there start to protest and pressure the administration to take a stronger stance.

[projectgirl]

You put words to my thoughts. Exactly. We do not want these students out on the street where they'd certainly find like minded hate mongers to align with. Yes, I agree that keeping them in the fold with much supervision and instruction is on target. I am not familiar with this school. Do you think, Nclghtning, that such intervention would happen at a school that has a "redneck fanbase"?

[Nclghtning]

Well, if you promise not to tell anyone I said this, NC State is a very good school located in a exceptional city. With three universities UNC, Duke and NC State within a few miles of each other, the fanbases cannot resist attacking each other at each and every opportunity. This is a very hightly educated area and did support Obama, but NC State probably enrolls a higher percentage of students from the "more patriotic" parts of the state than the other schools : )
I'd expect the university will do what's best for all involved.

[Liberoservative]

Sorry... shooting Obama in the head is not free speech....­.

That is a direct threat to the incoming POTUS and should be dealt with

[whit4brains]

The Raleigh News & Observer has more:

"More than 500 people attended a rally at NCSU on Thursday to show opposition to the graffiti."

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/1286710.html

These p.unks should at least be expelled.

[Jabo22]

While it is " a new day" with Obama getting elected, the slugs of the past gaspinf for their last breaths will continue to surface to pull us backwards in time. Too bad for them, we will resist as a country.

[SpoxLogic]

Msaybe the Secret Service ought to pay the young man a visit. Nothing like spending a few hours under the intense gazes of those guys to bring about a major change in attitude.

[MsLiz]

Nothing like having your photo in the student newspaper, the local papers and television, together with your name to discourage anti-social behavior.

[Badbone]

Nothing like deriding Bush for human rights abuses, then do a total 180 when it's your guy at the helm.

[kinnycut]

Written threats, or wishes of murdering a President isn't what the founders meant by free speech. Shame on North Carolina for letting these haters get away with it. Here is where and example should be made.

[EvasDaddy]

I think I understand the attitude of "no threat" here. The Secret Service no doubt looked into the graffiti incident, and determined it to be done by some lame brained nitwit sissy boy that couldn't do two push ups if his life depended on it.

My fantasy is that they throw the idiot into a local jail for a few days, and have Obama himself show up for a visit. You know, a one on one, where Obama could say something like, "Mind if I ask what you have against me?". The kid would probably be crying like a baby, and Obama could just be his cool self, waiting for some answers, which of course would never come, because there ARE none.

Just let the idiot squirm for a while. Wet his pants, cry, beg, or whatever cowards do when they're backed up against the wall.

Tape the whole thing, then throw it on Youtube, and bingo; the kid goes home with a self imposed sentence of embarrassment for life.

[Pupadup4oBama]

What a FANTASTIC idea!
I could SOOOO see Obama doing that.
He would really be able to get into that kids head (or whatever is in there) just by being there and being his cool as a cucumber self...:)

[wadenelson1]

the writing wasn't a hate crime since.....­.

looks like a hate crime, reads like a hate crime, smells like a hate crime

[Smirk]

Isn't it against the law to threaten the life of the POTUS or POTUS-elect?

[research]

yes it is.