New Nation Noose News

[Rasp]

Firefighter Finds Stuffed Monkey Hanging In Locker

Firefighter Finds Stuffed Monkey Hanging In Locker

KSDK - A St. Louis firefighter claims he's the victim of a hate crime, and now an investigation is underway at a time when race relations within the fire department are already strained.

The alleged victim in this case is a firefighter who has been working for the city for the past two and a half years.

He claims this past Saturday that when he went to his locker, inside St. Louis fire station number 13, he found a stuffed monkey hanging in his locker.

The station is at Shawmut and Ridge Avenue.

Pictures of the monkey show it to have a strap around its neck, suspending it from a bar. Because of the potentially inflammatory nature of the pictures, NewsChannel 5 and ksdk.com are not showing the pictures. The pictures were sent to NewsChannel 5 by F.I.R.E., an organization representing black firefighters in St. Louis.

The firefighter says this is not the first racially motivated incident he's had to endure.

He claims that firefighters, within his fire house, broke into his home back in August, hoping to prove that he was living in Illinois instead of in the city. And he claims that top fire department brass, including a deputy fire chief, had knowledge of the break in, but did nothing.

The city's Public Safety Director, Charles Bryson, says the city is currently investigating both claims.

Bryson was notified of this latest alleged incident on Sunday.

He says an internal fire department investigation is now underway, with a racially diverse team of investigators looking into the matter.

And he says the city's new Fire Chief, Dennis Jenkerson, is heading up the investigation

Chief Jenkerson told NewsChannel 5 that it appears "there was no noose," though the pictures show a strap, similar to a seat belt or clothing. Next to the monkey can be seen a rope hanging from the bar, which is tied with a large loop on the end.

And Jenkerson says while his department is taking the claim seriously, he believes it likely involves a "misinterpretation."

But Jenkerson says all three shifts at fire station 13 still have to be interviewed.

Once the fire department's internal investigation is over, the findings will be reviewed by the city's legal department, and could possibly be handed over to the police department.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbc10.com/newsarchive/14828095/detail.html

NAACP, Officials Want DA's Office To Re-Examine Noose Incident

POSTED: 11:18 pm EST December 11, 2007
UPDATED: 10:48 am EST December 12, 2007

Black leaders will demand an investigation into what some have called racial intimidation, NBC 10 reports.

In October, an African American construction worker told the NBC 10 Investigators that a white co-worker shook a hangman's noose at him on the 45th floor of the Comcast construction site.

Now, the NAACP, state Sen. Anthony Williams and the black elected officials of Philadelphia want the district attorney's office to take a closer look to see if charges should be filed.

 

[Johnny99]

http://www.kmov.com/localnews/stories/kmov_localnews_071211_monkeyupdate.d836cde.html FBI investigating second racial incident at St. Louis firehouse

06:21 PM CST on Thursday, December 13, 2007

Previous story: FBI investigates stuffed monkey hung in St. Louis Fire Department

Photos from first incident

(KMOV) - The city has asked the FBI to investigate a second possible case of racial harassment inside a firehouse.

Wednesday evening F.I.R.E Vice Chair Wayne Luster and fire department spokesperson Kim Bacon told News 4 the incident is now under investigation in the city fire department.

The city fire department tells News 4 that this case is going straight to the FBI.

This is the second case turned over to the FBI this week.

According to Luster the incident occurred Wednesday evening at Firehouse #1 at South Jefferson and Pestalozzi on the city's south side.

Luster tells News 4 that a black fire fighter was called into the firehouse kitchen by a white fireman, and was shown a box of crackers tied around with a noose. Oh, I gits it now, crackers wit a noose bwaahhahahahah. Dats a good one. The white firefighter then reportedly asked the black firefighter what he thought of Wednesday's news conference by F.I.R.E.

Just hours earlier, the group had held a news conference addressing another incident involving a stuffed monkey hanging inside a different firehouse.

According to Luster the black firefighter in Wednesday night’s incident called his battalion chief and asked him to call police alleging a hate crime.

Luster says the battalion chief called the deputy fire chief to ask what should be done and was told not to do anything.

The fire department's investigative unit was called to the scene and photographed the evidence in the case and the incident is under investigation according to Bacon.

She says this incident is not being ignored and is being taken very seriously.

 

[Unregistered]

Ecu Police Investigate Alleged Noose

ECU POLICE INVESTIGATE ALLEGED NOOSE ​

ECU students claim a noose was found on campus, so why are they finding out about it weeks later? According to ECU police, some students say they found a noose in the basement of Belk Hall on September 19th. Wednesday night, ECU’s Black Student Union held a meeting to talk about the issue. Many wanted to know more about what happened, and what school officials are doing to find out who did it. Some students spoke up saying the incident was clearly racially related, because it was allegedly found just one day after the Jena Six march. ECU Student Affairs Vice Provost Todd Johnson says the school didn't immediately release the information to students, because they didn't want to rush to judgment. ECU police say they are gathering names of people who say they saw the noose and interviewing them. According to police, they are also trying to establish a time frame and are reviewing surveillance video of people coming in and out of the dorm.​

=======================================================
(Original unconfirmed TNB story below)
Police in Morehead City are searching for three men who robbed a bingo parlor.
They say the three walked into Morehead City Beach Bingo on Highway 70 Friday ...
www.fox8fox14.com/

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]FOX News @ 10 Headlines News Archive[/FONT]

MOREHEAD CITY POLICE SEARCHING FOR THREE MEN WHO ROBBED BINGO PARLOR ​

Police in Morehead City are searching for three men who robbed a bingo parlor. They say the three walked into Morehead City Beach Bingo on Highway 70 Friday around midnight, flashing rifles and a handgun. Witnesses say they walked around and demanded money from the business and those inside at the time. Witnesses say the men attacked several people. One victim ended up in the hospital. ​

 

[Rasp]

Hanging of stuffed monkey at firehouse is not a crime, FBI says

FBI says motivation not racial

ST. LOUIS --A hanging stuffed monkey found inside a St. Louis fire station was not a hate crime, the FBI has ruled.

The doll was discovered earlier this month. An association of black firefighters distributed pictures showing the doll wearing a striped shirt and overalls, draped by its neck from a strap on a coat hanger.

City officials asked the FBI to investigate amid suggestions that the strap might have been intended to emulate a noose.

While the incident may have unintentionally provoked tempers in a department already racially divided following the ouster of Fire Chief Sherman George, who is black, earlier this year, the FBI said Thursday that the incident was not motivated by race.

"There was no noose," said John Gillies, special agent in charge of the FBI office here. "No noose. No hatred." The stuffed animal, Gillies said, had been in the fire department for weeks.

The president of the firefighters' union, Local 73, has said the monkey had been found at a fire scene and placed on the coat rack to dry. Gillies also dismissed as a "firehouse prank" an apparent response at another station. There, a box of crackers was hung up.

However, Gillies said the FBI uncovered potential violations of internal policies that could be investigated later by the fire department. Gillies declined to identify the nature of what was found.

Also, the FBI continues to look into threats generated by the monkey incident and left in the comment section of an Internet blog.

A final report from the FBI is still pending, and Mayor Francis Slay's office said the fire department won't launch its own review until receiving that report.

The incidents came at a racially charged time following George's removal in October. George was forced out after refusing to make promotions because of concerns over an exam some thought was biased against black applicants. He was replaced by Dennis Jenkerson, who is white.

 

[Smedley Butler]

Central Regime has to use the Entire Nations borrowed money to pay to have NKVD type agentd investigate b.s. on the public dole. State police, County pollice and city police know the local situation best. Awake local police around the USSA are sick of it too IMHO.


We have a political police state, but if you home is ran sacked and severely damaged then screw you as locl police in most all cases are going to do squat excepty had you a copy of the police report.

 

[ZKR]

Noose Found At Miami Police Station

Black Sergeant Finds Noose Hanging In Bathroom

MIAMI -- The Miami Police Department is investigating who left a noose inside a bathroom stall at the south station on Beacon Avenue last week.

A black police sergeant found the noose, made from a shoestring, hanging from the railing inside a disabled bathroom stall.

Internal affairs investigators are trying to determine if the noose was an intentional display of hate intended for the sergeant who discovered it or any other police officers.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbc10.com/newsarchive/15306878/detail.html

Man Reports Finding Hangman's Noose At PECO Facility
Second Incident Reported At Another PECO Facility

POSTED: 8:39 pm EST February 14, 2008
UPDATED: 11:53 am EST February 15, 2008

A man said he was so upset to find a hangman's noose at his job he felt he had to contact not only local authorities.

He also had to call Harry Hairston and the NBC 10 Investigators.

"I wanted this incident to be reported. It's a hate crime. It had to be reported," said Burrhead Brian Hopkins, who works for a custodian company at a PECO Energy Co. location in Plymouth Meeting.

Hopkins said he was taking out the trash when a PECO supervisor looked at him and then pulled out a noose.

"The gentleman reached into the wire bin and started pulling on the rope, like this -- sort of pulling on it like this, as if to say to me, 'This one's for you,'" Hopkins said.

Hopkins said he quickly left the area but returned later and found the noose in the trash container.

Hopkins later confronted the PECO employee.

"I confronted him to ask him why did he show me the noose," Hopkins said.

The incident happened late last year. PECO said the supervisor admitted to tying the noose at work and later apologized to some black employees about his actions.

But PECO didn't take any action against the supervisor right away, and some employees -- who didn't want their faces shown in fear of retaliation -- said that's what upset them even more.

"It seems like they were trying to sweep this under the table and act like nothing happened, or it's not important enough to the people of color of the company to cover this," an employee said.

PECO, however, said its investigation took until last month to finish, and now they have taken action.

"Our first step was to remove him from supervisory duties. He's still employed by the company, but he is not supervising additional employees as before," said company spokeswoman Cathy Engel.

Some employees said the punishment isn't tough enough.

"You would like to see him gone?" Hairston asked.

"I would like to see that," an employee answered.

But that's not likely.

"We believe there was nothing intentionally malicious by the employee through his actions," Engel said.

According to PECO, the supervisor said he was practicing tying several knots and did not tie the hangman's noose on purpose.

"Whether he did it on purpose or not, it's the idea of it that's important to us," one of the employees said.

Last month at a PECO service center in Philadelphia, another racially charged incident was reported.

PECO employees supplied the NBC 10 Investigators with a photo of the company gas pump there. Someone placed the letters "KKK" on the pump.

PECO said it is aware of this incident as well, and it's under investigation.

"What do you think is causing people to do things like this?" Hairston asked.

"Lack of training, lack of diversity, not letting employees know that this won't be tolerated in the company," an employee said.

PECO officials said they've also brought a diversity consultant on board to work with their management team and the human relations department.

 

[ZKR]

TC Prof Sanctioned for Fraud

Professor Madonna Constantine has been sanctioned by Teachers College for plagiarism, according to a memo obtained by Spectator Tuesday evening. The memo, dated Feb. 18, was hand-delivered to professors on the Office of the President’s stationery.

TC confirmed in a statement later Tuesday evening that after an internal investigation TC had “found numerous instances in which she [Constantine] used others’ work without attribution in papers she published in academic journals over the past five years."�

The statement specifies that “the investigation, which began in 2006, was prompted by complaints from students and one former faculty member who said language from materials they wrote was included without attribution in the articles."�

The statement explained that “the investigation, which was conducted by Hughes Hubbard & Reed, a law firm with a substantial practice representing universities and academic institutions, concluded that Professor Constantine’s explanation for the strikingly similar language was not credible."�

Constantine has the right to appeal to the Faculty Advisory Committee, the President’s memo noted. An emergency TC faculty meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday.

In October, Constantine, a professor of counseling and clinical psychology, was thrust into the spotlight as the victim of an apparent hate crime when a noose was found on her office door. Students and colleagues rallied to her defense, describing her as a scholar who addressed issues of race head-on. As of last month, the New York Police Department had not identified any suspects in the case.

Tuesday’s memo commended Professor Christine Yeh, former TC professor and current faculty member at the University of San Francisco, and former TC students Tracy Juliao and Karen Cort for their cooperation. Yeh did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening. One TC faculty member said that nine other students did not come forward against Constantine because they were unable to seek indemnity in time.

Jasmine Alvarez, a TC student in Constantine’s department, said she was shocked when she learned about the memo from a Spectator reporter. “I’m shocked. I’m surprised,"� said Alvarez, who is also the diversity representative for the TC Student Senate. “I wouldn’t have expected that. From the many publications that she already has written and from her reputation, that just doesn’t add up to me."�

“Is this where our tuition dollars are going? Toward the investigation of a woman whose words of insight and provocative thoughts have progressed the academic battle toward social justice?"� said Amanda Luterman, a TC student in counseling and clinical psychology. “I honestly don’t understand the priorities here anymore when I see the good guys under siege."� :rolleyes2:

Paul Giacomo, Constantine’s lawyer, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

 

[Whitebear]

"Noose" Negress Professor Charged With Plagiarism

Professor Madonna G. Constantine

 

[ZKR]

Bill Would Make Hanging Noose To Intimidate Illegal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Hanging a noose in public could be against the law under a bill filed by a black state lawmaker, a reaction to recent intimidating uses of the lynching symbol.

The bill, filed last week, would prohibit a person from placing a noose in a public place, on the property of another without written permission of the owner or in an exhibit of any kind with the intention of intimidating another person.

Violating the proposed law could lead to up to a year in jail.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, said Thursday there is a movement among several black advocacy groups to have similar laws adopted in every state. Lawmakers in New York and Maryland are considering similar legislation.

"It is a concern of the black community that we never again have to live through what happened with the Jena Six or be reminded of the type of violence we faced from hanging in the past," Bullard said.

Six black students from Jena High School in Louisiana were charged with attempted murder after a 2006 assault on a white student. The beating came months after three other white students were suspended, but not criminally charged, for hanging nooses in a tree at the school.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida would not support the bill (SB 768) because of the way it could infringe on First Amendment rights.

"The ACLU believes what is needed is vigorous law enforcement of laws that protect the peoples' rights rather than more laws about other symbols of hate," said Howard Simon, with ACLU of Florida.

Bullard said she looks forward to discussing the bill and understands that other parties and individuals might have concerns about it. But the law would only apply to people who hang a noose as a threat, she said.

Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, has filed a similar bill (HB 307) in the House.

 

[ZKR]

Students discover a noose on school grounds

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (WSVN) -- Students in a South Florida school discovered a noose displayed in full view of their lunch table.

The day and the month when this incident occurred is what intrigued authorities. It occurred the month of February which happens to be Black History Month but the actual day of the discovery was on Valentine's Day.

A 14-year-old student at Somerset Academy Charter High School discovered what she said was a symbol of hate. The noose was found dangling above her seat in a lunch eating area. The teen then saw a group of boys giggling, suggesting it was just a joke. She then summoned the principal and had the noose removed .

School officials are investigating the incident, since the noose has a negative connotation. "I'm not really so interested in having the boys punished for this. That's not really my goal. I think that everyone needs to be educated, this is a serious hate crime and what the noose really represents, because I think a lot of people really don't understand that," said student Moremi Akinde.

The teenager's mother will not allow her to go back to school until something has been done.

School officials said the incident may be linked to a maintenance procedure where cleaning crews used rope with slipknots to hold down umbrellas in the eating area.

 

[Rasp]

Try this on for size, Buckwheat

Student Accused Of Threatening Another With A Noose

A possibly racially motivated act in a Queen Anne's County School has an Eastern Shore community outraged. Police say a white student approached an Africoon-Americoon student with a noose.

Racism is often regarded as a thing of the past. But sometimes we get a reminder of what once was.

Queen Anne's County Public Schools Spokesman Fred McNeil says, "Important lessons of the late 50's and 60's and 70's about social justice and protecting women and certain minorities, we're beginning to forget those."

Police say this was illustrated at Kent Island High recently when a student, 18-year-old Bruce Settle, allegedly brought a noose into school. Officials say Settle approached an africoon americoon student with the noose and asked him, "Do you wanna try this on?" :lol:

For most, a noose is a symbol of lynching, illustrating a dark past in american society. So when an incident involving a noose happened at Kent Island High School, the community's response can be summed up in just one word: intolerable.

Queen Anne's County Sheriff R. Gery Hofmann III says, "We're not going to allow this type of behavior to occur, we have zero-tolerance to this."

McNeil says, "There is zero-tolerance in the Queen Anne's Public Schools for any type of behavior remotely like this and we will not allow it to happen, our community does not expect it to happen."

Settle has been charged with racial harrassment, second-degree assault and disturbing school operations. Queen Anne's County Schools say they've also taken disciplinary action against Settle.

Another nigger noose hoax exposed!

Charges dropped in Md. school noose allegation

CENTREVILLE, Md. – Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil has dropped racial harassment and other charges brought against a Kent Island High School student after an alleged noose incident.

Kratovil says there wasn't any evidence of a crime.

Eighteen-year-old Bruce Settle of Stevensville was charged by the county sheriff's office in December after the mother of a 17-year-old black student alleged Settle made a racial threat to her son days earlier. Charging documents said Settle, who is white, allegedly made a rope into a noose and said to the younger student "did you wanna try this."

Kratovil says an FBI agent questioned witnesses and found inconsistencies. Kratovil says the mother did not want to pursue the issue further.

 

[Rasp]

Dark-Skinned Doll Hangs from Portland Forklift

:lol:

Portland, Oregon -- A hanging doll with dark skin has a Portland, Oregon woman upset after she says the display had offensive racial overtones.

Sherrian Haggar and her family say they saw the doll hanging from a forklift at 21st Century Towing in Portland, Oregon.

An employee at the company says it was meant to be silly, but the family argues that there is nothing funny about a doll with a rope around its neck.

Haggar says, "It was almost surreal. It was almost too much to believe, except it was right there--right there in your face."

Haggar and her family took pictures of what they saw.

"My daughter-in-law couldn't snap them fast enough," Haggar says, "It was a hanging doll--a dark skinned doll with what looked to me like
african hair, with hands bound behind its back, hanging up by a monkey."

Haggar says employees took the doll down, telling her the whole thing was a joke.

"Somebody hanging another human being in effigy is the kind of thing that happened to our families in the South before some man was hanged," Haggar says, "So this is no prank. This is no joke." [Nigger!]

An employee says he found the doll, with the rope already attached in a car towed from a crash.

So, he tied it to the forklift for fun.

"It just, it was silly to put it there that's all," said Johnatan Canelo, a 21st Century Towing employee.

He says the doll is part of "The Homies Collection."

"I mean, you can look at the thing. It's Mexican; I'm Mexican. What can be racist with that?" Canelo asks.

The owner, Clark Tenney, showed other items on the forklift, like Muppet Bert from Sesame Street, and The Cat in the Hat from Dr. Suess stories.

"He definitely didn't mean to hurt anybody or make anyone feel offensive and if we did that. That's our mistake. It shouldn't have happened, so we apologize if we offended anybody," Tenney says.

"It really makes you feel vulnerable. It makes you feel many of the things we have fought for all those years ago is just surface stuff," Haggar says.

The company feels the family may be angry because they had their car towed. Haggar family members say that the fact they had their car towed has nothing to do with the dispute.

Either way, company officials say the hanging doll controversy won't happen again.

-------------------------

Sherrian Haggar

Sherrian Haggar is a grandmother who spent many years working for equity for students of color.

 

[3 Ks]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/15663851/detail.html

HFD Cadet Accused Of Making Noose
March 21, 2008

HOUSTON -- A Houston Fire Department cadet has been thrown out of the academy after he allegedly made a noose during a training class, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

Houston Fire Department Executive Assistant Chief Rick Flanagan said the cadet tied the noose around a Gatorade bottle during a class at the training academy on Braniff Street in February.

"I think this was an isolated case, but we responded quickly, we addressed the matter and the cadet was dismissed from the department," Flanagan said.

The cadet's name was not released.

Several nooses have been found at area businesses and a school in recent months.

Four people were accused of hanging nooses in two separate incidents at FMC Technologies on Gears Road in late 2007. Another noose was found tied to a piping system at Chevron Phillips Chemical's Pasadena Plastics Complex in December.

Two Pearland High School students were charged with disorderly conduct after they allegedly hung a noose from a band tower in the school's parking lot in November.

Hanging a noose can be considered a hate crime if it is used to intimidate others.

 

[ZKR]

Negress Noose 'Victim' in the Hot Seat

NOOSE 'TIES' EYED

March 31, 2008 -- A Manhattan grand jury has subpoenaed the university records of the controversial black Columbia Teachers College professor who found a noose hanging from her office door - signaling that the investigation is broadening to examine possible links between the teacher, her closest friends and the racially charged incident, The Post has learned.

According to sources, the subpoenas obtained recently by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and prosecutors demanded the college hand over a laundry list of records pertaining to embattled professor Madonna Constantine, whose colleague found a 4-foot hangman's noose on her office doorknob last October.

The incident happened at the height of the school's probe of plagiarism charges against her.

Last month, Teachers College announced that Constantine was responsible for two dozen incidents of stealing the work of a faculty member and two students under her tutelage, including lifting passages from their dissertations and hijacking their ideas. Constantine has denied the charge.

In addition to the plagiarism report, investigators want to examine all the information gleaned during the university's probe and by a law firm and private investigator hired by the school to investigate the plagiarism allegations.

They also want Constantine's financial contract with the school - which would include her salary, benefits and pension - and any other administrative personnel and academic records.

Sources said the records would provide investigators with a timeline on the tightly guarded 18-month plagiarism probe and what Constantine - one of only two tenured black Teachers College professors - stood to possibly lose if she were found guilty and her job were threatened.

The revelation that Constantine had been under university review provides a possible motive for a sympathetic friend to consider placing a noose on her door - thinking it could whip up support for her, sources said.

During the NYPD probe of the incident, detectives have conducted hundreds of interviews but have been frustrated in coming up with a possible suspect.

Constantine has denied any involvement in the noose incident and has also continued to fight the findings that she stole others' works as her own.

Constantine's lawyer, Paul Giacomo Jr., did not return a call seeking comment.

 

[Rasp]

Worthless coons try to sue The Man

Discrimination Suit Filed After Noose Incident

A Springfield family files a discrimination complaint after they say two boys brought a noose to a Chicopee middle school and threatened a black student. Fourteen year old Tayvaughn Jordan says he had never experienced racism, until two of his classmates allegedly took a lesson on Black history too far.

"He presented me with a noose and said, 'Tayvaughn, look what I've got for you,'" says Jordan.

The alleged incident took place in a classroom at Bellamy Middle School in Chicopee in February, and Tayvaughn and his mother, Angel Brewer, say the two boys knew the significance of that noose.

"They were taught what the noose was, what it meant and what it was used for," says Brewer.

Tayvaughn says the boys also taunted him on the bus to school, using racial slurs and refusing to let him sit in the front, but it was the presence of the noose that made Tayvaughn feel threatened and unsafe.

Jordan says he felt, "Distressed and raged. I wanted to hit him."

"He's still not comfortable," says Brewer. "Everyday it's something."

ity:

Tayvaughn has since transferred to a school in Springfield, and the students involved have been disciplined. The school district would not release the specifics of their punishment, but Tayvaughn's mother says their response didn't do enough to ensure her child's sense of safety.

"It's the school's job to teach and educate our children," says Brewer. "That is why we send them there."

The family has since filed a discrimination complaint against the boys, the school, the district and the Chicopee Police Department, hoping to teach a lesson of tolerance and acceptance to everyone involved.

"When people do negative things, don't respond the way they want you to respond, respond the way that you know is right," says Brewer.

The school district now has two weeks to respond to the discrimination complaint. District officials declined an on camera interview but say they have been looking seriously at the incident and did a thorough investigation even before the complaint was filed.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.vdare.com/epstein/080408_noose.htm

Media Manufactured Noose Mania

By Marcus Epstein

During his much-heralded speech on race relations, Barack Obama bemoaned the idea that "We can tackle race only as spectacle." Calling the manufactured hysteria about the alleged proliferation of noose hangings across the country a "spectacle" would be an understatement. But now both federal and state governments are trying to "tackle" this problem by passing "hate crime" legislation.

Recently, the state legislatures of Maryland and Connecticut took significant steps towards banning nooses. The Maryland House of Delegates voted 111 to 20 to give up to three years in prison and a 5,000 dollar fine for the offense. Connecticut’s judiciary committee unanimously approved a similar measure 43-0. A bill has already been enacted in Michigan and one is underway in the District of Columbia.

According to Saqib Ali, a Maryland State representative whose parents came from Pakistan, and who cosponsored the bill in Maryland, "The noose is the premier symbol of hatred now, people don’t burn crosses anymore." [Law Would Ban Noose Display, By Kate Queram, Capital News Service, March 21, 2008] The bill failed, but in all such attempts to pass bad laws, the legislators only have to be lucky once.

Since the abolition of slavery, over 3,000 African Americans and 1,200 whites were lynched without fair trial. Though the majority of lynchings were for serious crimes like murder and rape, there are 85 known cases where blacks were lynched merely for insulting whites. (Statistics on lynching are kept by Tuskegee University.) In light of this history, a noose can have extremely racist and threatening connotations.

However, unlike cross burnings, nooses did not ipso facto represent racism and oppression until recently. Depending on the context, they could be a symbol of mob justice or tough law and order. In the Old West, the "vigilantism" of which the Minutemen are so frequently accused was a matter of whites hanging other whites, such as cattle rustlers or other criminals.

Thus in 2003, Willie Nelson and Toby Keith scored a number one hit with "Beer for My Horses." In the duet, the left wing Nelson sang, "Take all the rope in Texas, Find a tall oak tree, Round up all of them bad boys, Hang them high in the street." This song attracted no controversy—unlike Keith’s pro-War on Terror anthem Courtesy of the Red White and Blue.

In 2006, a major factor leading to George Allen’s defeat in Virginia was his alleged racial insensitivity in calling an Indian Jim Webb supporter "Macaca," which Allen’s opponents claimed was meant as a racial slur. But even in this racially charged campaign, the fact that he once had a noose outside his office while a district attorney failed to gain any traction. Voters understood that in proper context, Allen’s display did not represent racism.

Yet just one year after Allen’s defeat, the noose has come to embody all that is racist in our society:

This past October, the NAACP protested a noose at a private residence’s haunted house in New Jersey.

Another homeowner in Florida was interrogated by police officers over his Halloween decorations.

The city of Germantown, TN fired three public theater employees after a coworker complained that some stage-rope knots resembled nooses.

These are not isolated instances of political correctness. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have made nooses and the Jena 6 incident into campaign issues. Even President Bush made nooses a central theme to his Black History Month speech. He claimed: "The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice." (So much for Willie Nelson).

What has happened in the last year that justifies turning nooses into the new swastika? It all began with the now infamous Jena Six case in Louisiana. The story concocted by the Left and parroted by the media is that white students at Jena High School hung a noose on a tree to intimidate black students. A school yard scuffle broke out, and the six blacks involved were charged with attempted murder, while the whites who hung the noose were given a slap on the wrist.

In reality, the nooses were hung in school colors by historically illiterate students prior to a football game, aimed at a rival school with a Western-themed team. Three months later, six black students, some of whom had extensive criminal records, beat an isolated white student who had absolutely nothing to do with the nooses. The vice principal of the school who found him thought he was dead.

In the wake of the case, the noose "epidemic" began. The highest profile incident occurred when Columbia University professor Madonna Constantine claimed a noose was hung outside of her office. It has since came out that Prof. Constantine was in the midst of a plagiarism investigation when the noose appeared. The police are now subpoenaing Columbia records to see if she was the perpetrator.

Similarly, a number of other "victims" of nooses such as a Baltimore firefighter suspected of cheating on his exams and a Lowe’s employee charged with internal theft failed to raise flags, and were later shown to be hoaxes.

There has yet to be a single noose incident that was followed by violence.

But in all cases, politicians and civil rights demanded harsh punishment for the offenders and a media circus ensued. When they were exposed as frauds, there was little reprimand or media coverage for the hoaxers.

Many states have imposed restrictions on swastikas and burning crosses. In 2004, the Supreme Court upheld a Virginia law that banned most cross burnings even on private property. The argument is that their intent is to intimidate and they are therefore not free speech.

That a symbol is not exclusively associated with racism is now getting the same treatment is more evidence of America’s slide down the slippery slope towards criminalization of an ever expanding definition of "hate speech."

Not for the first time, diversity proves to be, not strength, but tyranny.

 

[INOWKNOW]

Its Apparent If The Hangingman Was White Nothing Would Have Been Said.

 

[INOWKNOW]

My Father Taught Me How To Tie A Noose When I Was Six Years Old.
Dad If I Never Said Thanks Im Saying It Now.