Hatred for the Holidays

The following is a guest opinion published in a local college newspaper. I agree with every word. It only seems right I put this on my blog, being that the author was a inspired to write it because of a situation related to yours truly.


Let's face facts: some people, regardless of their pedigree, are just stupid.

Case in point: In 2005, Prince Harry appeared at a costume party dressed as a member of the Nazi party, wearing a shirt that was adorned with Nazi military rank, as well as the immediately recognizable red and white swastika that was emblazoned on an arm band. The incident caused an immediate uproar, prompting Prince Harry to publicly apologize for the choice of dress, on the grounds that it was insensitive, in bad taste, and just plain idiotic.

Honestly, how could someone of his ilk be allowed to walk out of the house (or castle, as it were) without having someone stop him and say, "Excuse me sir, but your costume is in poor taste and might embarrass the Queen Mum." Right?It was indeed an embarrassing moment for Prince Harry, the Royal Family, and anyone else with a pulse. His costume represented one of the most hateful periods in the history of this world; forever a spot on his reputation and that of his family.

That said, it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that something of a similarly indefensible nature has occurred in our backyard of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Just a few weeks ago, a local college student (read: not Wilkes) attended a Halloween party in a costume that echoes Prince Harry's idiocy in nearly every sense of the word.The student was dressed in brown material from his neck down, with his arms clad in woodland camouflage that is commonly seen on hunting jackets. So far, so good, right? Keep reading.

Hanging from his arms were three white ropes, dangling down about a foot or so. Almost there.

Those ropes, however, weren't just hanging down innocently. No, instead they were tied into a noose, completing his costume, which he referred to as "The Jena-6 Tree."For those unaware, the moniker "Jena-6" refers to a group of black teenagers from Louisiana who were recently charged with the beating of a white teenager. The beating stemmed from an earlier incident in which nooses were hung from a tree on school grounds. A black student asked permission from a school official to sit under the tree, a spot which was normally inhabited by white students.
The day after he and two others did so, nooses were discovered hanging from its branches. The noose incident touched off racial tension, fights, and eventually led to the beating of a white student. Six black youth were charged with attempted murder, though charges were later reduced. Their incarceration and the lack of action taken by authorities against the white students who allegedly perpetrated the noose incident, also touched off widespread national criticism and a significant protest march earlier this fall.

Whether or not you believe that the black students were right or wrong is your opinion; that's not what this is about.This is about a much larger problem that has been looming in this country: an apparent regression in race relations. Recently we have read of several incidents in which nooses have been found on doorknobs, in front yards, and the like. In each case, the noose is regarded as a threatening symbol of racial hatred dating back to this country's bleakest moments when white mobs hunted down and lynched black men.Whether these recent incidents were done out of hate or were the result of pranksters looking for attention remains to be seen. Nonetheless they forgive rise to racial tension that remains alive and well in this country.And now we come to the issue of the Halloween costume.

The student, who will henceforth be referred to as "Smartsy," posted pictures of himself in costume on his Facebook page, in which one of the pictures had him posed with three other party-goers with their heads in the nooses, apparently smiling and laughing.Similarly, Smartsy has received several comments on his page about the costume, many of which were complimentary in nature, which raises the question of the intelligence of both Smartsy and those who find it necessary to praise him for a costume which, like Prince Harry's, represents a culture of hatred and intolerance.

A sample of the comments:

"Personally... your costume... offensive? yes..... funny? yes.....completely creative and you? most definitely..... I laughed.I think you should go as a cotton field next year. =)"

Really? A cotton field? Here's an idea: Why don't you don a white hood and burn a cross on someone's front yard and get it over with.

"I had to take a closer look at the picture to see why anyone would consider it racist. Personally, I think its absolutely amazing."

Were your eyes closed when you looked at the picture? Because that's the only possible scenario in which you couldn't see why it would be considered racist.

"I think somebody is being intolerant of [Smartsy's] right to enjoy dressing up like a tree with some rope around it."

This comment was in reference to a person who voiced their displeasure with the costume.

After reading those comments, you have to wonder if the writers even understand why something like that would be offensive to anyone. Seriously, what kind of idiot do you have to be to wear a costume like that, especially following recent events? Suffice it to say, some things just aren't funny, no matter how they are presented. Furthermore, how can anyone leave comments like those in which they praise Smartsy's costume, knowing full well of what it represents?It is not only stupid to wear a costume like that, but it's also irresponsible, morally reprehensible, and ignorant. And the attitude, "Well, it's just a joke," doesn't make it okay to dress like that. It just makes you look like an even bigger fool.

What if someone went to a party dressed as Matthew Shepherd, the man who was pistol-whipped and left tied to a fence because he was gay? Would that be funny? Or what if someone went as a holocaust victim? Or if they went dressed as any other victim of hate? Would that be funny?The answer is no, and it will always be no. Of course, it was only a rhetorical question, but in light of these events, it can't be assumed that everyone knows that.

-- Tim Seigfried

Thanks Tim!

And I like to call that...validation. So maybe I piss a few more people off by posting this. This is exactly how I felt at the time.