A mob mentality WILL NOT fix the issues at Guilford
I am writing this assuming that everyone reading it already knows about the recent hate crime at Guilford. If you don't, then check out any of the various news reports as well as the official statement by Guilford College which can be found at guilford.edu. If you're going to read what I'm writing I only ask that you read the whole thing and save your judgments for after you've finished.
What happened at 12:30 a.m. on January 20 was terrible and intolerable. It was a violation of both the core values of Guilford College as well as the basic human rights of the victims and the national and ethnic groups that they are members of. There have been several stories circulating around campus through word of mouth and despite the many versions of the story out there, it is only possible for one to be correct. It is because of this that it is absolutely imperitive to judge the situation with FACTS and FACTS ALONE. So what are the facts? As of this time we as the students really don't know much except the following:
1)Omar, Osama, and Faris (the victims) were attacked by a large group of people (estimated at 12)
2)Racial and ethnic slurs were reported to have been spoken by the attackers
3)The alleged attackers are members of the football team
4)All of the victims recieved serious injuries including but not limited to concussions
5)Three members of the football team were arrested and then released on $2,000 bond
6)According to Kent Chabotar, both the victims and attackers are now no longer living on campus
Now various versions of the story throw in a multitude of angles on what may or may not have happened, however these are the indesputable facts and if we as students are to act as informed, intelligent individuals then this is what we have to go on. What happened early Saturday morning was a clear and obvious violation of the Quaker values that our College is built around and has also shattered the feeling of safety that used to be present on our campus. Many students have responded with rage, sadness, confusion, and disbelief. However, a group of students mobilized today (Wednesday, January 24) at the open forum and voiced both good intentions as well as some that are completely and totally counter to everything that Guilford College stands for. Enough praise can't be given to those who came out to support the victims and to try to make sure that such an event never happens again. There were also a lot of those at the forum who voiced concern that the Quaker values this school was founded upon have been violated and even ignored. However, it became clear that another important Quaker value was not being sought: Truth. There were repeated calls by the members of the aforementioned group to ignore due process and to bring down swift punishment immediately, and it is truly sad that such a claim could be made without clear thought of the consequences of this action.
We all know that a crime took place, but NO ONE except the eyewitnesses and those involved knows that story exactly one-hundred percent as it really occurred. The entire reason why due process exists is so that everyone, even those accused of a terrible crime, can get fair and equal treatment under the law. Osama, Omar, and Faris have aready been the victims of this hate crime and nothing that anyone does or says can ever undo that. Trying to force the judicial system into a decision without clear knowledge of the facts will only result in a judgment that is more likely to be disproportioned to the crime. This could mean that those accused get heavier sentences than they deserve or it could mean that they get lighter sentences. What would really make this situation even worse though is if someone was wrongly accused of a crime that he or she (in this case he) did not commit. As long as those accused have been moved off of campus so that they are no longer a threat to the students, there is absolutely no incentive for a quick and uninformed decision other than to make the students feel as though they have helped the situation. There is very little that we can do to make what happened right; we can only try to create an environment in which the uncovering of the truth is the ultimate goal and also where something like this will never happen again.
At the same time, we cannot target or discriminate against atheletes on campus just because that is the defining characteristic that the attackers all shared. Athletes are students just like you and I, but more than that they're PEOPLE like us too. Every athlete on this campus was not involved in this hate crime, however a rift has already become tangible between atheletes and non-atheletes on campus. While it could certainly be argued that this existed before was simply made visible by the incident, developing an US vs. THEM mentatility on either side won't solve anything. This is true of atheletes as well, as many of them at the forum appeared to be in total support of the alleged attackers. Instead of joining a group and letting someone tell you to support either the victims or the attackers, continue to search for the facts and seek the truth for yourself. The number of people who think they know what happened is significantly higher than those who really know.
Another issue at hand is that of race and nationality. Osama said it best in the Guilford administrative office on Tuesday before the press conference when he stated that Guilford is his family. He did not identify himself as American, Palestinian or anything else. Regardless of whether or not you like the people around you at Guilford, we are all in this togther. The racial epithets used by the attackers should never, ever be spoken by anyone and shouldn't even be repeated here. However, this is a more complex issue than just white men attacking minorities as hate crimes so commonly are. I don't know any of the attackers personally and only am aware of those who have been arrested as the people involved (and I would think most other students are in a similar position). However, today at the forum there were several African American students who spoke out and appeared to believe that the attackers involved were white and the "race card" was mentioned. It is important that everyone realizes that one of the three attackers arrested was an African American male, not because white people in general need to be defended but rather because an accurate assessment of the situation can only come from a true realization of the facts. It is very possible that of the 12 or so football players involved, the African American arrested was the only non-white person involved, but we can't say that for sure unless we know the facts. I am white and I did not make a conscious choice to be born as I am; I will readily and easily admit that most hate crimes are committed by white individuals. When I first heard this story I, like many others, assumed the attackers involved were all white (especially after hearing the slurs that were used). Many minorities are particularly upset because they realize that the victims could have easily been them, and it is absolutely possible that those of you who are minorities could have been the ones attacked if you were at the wrong place in the wrong time. I will never know what it feels like to be afraid of hate crimes in America because I am white. However I do know that this is not an issue where we can stand to be divided among the lines of race, because otherwise we will never be able to truly eliminate hate crimes. We have to work together as all races here at Guilford and beyond to make the world a place where people like Osama, Omar, and Faris don't have to suffer because of the ignorance of others. White supremacy is an evil that so many minorities have suffered as a result of, yet in order to end it we have to each attack it from a different angle. Any kind of generalization against any race will only continue the cycle and more innocent people will suffer.
In closing, I would like to thank you for reading this. I don't honestly know how many Guilford students this will reach, but I do hope that the search for truth continues in every one of you. To those who were a part of the group in support of Osama, Omar, and Faris I hope you are not offended by what I've written and if you disagree please feel free to respond. It is obvious from this group's example that there are large numbers of caring people here at Guilford who want to make a difference and keep this from ever happening again. I only ask that you uphold the value of truth for all of us and don't let others do your thinking for you. You are all intelligent, thoughtful individuals who deserve to be heard and can do incredible things if you put your minds to it. I hope that I can work with each and every one of you to heal the wounds caused by this incident and eliminate the culture that allowed it to happen in the first place.
What happened at 12:30 a.m. on January 20 was terrible and intolerable. It was a violation of both the core values of Guilford College as well as the basic human rights of the victims and the national and ethnic groups that they are members of. There have been several stories circulating around campus through word of mouth and despite the many versions of the story out there, it is only possible for one to be correct. It is because of this that it is absolutely imperitive to judge the situation with FACTS and FACTS ALONE. So what are the facts? As of this time we as the students really don't know much except the following:
1)Omar, Osama, and Faris (the victims) were attacked by a large group of people (estimated at 12)
2)Racial and ethnic slurs were reported to have been spoken by the attackers
3)The alleged attackers are members of the football team
4)All of the victims recieved serious injuries including but not limited to concussions
5)Three members of the football team were arrested and then released on $2,000 bond
6)According to Kent Chabotar, both the victims and attackers are now no longer living on campus
Now various versions of the story throw in a multitude of angles on what may or may not have happened, however these are the indesputable facts and if we as students are to act as informed, intelligent individuals then this is what we have to go on. What happened early Saturday morning was a clear and obvious violation of the Quaker values that our College is built around and has also shattered the feeling of safety that used to be present on our campus. Many students have responded with rage, sadness, confusion, and disbelief. However, a group of students mobilized today (Wednesday, January 24) at the open forum and voiced both good intentions as well as some that are completely and totally counter to everything that Guilford College stands for. Enough praise can't be given to those who came out to support the victims and to try to make sure that such an event never happens again. There were also a lot of those at the forum who voiced concern that the Quaker values this school was founded upon have been violated and even ignored. However, it became clear that another important Quaker value was not being sought: Truth. There were repeated calls by the members of the aforementioned group to ignore due process and to bring down swift punishment immediately, and it is truly sad that such a claim could be made without clear thought of the consequences of this action.
We all know that a crime took place, but NO ONE except the eyewitnesses and those involved knows that story exactly one-hundred percent as it really occurred. The entire reason why due process exists is so that everyone, even those accused of a terrible crime, can get fair and equal treatment under the law. Osama, Omar, and Faris have aready been the victims of this hate crime and nothing that anyone does or says can ever undo that. Trying to force the judicial system into a decision without clear knowledge of the facts will only result in a judgment that is more likely to be disproportioned to the crime. This could mean that those accused get heavier sentences than they deserve or it could mean that they get lighter sentences. What would really make this situation even worse though is if someone was wrongly accused of a crime that he or she (in this case he) did not commit. As long as those accused have been moved off of campus so that they are no longer a threat to the students, there is absolutely no incentive for a quick and uninformed decision other than to make the students feel as though they have helped the situation. There is very little that we can do to make what happened right; we can only try to create an environment in which the uncovering of the truth is the ultimate goal and also where something like this will never happen again.
At the same time, we cannot target or discriminate against atheletes on campus just because that is the defining characteristic that the attackers all shared. Athletes are students just like you and I, but more than that they're PEOPLE like us too. Every athlete on this campus was not involved in this hate crime, however a rift has already become tangible between atheletes and non-atheletes on campus. While it could certainly be argued that this existed before was simply made visible by the incident, developing an US vs. THEM mentatility on either side won't solve anything. This is true of atheletes as well, as many of them at the forum appeared to be in total support of the alleged attackers. Instead of joining a group and letting someone tell you to support either the victims or the attackers, continue to search for the facts and seek the truth for yourself. The number of people who think they know what happened is significantly higher than those who really know.
Another issue at hand is that of race and nationality. Osama said it best in the Guilford administrative office on Tuesday before the press conference when he stated that Guilford is his family. He did not identify himself as American, Palestinian or anything else. Regardless of whether or not you like the people around you at Guilford, we are all in this togther. The racial epithets used by the attackers should never, ever be spoken by anyone and shouldn't even be repeated here. However, this is a more complex issue than just white men attacking minorities as hate crimes so commonly are. I don't know any of the attackers personally and only am aware of those who have been arrested as the people involved (and I would think most other students are in a similar position). However, today at the forum there were several African American students who spoke out and appeared to believe that the attackers involved were white and the "race card" was mentioned. It is important that everyone realizes that one of the three attackers arrested was an African American male, not because white people in general need to be defended but rather because an accurate assessment of the situation can only come from a true realization of the facts. It is very possible that of the 12 or so football players involved, the African American arrested was the only non-white person involved, but we can't say that for sure unless we know the facts. I am white and I did not make a conscious choice to be born as I am; I will readily and easily admit that most hate crimes are committed by white individuals. When I first heard this story I, like many others, assumed the attackers involved were all white (especially after hearing the slurs that were used). Many minorities are particularly upset because they realize that the victims could have easily been them, and it is absolutely possible that those of you who are minorities could have been the ones attacked if you were at the wrong place in the wrong time. I will never know what it feels like to be afraid of hate crimes in America because I am white. However I do know that this is not an issue where we can stand to be divided among the lines of race, because otherwise we will never be able to truly eliminate hate crimes. We have to work together as all races here at Guilford and beyond to make the world a place where people like Osama, Omar, and Faris don't have to suffer because of the ignorance of others. White supremacy is an evil that so many minorities have suffered as a result of, yet in order to end it we have to each attack it from a different angle. Any kind of generalization against any race will only continue the cycle and more innocent people will suffer.
In closing, I would like to thank you for reading this. I don't honestly know how many Guilford students this will reach, but I do hope that the search for truth continues in every one of you. To those who were a part of the group in support of Osama, Omar, and Faris I hope you are not offended by what I've written and if you disagree please feel free to respond. It is obvious from this group's example that there are large numbers of caring people here at Guilford who want to make a difference and keep this from ever happening again. I only ask that you uphold the value of truth for all of us and don't let others do your thinking for you. You are all intelligent, thoughtful individuals who deserve to be heard and can do incredible things if you put your minds to it. I hope that I can work with each and every one of you to heal the wounds caused by this incident and eliminate the culture that allowed it to happen in the first place.