On Saturday we posted the statement issued by the Oberlin College administration in response to conservative media having exposed the racism hoax and Oberlin’s part in playing along by not disclosing the hoax to the student body.
The sentence most of us focused on was: “These actions were real.” That “fake but real” narrative seemed ludicrous to me and to others:
The Oberlin racism hoax just gets worse. “@LegInsurrection: "Fake but Real" is back http://t.co/J1Jl1KG4S8 #Oberlin”
— Brit Hume (@brithume) August 24, 2013
But there was another aspect of the Oberlin statement that was more devious and calculating than any of us suspected.
Oberlin falsely portrayed those who exposed the hoax and called Oberlin out for not telling students as somehow excusing the underlying conduct:
A report issued by the Oberlin Police Department regarding racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic incidents which occurred on the Oberlin College campus this past February and March has generated speculation on some web sites regarding the motives of the alleged perpetrators….
We will not tolerate acts of hatred and threats of violence regardless of motivation….
Some commentators have suggested that the perpetrators engaged in these actions merely to provoke a reaction from our community.
As we have stated, these incidents occurred on a virtually daily basis over a period of weeks. The acts in question included racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic graffiti, flyers, and Internet postings, as well as written harassment of targeted individuals including threats of bodily harm and rape.
We take all such threats seriously and recognize that our obligation is to assure the safety of all members of our community. Many students, faculty and staff raised reasonable concerns about their security on our campus, based on these incidents and threats. Oberlin College will not tolerate an atmosphere in which people feel threatened on the basis of their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, under any circumstances.
This was a complete deflection.
No one was calling for Oberlin to have done nothing in response to the hoax; all that was called for was some transparency and honesty with the student body that the perpetrators were not Nazis and the KKK, but rather liberal pro-Obama “anti-racist” activists out to get a campus reaction.
I think Conor Friedersdorf put it well:
The way I’d put it is that Oberlin students had a right to know that the perpetrators weren’t motivated by Nazi or KKK ideology.
Many feared they were — and for that reason, they did as much damage as actual neo-Nazis or KKK members would have.
Rather than addressing this failure, Oberlin creates a straw man argument that people are calling for it to have done nothing at all. Oberlin then plays the hero by standing up to these imaginary calls for inaction by insisting that it cannot tolerate hate.
The Oberlin administration is acting as if the victim of the hoax having been exposed was the Oberlin administration.
It will be interesting to see if students demand accountability from the Oberlin administration. I doubt it will happen, but we’ll follow up on it.
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Comments
Being a liberal jerk at Oberlin means never having to say you’re sorry.
Being a liberal jerk in the Oberlin administration means protecting leftist ideology trumps facts, law, logic, and common sense.
Ya know… given the prevalence of these ‘false flag’ ops on college campi, you’d think there’d be a degree program to be had for all that effort.
Once upon a time, ‘veritas’ was a integral part of education.
Nowadays, deviousness has become the virtue du jour…
“…given the prevalence of these ‘false flag’ ops on college campi, you’d think there’d be a degree program to be had for all that effort.”
There is. Social Justice.
Social Justice? They’re not social and there is no justice.
Didn’t say they were. ‘Social Justice’ is being offered as a BA degree at more and more universities and it is exactly what you’d suspect – essentially a degree in community organizing, false flag ops being a big part of this robust new discipline.
What you wrote is raaaaaacisssss.
Given the prevalence, as a college professor myself I start with the assumption that any such incident on any campus is a false flag op, perpetrated by some progressive yahoo to provoke a reaction.
I don’t believe it’s real unless and until the local police arrest someone.
** BREAKING **
Oberlin College announces speaker for Class of 2014 commencement ceremony to be Tawana Brawley.
Isn’t she also their sports teams mascot?
“Oberlin – First in the Racism-manufacturing Race!”
I’ve said it a thousand times…liberals have no moral or logical basis for their ideology. Situational ethics that always excuse themselves from any responsibility or accountability.
“If it feels good, do it!”
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
SPLAT!
Now look around and find someone to blame for your predicament, lawyer up, and hope that your retirement comes early.
The supreme irony in all this is that both the hoax perpetrators and Oberlin’s administrators have proven themselves to be the willing tools of the KKK and the Nazis.
Chronicle of Higher Education has a typically mealy-mouthed piece up on the Oberlin hoax. Interestingly, in comments several readers (of CHE!) credit LI and the conservative media for reporting on the hoax, and on the fact that Oberlin tried to hush up the whole thing:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/oberlin-student-says-racist-postings-on-campus-were-meant-as-a-joke/65205
Sooooo many people read LI! I realized this when an assistant professor at a nearby university, someone who is more left- than right-leaning, mentioned this blog’s level-headed non-hysterical coverage of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case a few years ago. Prof. Jacobson has “cred” with a *lot* of people.
“It will be interesting to see if students demand accountability from the Oberlin administration.”
There’s that word “accountability” again. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, how about “consequences?”
And, with all due respects to Michele Malkin, why would anyone expect a “demand” for either accountability or consequences from someone who would pay to be there in the first place?
I think this stunt was part of a membership drive designed to appeal to their base of financial and moral supporters.
Perhaps you meant “amoral” supporters?
Moral, amoral. Potato, potuhto. I don’t want to be too judgmental. The point is that dissociation of risk causes corruption. While dreams of material (e.g. money), physical, and ego (e.g. reputation) instant (or immediate) gratification motivates its progress.
** BREAKING **
Tawana Brawley commencement speech invitation revealed to be hoax perpetrated by progressive students trying to elicit reaction.
Sounds like Oberlin needs a new handbook and a new president and a new board of directors and a new spine.
** BREAKING **
Oberlin College administration issues statement:
A report issued by the Oberlin Police Department regarding a racist commencement speaker invitation to Tawana Brawley has generated speculation on some web sites regarding the motives of the perpetrators. Regardless, these students will be subject to disciplinary measures.
This invitation was real. Oberlin College’s retraction of this invitation is also real.
The fear, joy, consternation, euphoria, angst, sarcasm, gullibility, leg thrills, dignity, courage, and the Agony and Ecstasy—as well as disruption—it caused in our community was real.
Only in America do efforts to curb voter fraud become “voter suppression,” honesty about races becomes “racism” and college fraud becomes a way to “raise awareness.”
Just saw Michelle Malkin on FOX give big props to Prof. Jacobson and Legal Insurrection for calling out Oberlin administration on this issue.
Oberlin College will not tolerate an atmosphere in which people feel threatened on the basis of their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, under any circumstances.
Wait.
What about political affiliation?
I dreamt last night that I rented a horse and rode like a demon through the Oberlin campus at midnight in a white terry cloth robe (the horse was naked). Most students immediately fainted like Victorian-era debutantes, while the rest left trails of urine into every dorm and hall.
Another racism hoax: Jersey City high school candidate for student govt sent racist texts to himself
I’m sure this kid is already on the fast track to a full scholarship at Oberlin College.
This place is now somewhat’ famouser ‘ than before having now made The Daily Mail.
The question everyone outside the education enclave is asking ( eg working class Americans & all 6.7 billion non- Americans is …WTF is a liberal arts college & why would anyone pay money to go there – much less live in Ohio ?
Nazis & the KKK at least are world famous & have achievements. Liberal colleges not so much.