Two Missouri University students have been arrested for throwing cotton balls in front of a black culture center in an act that is being investigated as a hate crime.
The students were initially charged with “Tampering in the second degree”, a class D Felony. This is a curious criminal provision that covers a wide array of possible conduct:
Tampering in the second degree.
569.090. 1. A person commits the crime of tampering in the second degree if he or she:(1) Tampers with property of another for the purpose of causing substantial inconvenience to that person or to another; or
(2) Unlawfully rides in or upon another’s automobile, airplane, motorcycle, motorboat or other motor-propelled vehicle; or
(3) Tampers or makes connection with property of a utility; or
(4) Tampers with, or causes to be tampered with, any meter or other property of an electric, gas, steam or water utility, the effect of which tampering is either:
(a) To prevent the proper measuring of electric, gas, steam or water service; or
(b) To permit the diversion of any electric, gas, steam or water service.
The question is whether leaving cotton balls constitutes a substantial interference. The university paper said that the matter was being investigated as a hate crime, here.
For the full story, click here.
Georgia,
You’re misunderstanding the point. Was putting the cottonballs in front of the Black Culture Center a racist act? Probably so. But that doesn’t make it a hate crime.
If the KKK donned their hoods and marched past the Center, it too would be a racist act. But it would not be a hate crime.
Demonstrations of ignorance are not in and of themselves “hate crimes”.
It is the same thing sir and your right its not against the law to be a douchebag otherwise people like you would be serving a life sentence. It’s the exact same thing as calling people n$##$rs. Why do you think they did it? This is the most racist bunch of people I’ve ever seen. You’all might as well put sheets over your heads and start burning crosses because boy you’re already there. Like I said come down to these parts and try telling people your junk your telling me and see how far it gets you. What a bunch of racists.
I saw a cute black girl in one of those cotton promo ads-she seemed cool with it.
What’s the frequency Georgia???
GA Allstar,
What they did was a LOT different than standing in front of the building shouting “Nigger!”
Or putting up a noose.
Or burning a cross.
Or killing the dog.
Or raping the kids.
The issue here isn’t are these idiots racist. Being racist is NOT against the law. It’s dumb as a bag of rocks given there is only about 7% variation in the genetic code of all humans, but not illegal. The issue here is distorting the law to make an inappropriate charge fit a situation it is not suited for and that this distortion comes in large part because morons are trying to legislate thought and emotion.
Sisyphus, meet your rock.
One cannot legislate emotion. People will always hate other people until they are educated and then 20% of people are STILL going to hate you for no logical reason. Dragging them through the court system will do NOTHING except make those buffoons act MORE racist next time. Why? Because they are simpletons. And the logic of simpletons dictates “In for a penny, in for a pound.” You cannot erase hatred with punitive action. You can, however, make it worse. If I’ve seen that happen once, I’ve seen it a hundred times.
And one more thing . . .
Get a grip. You’re black. Not special. No one is special based on color. Although by your expressed desire to twist the law in order to get an outcome you “feel” is appropriate, you seem to think so. Which would make you just as racist as those you complain about. By your freak out reaction, I bet if you were Irish you’d be the kind of numbskull that gets pissed when non-Irish celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Some critical perspective could clear that right up for you.
Again, it’s not against the law to be a douche bag. If it were, the streets would be largely empty to people of any color. And even if these half-wits were shouting “Nigger!”? Who was hurt by a WORD. What are you? Six? Ever hear the couplet about sticks and stones and bones? If there was no property damage or personal injury? There was no foul (except the ‘technicals’ of trespass and littering) but most certainly no “hate crime”.
But then again, you are enabling racists by giving the word “nigger” power by censoring it like you were afraid God would strike you dead for spelling it out. Here’s a hint: words only have power when people let them. Or didn’t you learn anything from Richard Pryor? You should be less concerned with the color of your skin than with the thickness of it. It’s a good thing you aren’t in law either. Thin skinned reactionaries get clients lost cases. Clearly though, if cotton balls set you off, words must really get under your skin. How about the word “dark” or “darkie”? Do you think “The Dark Knight”, “Through A Scanner Darkly” and “Wait Until Dark” are racist movie titles? No, of course not. Why? Because you consider the source and the context. Which is what you should do with people who use the word “nigger” . . . or throw cotton balls. Because nigger is like ANY other word – context rules its meaning. It can be used as a destructive or a constructive (including educational) tool. Examples: negative use – the KKK, positive use – the aforementioned Mr. Pryor (who not only entertained but educated).
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
I’m pretty sure Dr. King’s sentiment when he said that extended his hope of color blindness to peoples of ALL colors, not just his little black girls. He was a smart man. Listen deeper to his words. Because right now you are advocating a more serious charge based solely on the skin color of the accused, not the elements of the crimes committed.
I’d say lighten up and have a nice day, but I don’t want to be accused of a hate crime.
I anxiously await your next charges of racism despite the literally thousands of posts that prove otherwise.
And one more thing. Doing what these boys did was no different than standing outside the bldg and shouting “n&&*er”. They knew what it meant and so did the poor people in side who had to put up with that racist bunk. You can act stupid if you like and pretend you don’t know what it means but everyone knows what it means and pretending you don’t is just a lie. All you’re doing is helping racists spread hate.
The level of ignorance as to racism in here is incredible. Are you people really involved in the law? And none of you are aware of the fundamental role cotton played in the slave trade? The huge increase in demand for slaves in the America’s brought on by the invention of the cotton gin? None of you are aware of the centuries old racist slurs about cotton and “colored folk”? If not I suggest you people, especially the guy calling people stupid over there to try going up to some black people, especially anywhere down in these parts and throwing some cotton balls at them and see how far it gets you. Hey you don’t even have to throw them. Just tell them they look like they should be picking cotton and see what that gets you. Racism exists because the people like you who ought to be doing something about it do nothing or worse make excuses for it.
I have to agree with everyone here….littering, not a felony, unless you can charge them with felony stupidity.
(Of course like one poster sad there MIGHT be more to the story….)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G45s4GJslGI&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Yes, Buddha got it right AND I learned something in the process and George gets an atta-boy for wit. All in all, a great read.
I forgot to mention that Buddha got it right.
The only portion of the statute cited by Prof. Turley that would be remotely applicable is the subparagraph prohibiting tampering with “property of another for the purpose of causing substantial inconvenience to that person or to another.” If anyone can explain the types of conduct which constitute a crime under this provision, I’m all ears. My opinion is that the statute is unconstitutional on its face. I also believe that we have been walking down a dangerous road by seeking to criminalize attitudes. The photographs of the two kids in question remind me of portraits in old medical textbooks of individuals diagnosed as embeciles. Humiliation is sufficient punishment for this type of conduct.
“What happens if you leave a pizza outside of a Chinese restaurant?”
******************
What happens if you leave a pizza outside of a Chinese restaurant?
The story was all over the news last week. Here’s one of the stories from last Tuesday.
http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/ba8a4513-c0a8-2f11-0063-9bd94c70b769/20602a06-80ce-0971-00d2-b987870947e4
I’m not sure what the cottonballs are supposed to represent, but it is apparent that someone considers them to be a symbol of racism. Finding them outside the “Black Culture Center” is the only link I know of.
If the cottonballs are part of racial intimidation, it really bothers me that two ROTC members were involved.
A hate crime? You’re seriously going with a hate crime when no one and no property was substantially harmed instead of trespass and littering?
1) It’s not against the law to be an offensive douche bag.
2) Not every insult is a hate crime. Grow up.
3) You clowns don’t have something better to do? Like arrest another MU player for an actual serious crime.
4) Do you really think this is going to teach Beavis and Butthead here a lesson about racism? Or is the more likely outcome that these two dim bulbs are going to really hold a grudge now?
Who has the cotton balls now?
Nitwits.
Let’s look at the word hate.
hate \ˈhāt\, n.,
1 a : intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury b : extreme dislike or antipathy : loathing (had a great hate of hard work)
2 : an object of hatred
So . . . to be clear – hate, as well as fear, anger, injurious feelings, dislike, apathy and loathing are all (to a one) a human emotional reaction. Not logical perhaps but perfectly natural. We evolved these responses for a reason – a response to stressors in our environment like every other adaptation in nature.
Hate crimes. What’s next? As the Prof. allude to Orwell on the Free Thinkers in Hell thread, is it going to be sex crimes? And I don’t mean the real ones like rape and pedophilia either. Call hate crimes what they really are . . . mind crimes.
This is the kind of stupidity you get when people think they are the thought police. Hate is stupid, but so are people. It’s how we are built. If you outlaw stupidity, everyone in Washington will be unemployed and that will trickle down to the local level. Prosecutors. Looking your direction, you Future State Senators you.
And by the way.
It’s obvious you clowns are reaching to make these charges. You better hope they don’t have good attorneys. It’ll be a walk and I smell a follow up suit for malicious prosecution.
Maybe they had a bad case of acne and the cotton ball bag was defective?
I think a felony is a bit harsh, littering charge and some public service absolutely. They should be made to clean the Black Culture Center once a week for at least a full semester, with the members of the Center providing supervisory support.
This will do 2 things, one punish them for being thoughtless and stupid and two maybe by hanging out with some African Americans they will see the error of their action.
This is absurd, why not just a simple trespass and littering based upon a hate crime?
I’m guessing that there’s more to this story than meets the eye. But, these days, who knows.
Felony Cottonballing? 🙂