The thread on Erin O'Connor's "Critical Mass" blog continues apace -- the majority of the readers apparently feel that the only people victimized by hate crimes are straight white men! And that crimes against people of color and Jews are nearly always faked... It's untrue and a sign of real paranoia that this is the prevalent attitude.
I have been trying to inject facts into the debate. Below is my latest contribution:
I did a quick Lexis-Nexis search to see what came up. Below is a sampling of some media coverage of some real campus hate crimes against Jews and people of color from the past six-eight months. The first two are violent incidents, the rest are scenes of intimidation.
1. Here is a particularly nasty hate crime against an Indian grad student at the University of Massachusetts last year. Saurabh Bhalerao received multiple stab wounds and cigarette burns on his face...
http://www.rediff.com/us/2003/jul/04ajp.htm
The incident was widely covered in the mass media.
2. November 19, 2003 Baltimore Sun. Another incident occurred with students from McDaniel College.
"Although campus safety officers arrived first on the scene, Barnes said Westminster police responded and found victim Stuart Johnson, 19. He was taken to Carroll Hospital Center, where he was treated for a head injury that required stitches, Barnes said. Police found broken glass at the scene but were unable to determine whether it was used in the assault. Johnson is recuperating at his home in Baltimore County, Barnes said. He added that another student suffered minor injuries. Both victims are African-American, he said."
3. October 31 2003. Capital Times (Madison, WI). 3 Skinheads broke into a largely non-white married student housing complex, kicked down several doors, and made intimidating racial comments.
4. February 7, 2004, Tampa Tribune. University of South Florida students reported a noose on the tree outside of their dorm.
5. March 15, 2004, Detroit Free Press. An Eastern Michigan University student says a man in a KKK uniform was harassing her in her room.
6. Octobre 24, 2003. Providence Journal-Bulletin. A Jewish student found a swastika on the door of her dormitory.