Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
Because you are right, it isn't justifiable to discriminate, but how is a halloween decoration discrminating against them? Because you are making a hostile environment for them to not knock on your door? They still have the choice to knock on the door. I don't see discrmination until they open the door and then say, "White kid, here's candy. Black kid no candy for you."
|
Well, I'd have to say that in a region such as the one where this scene took place, environment counts for something. People (especially children) are not immune to their physical environment, quite the opposite. Otherwise, I mean, do you think it's well and good for someone to burn a cross in their yard, since it's private property and they can do whatever they like? I'd say no, if that was my neighbor (whether or not I was white, black, other), I'd probably raise a fuss, too. And I doubt anyone here would argue my right to do so... but I could be wrong.
The problem here is that hanging a fake body in a tree is certainly not the same as burning a cross in a yard, not by a long shot. But again, as MM said much earlier, *given the local context*... putting a dark-faced body in a noose and hanging it in a tree is still pretty poor judgment, in my opinion. I don't know about the white-faced fake bodies (personally, I find the whole idea of fake-hangings rather disturbing, no matter what color the faces), but yes, even the appearance of hanging a dark-faced man in a public place in that particular region does affect the environment... kids walking by, associating dark faces with being hanged, thinking it's okay... and then growing up to perhaps be the kids who hung nooses in the schoolyard where the Jena 6 event took place. It's not a far stretch, if you ask me, not in that area.
So no, it's not direct discrimination... but I do think it creates an environment that doesn't contribute anything to helping people from different groups to get along better and improve their neighborhood. (Are some groups of blacks guilty of that kind of behavior, too?... in sabotaging their own neighborhood enviroments? Definitely. You won't find argument with me there.) And I am just not a fan of creating negative environments, period. But that is very much my personal bias, I realize that... until I get elected to public office.
