Monday, November 13, 2006

Hate Crimes

As an update, the student was treated and released from the hospital. I talked with him lasat night, and he is physically fine. There will be a rally on campus to support him tomorrow, although his name will not be used. The hate crimes don't stop with him, though. There have been several race-related incidents, as well. No one has been physically hurt, but several have received threatening notes and phone calls. Is it the same people behind it? Probably, but no one really knows for sure.

As a further response today, I am having my students look up information on hate crimes legislation and university policies. Once they have all that information, the conversation will continue on Wednesday during class. I hope they will take the discussion out of class, though. I hope they are talking about it right now. I think that sort of education and discussion is something that cannot stop in the classroom. I believe that that sort of conversation is really the only way that changes will occur.

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