Via Student Activism and the Guardian
I have a story that needs to be heard. I am the girl you’ve read about, the one who hung the noose in Geisel Library.
Firstly, I’m writing to apologize. I don’t have an excuse for what I did, and I deeply regret it.
Secondly, I’m writing to hopefully put a little bit of faith back into the UCSD campus by clarifying that it was not an act of racism. This is what happened.
I found a small piece of rope on the ground earlier in the day. While I was hanging out with my friends a bit later, we tried jump- roping with it and making it into a lasso. My friend then took the rope and tied it into a noose. I innocently marveled at his ability to tie a noose, without thinking of any of its connotations or the current racial climate at UCSD. I left soon after with one of my friends for Geisel to study, still carrying the rope. After a bit of studying I picked up the rope to play with, and ended up hanging it by my desk. It was a mindless act and stupid mistake. When I got up to leave, a couple hours later, I simply forgot about it. This was Tuesday night. Three days later, on Friday morning, I found out that the noose had been found and construed as another racist act on campus. I felt so ashamed and embarrassed, and the first thing I did was call the campus police and confess. I was hoping to clarify that this was not an act of racism before the incident got a full reaction from the campus. I gave my statement around 9 a.m. They thanked me for coming forward and for trying to clear up the issue. Later, I received a campuswide e-mail saying that I confessed and had been taken into custody, which simply wasn’t true. One thing that is true is that I have been suspended. I know what I did was offensive — regardless of my intentions — I am just trying to say I’m sorry. As a minority student who sympathizes with the students that have been affected by the recent issues on campus, I am distraught to know that I have unintentionally added to their pain.
UC Regent Live(blog) 
how then is this related to why there were threats of more nooses to come?
I can smell bullshit a mile away and something just ain’t smellin right…
Hey, why didn’t she state what minority she represents…not like it matters/changes the severity of the situation…but I’m curious as to why she didn’t specify…
Also, I don’t buy into the innocence of her act. With the things going on at UCSD, why WOULDN’T a noose be linked w/ lynching and thus a racist act…
and wasn’t there a note accompanied with that? Who was the author?
I’m not interrogating the messenger…I’m just trying to fill in the gaps
How the hell can you misconstrue leaving a noose as ‘innocent?’
This student is utterly ignorant of what, hundreds of years of history?
Racism begins with our families, parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents, people we admire, respect and love.
However, as we grow and mature we come to the realization that what we were told by our family when we were children were slanted lies base on their prejudices. We realize that most people are like ourselves and not so different and want the same things, like a home, steady work, a Medicare plan and schools for our children (if you travel you will see this). We realize that most people are of good hearts and goodwill.
This reminds me of a parable from the good book where a Levite and Priest come upon a man who fell among thieves and they both individually passed by and didn’t stop to help him. Finally a man of another race came by, he got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy and got down with the injured man, administered first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his fellow man.
You see, the Levite and the Priest were afraid, they asked themselves, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
That’s the question before us. The question is not, “If I stop to help our fellow man in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help our fellow man, what will happen to him or her?” That’s the question.
God bless all my brothers and sister that stood side by side with our brothers and sisters in need, when you saw a wrong you tried to correct it, you may argue the methods but not the reasons. I know God will not discriminate by country of origin, our sex, our orientation, color of our skin, or our religion as men do.
Benito this is beautiful… thank you for adding such great perspective.
I’m kind of torn between believing and not. I read it in the Guardian today, and didn’t quite know what to think.
On one hand, you have things like Tran pointed out. Why would there be more threats of nooses? To my knowledge, this girl only admitted to the noose, but not to the messages. So it very well could have been someone else taking advantage of everything that was going on.
But, on the other hand. She got expelled from UCSD. And she turned herself in. It doesn’t make sense to me to turn yourself in after you committed a crime unless you feel really really guilty for what you did; getting expelled is something serious because this will probably stick with her forever. I just don’t see someone who put a noose up as a threat feeling enough guilt to turn themselves in.
It doesn’t mention it here, but the Guardian did say that the source was verified and that it (supposedly) was the girl who hung the noose.
And I wouldn’t have said my ethnic background either. It’s like giving a baby deer to a pack of hungry wolves.
Take it for what it is. Questioning it doesn’t do anything to help the case or hurt it. An individual acted and also faced the consequences.
Benito, that’s a great parable.
This is bullshit. You are lying and you know it.
Who makes nooses for FUN? and is “good” at it? That just screams “therapist, now”.
Totally not buying this crock. This girl needs to take her suspension, go back to high school and get a crash course in U.S. History and civics, lessons she clearly ignored on way to taking a spot at the UC that belongs to someone more deserving.
That suspension better be over a year long if not longer.
You know, guys, it’s actually possible to do something stupid without any malicious intent. It’s called making a mistake, and we all do it. I know that sometimes UC students like to think we’re all beyond that type of thing, but that’s simple arrogance.
She made a mistake, she apologized, and she was punished for it. End of story. Any further debate is pointless speculation.
SO, NOW HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS INVENTED TO TARGET THE AFRICAN AND QUEER AMERICAN COMMUNITIES???
Discover 4 Yourself
Start your Search Engines…
Now plug in:
Search 1: METHAMPHETAMINE
Search 2: DESOXYN
The A N S W E R Please!
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