Racist graffiti found at DePaul: Univ. spokesperson cites conservative group for creating "politically charged" campus
Crossposted on Marathon Pundit.
Yesterday, someone found some racist graffiti at a dormitory at DePaul's Lincoln Park campus. There were swastikas found, the 'n' word, the usual hateful stuff that mental midgets scrawl. The Chicago Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
So far so good.
But leave it to DePaul further muck up the waters. Denise Mattson, DePaul's Assistant Vice President for Public Relations, is alluding that, surprise, conservatives, specifically, the DePaul Conservative Alliance contributed to the incident.
From UPI:
DePaul University spokesperson Denise Mattson told WBBM Radio the incident was an assault on the university's values.
Mattson said the campus has been politically charged since late January when a new campus organization, the DePaul Conservative Alliance, conducted an "affirmative action bake sale" at which blacks were charged less than whites.
"That certainly created some dialogue about affirmative action policies and practices about minorities on campus," Mattson said.
Let me reiterate: Mattson is an official DePaul University spokesperson, and she is spewing this stuff. Shameful.
Courtesy of FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, here are some recent misadventures of DePaul:
DePaul University: Professor Suspended for Expression Without Due Process
DePaul University: Censorship of Student Group Protesting Ward Churchill
DePaul University: Shutdown of Affirmative Action Bake Sale Protest
20 comments:
Spewing what stuff? Was it politically charged before that bake sale? Did the bake sale have nothing to do with anything?
I'm not defending her. I just don't see what so bad about her comment. Did she say they are to blame. All I see is that she thinks they ignited some contentious dialogue. Isn't that what they meant to do?
No, they did not mean to stir up tagging dorms.
Mattson has some undefined issues with the DePaul Conservative Alliance.
http://marathonpundit.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_marathonpundit_archive.html#113998679290809193
http://www.thedepaulia.com/story.asp?artid=1190§id=1
John, I think the problem with this post is that the "undefined" issues don't seem so bad. Maybe if you could "define" what is so bad about the comment by the university staff, we'd know why you're so upset.
I bet it was staged to deflect from Blagojevich.
Call me cynic.
I will never have any respect for any group that runs that bake sale. It is sooo 7 years ago. It makes its people look dumb, like listening to Vanilla Ice.
How about if they want to make a point they show some creativity.
It's a smear. The implicaton is that the DePaul Conservative Alliance had something to do with it.
And besides, being against affirmative action does not make you racist.
De Paul has done a lot of stupid stuff recently, but this does not rank with the other misdeeds.
After all, Mattson basically is right: College Republicans are now, and always have been, a bunch of obnoxious twerps. It is just a fact. Most of them grow out of it.
John,
This incident happened in my district and about four blocks from my office. The bake sale did, and may have been intended to, stir up tensions. Based upon conversations that I have had with those on campus, her comments, in and of themselves, are not that unreasonable.
John,
The fact is, the bake sale raised the subject of affirmative action on campus. How does that fact implicate the Conservative Alliance in the graffiti issue? You are the only one suggesting any connection between racist graffiti and the idiots who sponsored the bake sale.
I think you protest too much.
Liberals claim Conservatives responsible for racist graffeti.
Blagojevich pegs Illinoize African Americans agreeing with Farrakan.
A lot of group blame going on.
geez.. Illinois I mean...
First off, let me say that I think the bake sale was a dumb idea. But then again, there are a lot of dumb ideas floating around that campus from all ends of the ideological spectrum.
Skeeter: There is a difference between the DePaul Conservative Allicance and the College Republicans. I know that it may be asking a lot, but let’s try and stick to the facts and leave the partisan distortions for another topic. To the extent that there may be any overlap between the two in membership, I’d say that there is probably a lot of overlap between the College Democrats and some other more extreme organizations on campus, and I’m sure you would (rightfully) jump to correct me if I referred to them interchangeably.
Rep. Fritchey (and Anon 6:37am), I am a DePaul Alumni, and I can honestly say that the campus has been “politically charged” for years. While I was there, the campus was host to several conferences on slavery reparations. That’s a pretty controversial and racial-tension causing issue, is it not?
As for Ms. Mattson, I hope DePaul fires her really soon. What an absolutely dumb thing to say. I thought that institutions of higher learning were supposed to be a place for “creating dialogue” on important and difficult issues. In fact, that’s exactly what DePaul’s President told me in a response to my letter regarding them hosting Ward Churchill last year.
John, keep up the good work. Every year since I’ve graduated, I’ve become more and more appalled and ashamed at the intellectual hypocrisy and downright ignorance of DePaul.
When they grow out of it, maybe they'll grow up to be like Skeeter...a pompus windbag in love with his own posts.
I'm DePaul alum too..1979 from the Grad School of Business and then in Computer Science but I never finished that degree.
Very disappointed about what's happened to a place that was a classic for people who worked all day and tried to get ahead with night school.
I never saw any politics at night. Everyone to busy and too tired.
I was joking about College Republicans. Actually, ALL politically active college students are annoying. It is not limited to College Republicans.
As for the bake sale, the group just was formed a few months ago. Ya gotta start somewhere.
It's a smear, and let me repeat: "Opposition to affirmative action doth not thou a racist."
Thanks Bill and GOP Partisan.
Robin Florzck, head of DePaul's PR office, posted this in the Marathon Pundit comments box:
Dear John:
Both UPI and you omitted the last line of the WBBM report, which quoted Denise Mattson saying there was NO indication of a link between the vandalism and the bake sale or the organization that staged it. See the full report below. We hope you will share this with your readers.
WBBM-AM
CHICAGO (ssmiller@cbs.com) -- Racist graffiti and swastikas were found on walls and buildings on the Lincoln Park campus of DePaul University Wednesday.
Political tension has been high since an incident on campus less than two months ago.
The graffiti was found inside a residence hall and on the outside of buildings.
DePaul University spokeswoman Denise Mattson said it is an assault on DePaul's values.
"We found swastikas as well as some racial epithets. We had the 'n-word,' coupled with the phrase 'go home,' and the phrase 'whites only'," said Mattson
Mattson said the campus has been politically charged since Jan. 17 when a new organization called the DePaul Conservative Alliance had an event called an "affirmative action bake sale," where blacks were charged less than whites.
"That certainly created some dialogue about affirmative action policies and practices about minorities on campus," Mattson said.
Mattson said there is no indication of a link between the vandalism and the bake sale or the organization that staged it.
Police are investigating the graffiti incident at DePaul.
Contents of this site are Copyright © 2006 by WBBM
Robin Florzak
My comment, and I'll post this on Marathon Pundit soon, is that it's still a cheap shot tying this to the DePaul Conservative Alliance. I know several of them, they're not racists.
If there was “no indication of a link between the vandalism and the bake sale or the organization that staged it,” then why mention it at all? And if you do mention that, why not mention “dialogue” that was created by Ward Churchill’s address entitled “Invisible Men: Human Rights and Human Dignity for Men of Color,” which occurred just a few months before the bakesale? After all, according to a letter I received from University President regarding Churchill, the “dialogue” created by that event was “at times heated,” but it was important that “a variety of perspectives can be fully explored.”
It’s no secret that the Administration does not like this particular student group, their views, or their tactics. So I don’t think you need a tin-foil hat to think that perhaps this is a subtle form of intellectual intimidation by the University. Basically, don’t say or express any views they don’t like, or your name might pop up in conjunction with criminal acts, even if you had “no link” to them.
Well said GOP...well said...
and...
This sure feels staged to me.
Just way too convient and the school way to quick to tag the conservative group without any evidence.
I hope DePaul has called the Chicago Police to investigate and aren't doing it themselves.
I'm a current DePaul student. While the Conservative Student Union's paper and bake sale have certainly been inflammatory, I don't see how they would be more responsible for swastika type graffiti than the anti-Israel speeches, art displays, etc, that DePaul openly endorses. The graffiti at DePaul was indicative of a view that better represents DePaul itself than it does the Conservative Student Union.
DePaul, by the way, has been hosting "safe speech" zones to talk about this, vigils, sending students emails about how horrifying it is, etc.
Post a Comment