Get the hoax snoopers ready.
A gay pride flag at Wesley, a ministry serving Virginia Tech students, recently was snatched and replaced with a few Confederate flags.
The Washington Post reports minister Bret Gresham said the Wesley community is “upset, angry, and … concerned” and he reported the incident as a “hate crime.”
Not everyone at Wesley viewed the vandalism as such, however. Gresham said “We are just saying we denounce all forms of hate and intimidation.” Law enforcement is investigating the matter as an act of larceny.
Even though pride flags at the ministry had gone missing on previous occasions, Gresham said he contacted law enforcement this time because the addition of the Confederate flags represented an “escalation.”
Virginia Tech responded to the incident as academic institutions usually do: with swift denunciation of the “prejudiced,” “discriminatory” and “hateful” act. Also as academic institutions usually do, it noted that its work in “social justice” and “equity” is more important than ever. Officials said counseling was available to anyone adversely affected by the sight of the rebel flag.
(By the way — hopefully that Black Lives Matter bench at the ministry represents the sentiment and not the actual organization, right?)
MORE: 50 campus hate-crime hoaxes The Fix has covered since 2012
The alleged perpetrators remain at large. Gresham said Wesley officials “do not have any idea” who may have committed the crime.
Strangely, in this age of perpetual surveillance, Wesley doesn’t seem to have any security cameras in the area, despite having experienced vandalism previously. Unfortunately, this invites suspicion — suspicion which, also unfortunately, is well-founded. Too often, colleges jump the gun on situations like that “experienced” at Wesley … events which turn out to be either bogus or inconclusive. (Re: the latter: Again, in a time where everyone and their 3rd and 4th cousin has camera, this just doesn’t add up.)
Take back in April, for instance: A student at Viterbo University was caught fabricating a hate crime against herself after she set a dorm lounge on fire. (A security camera provided the proof. Go figure.) The student allegedly had been “targeted” previously, which led to campus protests. Of course.
A couple of months before at Wayne State University, a black female student appeared to have vandalized her own dorm door via an egging and the tearing down of a gay pride sticker. The “hate incident” occurred, she said, “all because [she was] a black person living in their space.” Police said the student’s likely motivation was to get a leadership position in the campus Black Student Union.
And about a year before that a University of La Verne student was charged with fabricating “a series of racially-based threats” against herself and a student group. The school had canceled classes as a result of the bogus threats, and “dedicat[ed] significant resources to supporting those who were impacted.”
Racism, homophobia, etc. are so bad in America that they have to be manufactured.
MORE: Student said univ. sanctioned her for gay friendship; univ. says she’s lying
IMAGES: studiostoks/Shutterstock.com; Jimmy Ivory/Twitter screencap; Movieclips/YouTube screencap
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