After the incident of Jena 6, the media immediately picks up on the concept of hanging up a noose. Everyone agrees it is an offensive action. However, is it okay to have dummies hanging from trees or houses for Halloween decoration? If so, what makes this an exception? If not, what makes this year so different from the past years?
I went to walk around town to see how the houses were decorated for this year's Halloween (I wanted to compare the ones in my neighborhood like who gets the greatest display of the year and stuff). I saw some of the houses have a dummy hanging from a tree with a noose. I did not think much of it. I thought it was pretty normal since it is Halloween and all. People just want to make their house look scary in the spirit of this fun holiday.
Then a group of African American kids from a nearby school who walked behind me pointed the scene out to each other. They stated that the noose should not be there since it is a sign of discrimination to their race. That's when it hit me. No wonder the concept of a noose hanging down from a house seemed so familiar to me. It was due to the fact that nooses and dummies have been around for Halloween ever since I could remember.
Honestly, nooses with dummies are scary to me. The home owners probably have no intentions for displaying a discrimination against people from any particular race. No one ever said anything for the past years, until this year after the incident with Jena 6 broke out. It makes me think of whether people truly understand the significance of the noose symbol or they just go along with what the media tells them. Or are we getting too sensitive about racism and the symbolic meaning of a noose?
If a noose is not okay for any occasion, perhaps all the Halloween decorations with a noose should be terminated permanently. If we cannot treat this stuff as a joke, then we should not bring it out in the first place. Maybe it depends on which kind of dummies are being hung. If it's a white dummy, people might not have as much reaction as a black or brownish dummy. I wonder if we're taking this too far...
Article and a picture:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/27/nyregion/27noose.html?ei=5088&en=038c3...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindy47452/290998105/
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People on both sides of the issue need to grow up.
I am not sure if I follow you. Are you saying the subject should not brought up in the first place? Come to think of it...it does sound a little silly for people to lose sleep over. lol
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lol, no that's not what I meant. I mean, I'm not losing any sleep over it but I think people who get offended when it's hung up for halloween(no pun intended), should really grow up. That said, people who use it as a racist symbol need to also grow up.
I think it probably depends on where you live and how you feel about racism today.
Some people probably do not even think about that when they are decorating their house. The point of Halloween decorations like this are to be scary.
On top of that, I highly doubt that legislation would pass to ban people from putting them up during Halloween time. Now, if it was happening any other time of the year, then yes, I could see this being a serious issue.
Some people are more sensitive than others. Depending on who you ask, some would say it is overreacting to take offense, others would say that they should never be hung up at all. Personally, I am indifferent so long as they are only up for Halloween times and there is no other reference to anything racial in the scene.
"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
I wonder if the same problem will occur next year. Most people will probably forget about the noose and go back to accepting it as a Halloween spirit kind of thing. I too am indifferent about this.
Guns, knifes and until recently nooses become symbol for violence. I am curious to see what will be added next on to the list.
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I think it's pretty silly that America is making such a big deal out of a noose after Jena 6. The people of Jena 6 are impacted, of course, but should the rest of the nation be in such a frenzy? Besides, African Americans weren't the only people who were hanged in the past - it used to be a form of execution for all criminals.
I don't know; maybe our nation should focus on more important things like that lil ol' war thing going on, but that is just my opinion.
True, but Jewish, Italians, Japanese, Chinese, etc were also hanged and I'm positive they ALL weren't criminals as you stated "it used to be a form of execution for all criminals".
Anywho to the author if people were smart enough to read a book and learn their history we would have to deal with these same stories and questions over and over again, this goes for people on either side.
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"You're asking me to *read*?! I'm not even in class...and just to think I had to put on pants for this."
~npsm18
Best video evar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD8qubsp39M
I'm sorry if I worded that funny, I wasn't implying that the African Americans, or any other race, were criminals in any way; or that only criminals were hanged because I do know our history. I was saying that the noose was used for executions - should people be offended everytime they see a needle at a dr. or hospital because someone has been executed in that way?
Also, do the Jewish, Chinese, etc. have Al Sharpton fighting for them?
I dont like the historical symbolism of a noose but haloween seems fine to me.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth!~JFK
Maybe people shouldn't be allowed to have fires.
Wiccans, what do you think?
A symbol is an object of speech. Burning a flag has been protected, yet a large portion of people find it offensive. Hanging a noose, or flying a rebel flag, or displaying a swastika are all STATEMENTS. In America there is supposed to be frredom of speech. If we only allowed proper, or popular speech we would not be free.
Perhaps we are not free. Certainly there are people trying to limit OTHER peoples freedom.
How about a 'Black Power' fist? Just as racist IMHO.
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
Oscar Wilde
I always believe that there is no such thing as true freedom in America. Maybe we have more flexible government than others. But we are definitely not free.
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