Column: Racist acts need to stop

By Jordan Stein

Published March 2, 2010

An open letter to the cotton ball bandits:

Hey there, whoever you are. I'm not sure if you're one person or many. I don't know if you're white, black, male, female, whatever. Frankly, I don't care.

I don't know if you were drunk, trying to pull a harmless prank or if you truly have an awful amount of ignorance and hate in your hearts. Again, I don't really care.

The only things that matter are the repercussions of your actions. You have mightily offended a lot of people, including an organization on this campus that does important work. You've marred the reputation of the students of this university and made this campus out to be one that discriminates and hates.

Unfortunately, you've also helped to expose other idiots who think the same way you do. In the comments section of the coverage of the incident by the Columbia Daily Tribune, plenty of ignorant and pigheaded citizens were advocating "White History Month" and warning of the dangers of "reverse racism."

Others still are trying to excuse your actions by saying, "What's the big deal?" That is the stupidest part of the whole ordeal. A lot of people are writing you off as a moron (or morons), but the fact is not everyone feels that way, and the idea some are willing to forget or ignore such an exploit is just jarring.

Granted, it was a dumb prank and no one got hurt, but when a stunt like this opens up discussion instead of garnering a universal nomination for the Darwin Award, it's telling.

How are our minority students supposed to feel? Do you realize this is an assault on everyone, of every color? I find it inexcusable to treat our fellow students this way, especially during a time when we try to honor their history.

I read the Legion of Black Collegians' response to this mess, and I echo President Anthony Martin's sentiments.

"We are too progressive of a nation and a university to still see issues of this nature still taking place," he said.

We students are supposed to be the future leaders of this country, but you've proven a college education doesn't necessarily keep you from being or acting stupid.

What were you thinking? What did you think you could accomplish with this little stunt? Because what's actually happened is everyone thinks that you (however many of you there are) are complete idiots. You've opened up a forum for discussion of race issues, which will hopefully allow this wound you've inflicted to heal.

Hopefully, by the time of publication, the events planned to give people a forum to speak with have alleviated the tension your dumb prank has created.

All I can say is this: Next time you feel like demonstrating your ignorance, do everyone a favor and just stay home and shut the hell up.

P.S. — Everyone else, I do hope you can find the time to attend some of the forums hosted by the Legion of Black Collegians. Also, when these idiots are eventually caught, I hope we can all display the grace and dignity befitting young people of our intelligence instead of giving them more reasons to hate.

Jordan Stein is a senior political science major and a campaign volunteer for Columbia mayoral candidate Sid Sullivan. She can be reached at jesf25@mail.mizzou.edu