https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/11/08/a-black-student-wrote-those-racist-messages-that-shook-the-air-force-academy/?utm_term=.d72b854eeccc

"In late September, five black cadet candidates found racial slurs scrawled on message boards on their doors at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School. One candidate found the words “go home n‑‑‑‑‑‑” written outside his room, his mother posted on social media, according to the Air Force Times.

The racist messages roiled the academy in Colorado Springs and prompted the school to launch an investigation. They led its superintendent to deliver a stern speech that decried the “horrible language” and drew national attention for its eloquence."

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"But on Tuesday, the school made a jolting announcement. The person responsible for the racist messages, the academy said, was, in fact, one of the cadet candidates who reported being targeted by them.

“The individual admitted responsibility and this was validated by the investigation,” academy spokesman Lt. Col. Allen Herritage said in a statement to the Associated Press, adding: “Racism has no place at the academy, in any shape or form.”

The cadet candidate accused of crafting the messages was not identified, but the Colorado Springs Gazette reported that the individual is no longer enrolled at the school. Sources also told the Gazette the cadet candidate “committed the act in a bizarre bid to get out of trouble he faced at the school for other misconduct,” the newspaper reported."

How wide was the original coverage - the story escaped my attention - and quantify how much less coverage the revelation is getting.  I mean, the liberal WP is disclosing the hoax, per your post.   

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The finding seems pretty widely reported to me. But if you’re not satisfied, maybe give it more than a few hours.

Also, the original story was amplified by the academy leader’s remarks in response to it, which still stand.

if your complaint is that the story didn't get coverage, using a major national news outlet as your source for that story hurts your argument. 

I see nothing in the NY Times website. It is only a small link with no text buried on the WP home page. 

Burner said:

I see nothing in the NY Times website. It is only a small link with no text buried on the WP home page. 

Oh really?

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/11/07/us/ap-us-air-force-academy-racial-slurs.html

That is just a direct link to AP. It is not a NY Times article.

Burner said:

That is just a direct link to AP. It is not a NY Times article.

Your quote: I see nothing in the NY Times website.

For the record, I don’t think the Times reported the original incident until the general addressed it.

In any case, the day is young.

From a Google news search on "Air Force Academy." Lots of "news" from both sides...

eta: sorry they are out of order. Not sure how to fix that...

And the thread titles talks about "once again" as if most reports of bigotry are false.

And we know that most cases of bigotry, racism, etc are true and most do not make the news.  

Burner has it all backwards.... 

There was the NYC subway incident, the St. Olaf Collage incident.... so yes, once again.

yes, this is a real worry. It's like an epidemic of false incidents of bigotry. Compared to the minuscule number of instances of actual bigotry, these false accusations are like a pandemic. Let's focus all of our attention there- on the cases of people claiming bigotry where it didn't actually exist. That should really help.

From the title, I was strongly hoping that it was one of the widely reported violent racist attacks that turned out to be a hoax, and people wouldn't really be injured or dead. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case.

You missed this hate crime hoax from Kean University:  see http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2016/04/kean_u_twitter_suspect_pleads_guilty_expected_to_g.html

PS Such hoaxes create uncertainty and distrust.  Individuals who perpetrate such hoaxes undermine the legitimacy of actual hate crime victims.  Perhaps enhanced penalties should be considered for those who perpetrate such hoaxes in order to persuade them not to engage in such behavior.

PPS More hoaxes cataloged on the Daily Wire.  See http://www.dailywire.com/news/1044/top-10-false-claims-racism-campus-aaron-bandler#

Burner said:

There was the NYC subway incident, the St. Olaf Collage incident.... so yes, once again.

RealityForAll said:

Perhaps enhanced penalties should be considered for those who perpetrate such hoaxes in order to persuade them not to engage in such behavior.

As opposed to teaching youths (so that hoaxes do not undermine the legitimacy of actual hate crime victims) in the schools (kind of like class)? I don’t know ...

Bearing false witness* (AKA perjury) has been considered a grave and immoral act for thousands of years.  For example, perjury is so serious that NJ will not permit a perjury conviction to be expunged (same treatment for attempts to expunge murder, rape, arson or robbery).  As a result, I would assume kids would already know how serious perjury is (maybe I am naive).

*- The Kean University hoaxer plead guilty to creating a false public alarm. It is likely that the hoaxer was charged with a number of different charges by the police/prosecutor but ultimately plead to creating a false public alarm.

DaveSchmidt said:

RealityForAll said:

Perhaps enhanced penalties should be considered for those who perpetrate such hoaxes in order to persuade them not to engage in such behavior.

As opposed to teaching youths (so that hoaxes do not undermine the legitimacy of actual hate crime victims) in the schools (kind of like class)? I don’t know ...

RealityForAll said:

Bearing false witness* (AKA perjury) has been considered a grave and immoral act for thousands of years.  For example, perjury is so serious that NJ will not permit a perjury conviction to be expunged (same treatment for attempts to expunge murder, rape, arson or robbery).  As a result, I would assume kids would already know how serious perjury is (maybe I am naive).




*- The Kean University hoaxer plead guilty to creating a false public alarm. It is likely that the hoaxer was charged with a number of different charges by the police/prosecutor but ultimately plead to creating a false public alarm.

DaveSchmidt said:

RealityForAll said:

Perhaps enhanced penalties should be considered for those who perpetrate such hoaxes in order to persuade them not to engage in such behavior.

As opposed to teaching youths (so that hoaxes do not undermine the legitimacy of actual hate crime victims) in the schools (kind of like class)? I don’t know ...

Perjury is lying under oath. This is lying and it is morally reprehensible, but it's not perjury.

edited to fix typo

Burner said:

There was the NYC subway incident, the St. Olaf Collage incident.... so yes, once again.

But you failed to mention the billion real incidents of bigotry....

Typically, when you give a sworn statement to police it is treated similar to giving testimony in court.

Edited for accuracy to reflect 2c:28-3 and 2c:28-1.

=================================================

False Police report provision:

2C:28-3. Unsworn falsification to authorities
a. Statements "Under Penalty." A person commits a crime of the fourth degree if he makes a written false statement which he does not believe to be true, on or pursuant to a form bearing notice, authorized by law, to the effect that false statements made therein are punishable.

b. In general. A person commits a disorderly persons offense if, with purpose to mislead a public servant in performing his function, he:

(1) Makes any written false statement which he does not believe to be true;

(2) Purposely creates a false impression in a written application for any pecuniary or other benefit, by omitting information necessary to prevent statements therein from being misleading;

(3) Submits or invites reliance on any writing which he knows to be forged, altered or otherwise lacking in authenticity; or

(4) Submits or invites reliance on any sample, specimen, map, boundary-mark, or other object which he knows to be false.

c. Perjury provisions applicable. Subsections c. and d. of section 2C:28-1 and subsection c. of 2C:28-2 apply to the present section.

L.1978, c. 95, s. 2C:28-3, eff. Sept. 1, 1979. Amended by L.1981, c. 290, s. 26, eff. Sept. 24, 1981.

========================================================

Perjury provision:

Section 2C:28-1 - Perjury

Universal Citation: NJ Rev Stat § 2C:28-1 (2013)

2C:28-1. Perjury a. Offense defined. A person is guilty of perjury, a crime of the third degree, if in any official proceeding he makes a false statement under oath or equivalent affirmation, or swears or affirms the truth of a statement previously made, when the statement is material and he does not believe it to be true. b. Materiality. Falsification is material, regardless of the admissibility of the statement under rules of evidence, if it could have affected the course or outcome of the proceeding or the disposition of the matter. It is no defense that the declarant mistakenly believed the falsification to be immaterial. Whether a falsification is material is a question of law. c. Irregularities no defense. It is not a defense to prosecution under this section that the oath or affirmation was administered or taken in an irregular manner. A document purporting to be made upon oath or affirmation at any time when the actor presents it as being so verified shall be deemed to have been duly sworn or affirmed. d. Retraction. It is an affirmative defense under this section that the actor retracted the falsification in the course of the proceeding or matter in which it was made prior to the termination of the proceeding or matter without having caused irreparable harm to any party. e. Corroboration. No person shall be convicted of an offense under this section where proof of falsity rests solely upon contradiction by testimony of a single person other than the defendant. L.1978, c. 95, s. 2C:28-1, eff. Sept. 1, 1979. Amended by L.1979, c. 178, s. 54, eff. Sept. 1, 1979.

marylago said:

RealityForAll said:

Bearing false witness* (AKA perjury) has been considered a grave and immoral act for thousands of years.  For example, perjury is so serious that NJ will not permit a perjury conviction to be expunged (same treatment for attempts to expunge murder, rape, arson or robbery).  As a result, I would assume kids would already know how serious perjury is (maybe I am naive).




*- The Kean University hoaxer plead guilty to creating a false public alarm. It is likely that the hoaxer was charged with a number of different charges by the police/prosecutor but ultimately plead to creating a false public alarm.

DaveSchmidt said:

RealityForAll said:

Perhaps enhanced penalties should be considered for those who perpetrate such hoaxes in order to persuade them not to engage in such behavior.

As opposed to teaching youths (so that hoaxes do not undermine the legitimacy of actual hate crime victims) in the schools (kind of like class)? I don’t know ...

Perjury is lying under oath. This is lying and it is morally reprehensible, but it's not perjury.

edited to fix typo

Are you arguing that fake news is NOT important?

mikescott said:

Burner said:

There was the NYC subway incident, the St. Olaf Collage incident.... so yes, once again.

But you failed to mention the billion real incidents of bigotry....

These hoax incidents are not limited to false cries of racism.  I'm sure everyone remembers the notorious incident, in Boston I think, where a husband claimed his wife was shot in a car by a black man and the husband turned out to be the shooter. 

I witnessed an incident like this myself when I was in college.  An old guy was walking down the main street of my scruffy depressed upstate college town.  As I was driving by,  a tough young very white blond man/kid accosted the old guy and while I don't think he actually hit the man, it was scary.  The kid may have been mentally ill or high and was gesturing and flailing his arms about like crazy (the old guy was kind of a derelict too, frankly).

Anyway I drove a bit and then swallowed my fear and turned around to get involved.  By the time I got there the cops were on scene.  When I approached, I heard the old guy say "he was black."  Turned my blood cold.  I'll never forget it.  

RealityForAll said:

Are you arguing that fake news is NOT important?

mikescott said:

Burner said:

There was the NYC subway incident, the St. Olaf Collage incident.... so yes, once again.

But you failed to mention the billion real incidents of bigotry....

Not arguing it but Burner is saying "once again" to minimize the real incidents of bigotry.  

alternate heading:

Once again a widely reported incident of bigotry turns out to be hoax (but that discovery gets much less attention and that really chafes me because as you all know, I make a point to root out racism wherever it skulks and this unfortunate incident will mean I'll have to work that much harder to find real honest to goodness bigotry to expose and fight against with every fiber of my being)

Your turn 

Once again a widely reported incident of bigotry turns out to be hoax (but that discovery gets much less attention and I want to make sure that you all understand that with this one dumb move this black cadet has set back race relations by at least 200 years- so, from here on out I'm going to start ignoring any mention of bigotry or racism and you can blame it all on this guy)

Once again a widely reported incident of bigotry turns out to be hoax (but that discovery gets much less attention    and unfortunately now there's no reason to sport my brand new Black Lives Matter camo jumpsuit at the Air Force Academy protest this weekend)

@Burner, my feeling is that black students aren't your real enemy and that they cause little to no problem in your life.

Just for kicks and giggles:

The incident described in the initiating post, was a major plot line in Mark Brokaw's 2007 film Spinning into butter.

I wonder whether the cadet saw the film.

TomR

bub said:

These hoax incidents are not limited to false cries of racism.  

 

And the scum, Susan Smith, who drove her car into a lake with the kids in it to drown them so she could be with her boyfriend, and blamed it on a fictitious black man, claiming he had carjacked her and kidnapped her children.