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Fake ‘hate crime’ victimizes Boise State
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As an American, I don’t like to feel bad for people because it disrupts my normal motif of apathy, but this entire last week I’ve felt terrible that some jerk-off bigot committed what appeared to be a hate crime against a member of the Associated Students of Boise State University. Last Tuesday I attended the “No Oppression Tolerated on Our Campus” rally on the steps of the Administration Building and wondered how the perpetrator of this vile act got away with his crime, especially in broad daylight.
Then the perpetrator came forward. Actually, the investigating police skunked him out. The supposed hate-motivated crime (I’d call it a hate crime, but Idaho has no such legislation) was nothing but smoke and mirrors – a fraud.
Instead of a “hate crime,” we’ve been duped by sleight of hand. The supposed victim here is also the oppressor, as this member of BSU student government admitted that he fabricated the police report, punched himself in the face and hit himself with a stick.
This wasn’t an attack on himself so much as it was an attack upon the sensitivities of BSU’s entire student body. The backlash cost student government more than $4,350 – the monies approved by ASBSU: $4000 for the red “No Oppression Tolerated” T-shirts, $350 to fund the candlelight vigil held later that evening and the unjustified human cost of volunteers. People believe fervently in diversity and they threw themselves behind Mr. Anonymous’s case and worked to bring the rally together under the banner of an orchestrated lie. Shame on you, charlatan.
Speaking of which, isn’t it amazing that although this self-induced victim has thus far been kept anonymous, he has been identified as a gay male working for ASBSU? I’m sure there are people on campus who know this “victim” and therefore can point a finger toward reimbursing the student body. If he isn’t charged with filing a false police report, the liar – confused or not – at least needs to make restitution.
Now, instead of feeling sorry for this “victim,” I’m outraged by his behavior and irritated that I fell for it. Sure, we were in the middle of a heated political season with one of the biggest issues on the ballot being the anti-gay marriage initiative, and people’s passions run high when it comes to such controversial issues. In my mind a bigot going nuts on a “queer” sounded like the Idaho I moved to 17 years ago, and it made me sick.
Does that excuse him from falsifying reality in order to gather support for his cause? Absolutely not. Actions such as those of our anonymous liar disenfranchise people from the cause.
I know that we Americans typically treat our votes as sacrosanct, but I’m not afraid. I voted against bigots in this last election because I believe that everyone has a right to be happy – whether through civil union or marriage.
Life is hard enough for everybody. To be told by the institutions supposedly responsible for the protection of your civil rights that you’re going to spend the rest of your life alone just because you’re gay is awful.
Idaho’s new anti-gay marriage law only further perpetuates the stereotype that people are essentially different and easily reduced into separate demographics, lifestyles, ethnicities, etc.
Although this complete fakery isn’t going to keep me from
supporting gay and lesbian civil rights in the future, it will provide me with a shadow of skepticism the next time I hear someone complaining about being “oppressed.”
What’s worse is that BSU students are going to be put off by anybody saying they’re being oppressed because the impetus for our rally in this liar’s cause was completely fallacious.
As sensitive, caring people, we were gulled by this charade and made to feel that our campus is unsafe. Perhaps there is an atmosphere of oppression on campus, but it’s going to be a lot harder for anyone to make that case now.
It’s time for your cloak of anonymity and victim-hood to fall away, Mr. Anonymous Self-Assaulter.
It’s also time for a public apology press conference and, of the utmost importance, it is time to resign your post in ASBSU.
People like you have no business in politics, and you know it.
MICHAEL J. MCLASKEY
Opinion Writer