My University on the News (Racism)

http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_w...ks-campus.html

Obama effigy found on UK's campus University of Kentucky police are investigating who hung an effigy of Democrat Sen. Barack Obama from a tree on the Lexington campus Wednesday morning. UK President Lee Todd said that UK police have notified federal authorities of the incident. Todd said a professor saw the effigy on the tree near the Rose Street parking garage across from the Mining and Mineral Resources building this morning and called police. The professor then sent Todd an email notifying him of the incident. UK police took down the effigy and have it as evidence, Todd said. He called the act "deplorable" and says that type of behavior is not tolerated on UK's campus. The effigy apparently had a mask of Obama on it and there was reportedly a noose around the effigy's neck, Todd said. "We've done many, many things to increase diversity," Todd said. "I know this is not a reflection of this institution." However, Obama's race is a factor for some Kentucky voters, according to a Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll released Sunday. Twelve percent of respondents said the fact that Obama, if elected, would be the first black president of the United States made them less likely to vote for him compared to 5 percent who said it made them more likely to support him. Eighty-three percent said Obama's race didn't affect their vote. Overall, Obama, who is the child of a white mother and black father, trails McCain in Kentucky by 16 points, 55 percent to 39 percent, the poll results show. The survey of 600 likely Kentucky voters, which was taken Oct. 19 to 21 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points, also asked respondents to react to two statements about race in general. More than half reported that they believed black politicians tend to be more concerned with promoting the interests of minority groups. And more than three out of every five respondents also agreed with a statement that said "if blacks would only try harder, they could be just as well off as whites." One fifth of people polled said they disagreed with the statement while 19 percent said they weren't sure. The 61 percent of Kentucky respondents who said they agreed with that statement is well above the 35 percent who agreed when asked the same question in a national Associated Press-Yahoo poll taken in September. Anyone with information about the effigy of Obama should contact UK police, Todd said. The effigy was likely placed there sometime overnight. But it's in a well-traveled area and police are hoping that someone saw something, Todd said. Mike Lynch, who works for the Kentucky Geological Survey, works in the Mining and Mineral Resources Building near where the effigy was hung. Lynch was in his office shortly after 8 a.m. when a co-worker told him about it. Lynch said the effigy, which was hanging from a tree over a sidewalk near the university's library, had an Obama mask, a sport coat and a pair of sweat pants. There was a noose around it's neck, Lynch said. Police took down the effigy between 8:30 and 8: 45 a.m. Lynch and others at UK said they were horrified that someone had done this on UK's campus. "There is little doubt that it was Obama," Lynch said of the effigy. "I am deeply offended." Many students on UK's campus were unaware that the racial incident had happened at lunch on Wednesday. Antonio Dixon was walking out of UK's Student Center when he heard the news from another student. The black freshman from Lexington said he hoped that it was a prank. "It's terrible," Dixon said, shaking his head. "You've got a lot of people who do that kind of stuff just to get attention. It's just not right. I think with Halloween coming... I hope it was a prank." John Ghaelian, Lisa Steelman, Justin Lamb and Sean Taylor were recruiting people to vote for Obama outside the main dining room at the student center on Wednesday. They heard about the effigy from a staff person earlier that morning. "It just reinforces people's stereotypes about Kentucky," said Lamb, 19, a sophomore from Crab Orchard. But that's contrary to what they have seen from voters on campus, they said. Many have actively supported Obama, they said. "But there is an element here that would not vote for a black man," said Sean Taylor, a junior from St. Louis. All agreed that the university needed to do more to address racial issues on campus. Sweeping problems under the rug does not help, they said. Gov. Steve Beshear, a Demcocrat, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon calling the incident "embarrassing and unfortunate. " "I strongly agree with President Todd’s statement this morning about this embarrassing and unfortunate incident. This was not political speech. It was simply hate. It was profoundly wrong and deeply offensive. This incident does not reflect who we are as a flagship institution of higher learning or a Commonwealth. I appreciate the university’s resolve to investigate this matter and ensure that such actions will not be tolerated.” Todd said UK's lawyers are looking into whether a student could be punished for hanging the effigy. But it's not clear if UK students were involved. UK Vice President of Public Safety and former Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty has notified the federal authorities, including the Secret Service. Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service, confirmed that the federal agency charged with protecting presidents and presidential candidates had been notified and were working with UK police to determine who was responsible. Donovan said he couldn't go into the specifics of the investigation. "We take any threat against any of our protectees very, seriously," Donovan said. Todd sent out a campus-wide e-mail regarding the incident at 12:14 p.m. Here it is: Unfortunately, this morning an effigy of Senator Barack Obama was discovered hanging in a tree on campus. I am personally offended and deeply embarrassed by this disgusting episode. This is not reasonable political expression; it is just malicious. And it is unacceptable. On behalf of the University of Kentucky I apologize to Senator Obama and his family. I will personally assure them that this is not who we are as a University or as a state. As President of the University of Kentucky, I feel outraged and hurt. I am outraged because we work very hard, every day, to build bridges across the divides. Diversity and inclusion are among our most precious core values. Episodes like this serve only to erode our confidence in and respect for one another. Regardless of your political opinions or the candidates you support, a University such as ours must be a place where spirited discussion can take place, but within the bounds of civility, common sense, and respect for the views and feelings of others. We have insisted - and we will continue to insist - that we as a University and as a state rise above hatred and acts of malice or ignorance. The line separating civil discourse from unacceptable behavior has been crossed, constituting a clear violation of the University's code of ethics, and possibly constituting criminal acts, which would also violate University regulations. Such acts will not be tolerated. Those found responsible will be subject to the full force of university, state, and federal rules and regulations. There is an on-going investigation into this incident, which includes federal authorities. If you have any information that would assist in this investigation you have a responsibility to contact the UK Police Department (257-1616). - Beth Musgrave

It's on drudge report, lol.

Hey that's Kentucky for ya!

"Kentucky - 5 million people. 5 last names."

LOL. I was talking to the girl at work today and was like "Damn, I can't name any cities besides Lexington, and even that I had to think for a secnod".

Shit, we have 5 million people? Movin on up.

Hahaha.

Isn't Kentucky one of the fattest states

Yep. Highest smoking rates too.

Winners all around