Zero Tolerance for Intolerance

Just when we think we're so enlightened around here, a bunch of teenagers assault a Sikh man because they think he looks like Osama Bin Laden. In fact the kids were so stupid that in addition to the assault charges, one of them got busted for possession of marijuana and intent to sell crack. Not our community's finest, I must say.

Gagandeep Bindra, who has a short beard, brown skin and wears a Patka, a scarf wrapped around his hair, said that it is not uncommon for people to call him and others with brown skin Osama bin Laden or a terrorist.

"This is like a normal occurrence after 9/11," Bindra said Friday. "Every night when I go out to Franklin Street, someone shouts out bin Laden.... They think anybody brown is Middle Eastern. Anybody brown is a terrorist."

The way people treated him after 9/11 changed, he said, but he expected he would be safe in a college community.

"[The assault was] just shocking at a university campus," Bindra said. "Franklin Street is supposedly the heart of Chapel Hill, and you basically get beaten. That's literally what happened, we were beaten by these guys." - Chapel Hill Herald, 4/3/04

The cops called it a "hate crime," but didn't charge the attackers with "ethnic intimidation." I might have done that differently, I don't think it woudl be terribly hard to prove. I'm not ususally into government doing things just to "send a message," but I want to fire up the bullhorn make it known far and wide that this kind of crap will not be tolerated around here!

Issues: 

Comments

Update on this case: the victims wants to see the attackers charged with ethnic intimidation: http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-468679.html

Another update: the police chief now agrees. http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-470319.html

"Simple assault charges filed against three teenagers who attacked an Indian student after calling him Osama bin Laden will be upgraded to ethnic intimidation charges."

Indian challenged Afro-Americans to a duel with "you Momma"

"About 8 months ago, a Chapel Hill born military person returned home from Iraq and Afganistan to Chapel Hill. He went out for dinner and drinks with some other friends in uniform. On there way home, they were assaulted in front of I Love NY Pizza resulting in being hospitalized. They were called baby killers, and worse."

This doesn't sound true. Is it? I can't find any reference to it.

FYI

About 8 months ago, a Chapel Hill born military person returned home from Iraq and Afganistan to Chapel Hill. He went out for dinner and drinks with some other friends in uniform. On there way home, they were assaulted in front of I Love NY Pizza resulting in being hospitalized. They were called baby killers, and worse.

This story only made the crime log of the CHH.

TM

I'm with you. It seems pretty clear that ethnicity was part of this assault. This is definitely a place where ZERO TOLERANCE is appropriate.

 

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