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Vandalism Strikes Oregon Gay Group


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A four-foot swastika was found painted in the office belonging to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer Alliance at the University of Oregon in Eugene on Monday morning.

According to The Oregonian,the hate symbol was scrawled in black spray paint on the carpet of the office in the student union. Paint also covered a computer and monitor.

A custodian found the swastika around 1 a.m. when entering the office. The door was unlocked.

A police investigation is under way.

Alex Esparza, co-director of the alliance, speculated that the vandalism could be related to a recent campus discussion about the meaning of the swastika sponsored by the Pacifica Forum. According to The Oregonian, the outside group is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, but the university said it allowed the group on campus as part of its free speech policy.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Mike
    Date posted: 2/3/2010 2:04:22 AM
    Hometown: Chicago

    Comment:

    To UO Parent: While I agree that freedom of speech is just that, and it constitutionally applies to us all, you need to realize that there are those of us who do not share the safeties afforded the majority that accompany freedom of speech, let alone the right to safely speak our minds, or even to live our lives without both governmental and individual interference. This incident is proof positive of that. Measures also need to be taken to protect rights of minorities, not just the safety of the majority's freedom of speech.

  • Name: Jimbo
    Date posted: 2/2/2010 11:25:55 PM
    Hometown: Canada

    Comment:

    To UO parent... I can't believe people in the us still think it's OK to open their doors and in this case university to a hate group. How can it be justified anywhere to allow a group such as these sickos who actually promote violence and hatred toward minorities all in the name of Free speech?. I'm sorry but compromising the safety of others in allowing their agenda of hate and violence and recruitment of people who are vulnerable to do their dirty work should not be tolerated. The U.S is backwards in allowing hate groups like this the opportunity to speak in public forums. This never would be allowed in Canada where i am thankfully from.

  • Name: UO parent
    Date posted: 2/2/2010 9:34:32 PM
    Hometown: Beaverton OR

    Comment:

    Ben, before you just spout off with calling a university "idiots", stop and think about what is required of an institution that receives state and federal dollars - they are mandated to open their facility to all groups that apply to meet there. If they allow a GLBT group, they also have to allow the Nazis. If they allow the Democrats, they have to make room for the Republicans. If the Christians want time, then the Jews and Muslims get theirs too. It is a guess that the Nazi group did the damage because of the timing, but there is no proof. It's all very circumstantial. Maybe it was an individual student with a bone to pick. Maybe it was someone who wandered onto campus and would have painted symbols with black paint on anything they could access. Lots of possibilities. I just think it's a sad thing when there is violence instead of dialogue, vandalism instead of discourse. Where is "live and let live"?

  • Name: Steven
    Date posted: 2/2/2010 8:07:51 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    The vandals probably used a swastika because they couldn't spell "FAG".

  • Name: Ben
    Date posted: 2/2/2010 7:02:36 PM
    Hometown: NY

    Comment:

    They allow neonazis to speak on their campus and then they're surprised when it leads to this? Maybe they should hold a seminar on how to lynch gay people and then see what happens! Idiots.

  • Name: Alex
    Date posted: 2/2/2010 11:35:17 AM
    Hometown: Albany

    Comment:

    Maybe it wasn't a swastika, maybe it was a manju? Maybe some radical Buddhists are out trying to take back their symbol? I mean, the Nazis did kinda steal it and twist it around a bit. No? Hmm, I didn't think so. Oh well... radical Buddhists would have been way more interesting than nazi wannabes. Stupid nazis.



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