<p>Our son is a NMF and a freshman at UA. We too had the same concerns before sending him to Bama and I can now say unequivocally that we and he made the right decision. Are there bigots and racists at UA? Of course. But then again, I’ve been called an “f-ing haole” on more than one occasion right here in Hawaii by our local brand of racists, known as brown necks.</p>
<p>Racisim and bigotry are everywhere. They key for me is how they are responded to. My son told me a story about how he was accosted one evening in Tuscaloosa by a drunk student who, seeing that my son was wearing a wool scarf with his winter jacket, screamed out, “f-ing ■■■■■■!” The impressive part of the story is that the inebriated idiot was surrounded by a group of friends, ALL of whom appeared mortified and apologized for this moron’s shameful conduct.</p>
<p>As I’ve said in a previous post, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Bama has chosen to remember and to formally memorialize it. Check out the dedication of Malone-Hood Plaza and the Autherine Lucy Clock Tower at Foster Auditorium, including a marvelous video at: [Dedication</a> of Malone-Hood Plaza & Autherine Lucy Clock Tower - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>I have met Dr. Witt and I’m convinced he’s a visionary leader who is taking UA to great places. So to all of you out there who are considering Bama, please give it a fair and balanced look. Better still, come on down and be part of the (r)evolution.</p>
<p>UA has had a Jewish community for quite a while. Are you familiar with the Jewish Frat and Sorority on campus? The Frat is on the new Row and is trying to raise funds to build a new house. I provided a link to videos about it in earlier postings. Welcome to UA!</p>
<p>In the 1920’s, notable Ivy League Schools set quotas on Jewish admissions because . . . well, you know. ([‘The</a> Chosen’ tells story of Ivy League exclusion - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix](<a href=“Search”>Search)). UA was a notable exception to this policy and actively recruited Jewish students, making it clear that it did not have quotas. </p>
<p>As Pinot Noir and JAB6666 point out, “the situation” is not just local, for it affects the perceptions and choices of those who live far from Alabama and are considering UA. The comments of Pinot Noir and JAB6666 make it clear that Dr. Witt’s actions have improved “the situation” for them (and, I suspect, many others like them), which is beneficial to UA.</p>
<p>Far from being politically correct, Dr. Witt is being mindful of the Big Picture, of which he is the primary steward.</p>
<p>I hate to keep this going because I don’t think it does any good. But I was born in Philly and grew up in NJ. I’ve also lived in NYC for a while. And I can say without a doubt I’ve heard the “N” word said as many times up here as I have down there. </p>
<p>IMHO the difference between the north & south on racism is the openness of it. In the north the bigots will call a black guy the “n” word after he leaves the room. In the south the bigots will say it to his face. Both reprehensible and disgusting. But at least you know where you stand with the southern bigot. The northern guy you’ll think is your friend the whole time he’s saying it behind your back.</p>
<p>All I’m saying is lets not get all indignant on here and act like racism is limited to the south. Boston, NYC, and Philadelphia have had more than their fair share of incidents over the years.</p>
<p>Thank you for that excellent post, malanai. I’m in the middle of making a decision on college at the moment and the amount of tolerance/lack thereof at a school is a big issue for me.</p>
<p>I think it’s admirable that Dr. Witt is making it clear the UA considers this behavior unacceptable. Coming from the North, racism is a huge concern of mine, but I understand that, unfortunately, this behavior happens everywhere. I was visiting a college over the weekend, a large, public school in the Northeast, and I was shocked by the amount of racism I saw during my visit. The reality is that nowhere in the country is going to be free of discrimination; at least UA is recognizing and condemning it.</p>
<p>From my personal experience the majority of students at the university are tolerant and are also open minded about culture/background. Unfortunately there are obnoxious people but there are obnoxious people everywhere. Definitely not the norm.</p>
<p>I’m totally with malanai, PinotNoir, Idinct, and Dad2ILD on this one. I am very pleased with Dr. Witt’s response. I think it was appropriate and on target. And somehow, as a parent of a prospective student, I find it reassuring.</p>
<p>Kudos to President Witt for dealing with this incident quickly, openly and decisively. I am also impressed with the young man at whom this slur was directed. </p>
<p>This is not an illustration of politically correct. Agree with Malanai. It is perfectly competent to show zero tolerance for publicly demonstrated bigotry.</p>
<p>I am proud of how far my alma mater has come and it reinforces my comfort with the possibility that my Latino son may attend UA.</p>
<p>I don’t think we are bashing the South here, or shocked by what happened. I’m from the NE and we had a recent incident that made the news and was addressed by the Univ pres and I think the police. As someone pointed out it is probably more in the closet up here. This was done anonymously.
I’m more surprised/concerned about the fact that he felt free to yell it out the fraternity window where everyone could hear him and what fraternity he was from. I suppose I’m reading too much into it that it might be a widely held view at the house or something. It also sounds like it wasn’t the first time the guy had a problem, although his comment about it being a “hell hole” might relate to something else.</p>