Bleach Balloons Launched at Students of Color at University of Texas

[03EBZ06]

The University of Texas in Austin is reeling from reports of black and Asian students seemingly being targeted and hit with bleach-filled balloons while off campus.

Dozens of students, alumni and faculty protested the attacks on campus Tuesday, after four students filed reports with the UT police department Monday saying they had been targeted.

Each of the students reported being hit while walking near West Campus apartments, a location that is off UT's campus, according to Cindy Posey, public information officer for the UT police department.

The incidents occurred from June through September, but students only came forward to report the attacks after being contacted by the UT police chief, Posey said.

"We had heard at UT rumors of incidents that had happened, but no one had ever filed a report," Posey said. "Our chief of police did his own research, found some things on Facebook, and heard about a couple of people who were hit by balloons.

"Chief Robert Dahlstrom reached out to the kids and said to them, 'Why have you not filed a report?' So [on Monday] four people came forward and filed reports."

The targets in all of the attacks are students of color who say the bleach balloons fell from high-rise buildings toward them.

"It's very frustrating to know that it's 2012 and that stuff like this still happens," UT student Jaysen Runnels told ABC News affiliate KVUE-TV.
The African-American student said he had been hit twice by "bleach bombs" on two separate occasions in the area known as West Campus.

"A bleach bomb fell and hit me, my roommate," said Runnels, who is among the students who filed a police report. "Well, almost hit us. It barely missed us."

UT police have not been able to confirm that bleach was in the balloons, but are working to "get to the bottom of these incidents," Posey said.

http://gma.yahoo.com/bleach-balloon...ity-texas-143018192--abc-news-topstories.html



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It's pretty sad that this day and age at a college level, blatant racism act is being displayed.

 

[danielofthesaints]

If done by other students, they should not only be expelled from the university, but dealt a hefty punishment by the law. Remove the fact that this is a hate crime that is racially-motivated, that is rather apparent, but you could seriously injure someone by tossing a balloon filled with bleach from significant heights.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Wait, it happened in more than one incident, to multiple individuals, over a 4 month period...one guy twice. Yet ALL of these apparently unrelated individuals decided NOT to mention it? Oh, OK...that's plausible.

 

[casmith07]

Wait, it happened in more than one incident, to multiple individuals, over a 4 month period...one guy twice. Yet ALL of these apparently unrelated individuals decided NOT to mention it? Oh, OK...that's plausible.

You don't get it.

 

[TheCount]

Wait, it happened in more than one incident, to multiple individuals, over a 4 month period...one guy twice. Yet ALL of these apparently unrelated individuals decided NOT to mention it? Oh, OK...that's plausible.

I love that your first response is to say it never happened. :laugh2:

 

[visionary]

Wait, it happened in more than one incident, to multiple individuals, over a 4 month period...one guy twice. Yet ALL of these apparently unrelated individuals decided NOT to mention it? Oh, OK...that's plausible.

before you post again, ask yourself, "should i really?"

 

[justbob]

Watch were you go with this one fellows or it will not last long

 

[YosemiteSam]

Watch were you go with this one fellows or it will not last long

It's headed to the Circle K. Hurry everyone, get on board!

 

[JBond]

If done by other students, they should not only be expelled from the university, but dealt a hefty punishment by the law. Remove the fact that this is a hate crime that is racially-motivated, that is rather apparent, but you could seriously injure someone by tossing a balloon filled with bleach from significant heights.

Really...In this day an age? Sad. There are some very ignorant people out there. The alleged perpetrators need to be punished to the full extent of the law.

That being said, hate crime laws are an asinine idea.

It's kind of like the new texting and driving laws. Inattentive or reckless driving are already against the law.

 

[arglebargle]

As someone who lived in that area a long time ago, frat harrassment is what came to my mind immediately.

Funny thing though: When bikers moved in to the apartment complex, the frequency of hassling went way down.

 

[ologan]

I guaran-darn-tee you that if that happened to me or one of my family members, I sure as heck would have done something about it! That's terrible!!

 

[DallasCowpoke]

You don't get it.

No, actually what I "don't get", as I stated in the 1st post, is how it went on for 4 months, to multiple people, on numerous occasions....but none, I repeat NONE, of ANY race, reported to an emergency room or Dr with an injury, much less any form of authority .

Further, how even though there have been "reports" of things like this being done at not only this particular student-friendly complex, but others as well for 3 years or more, it's somehow suddenly a "hate crime"?

Click this link, read the WHOLE article and watch the news report from KVUE, Austin. Then get back to me.

BTW case, thks for your own personal rush-to-judgement about me. THAT, I DO "get"!

 

[Manwiththeplan]

No, actually what I "don't get", as I stated in the 1st post, is how it went on for 4 months, to multiple people, on numerous occasions....but none, I repeat NONE, of ANY race, reported to an emergency room or Dr with an injury, much less any form of authority .

That could be for any number of reasons. For starters, the bleech was likely heavily diluted, so it would not cause harm, yet still get the point across. Also, if the campus typically didn't do anything in situations like this, the victims of the attacks may have been afraid to go foward or felt it was a waste of time.

Reguardless, this is kinda irrelevant. It's a fact that these attacks happened for months, without being reported. Whether you find it hard to believe or not.

Further, how even though there have been "reports" of things like this being done at not only this particular student-friendly complex, but others as well for 3 years or more, it's somehow suddenly a "hate crime"?

Here's something else going on at UT, bet there's nothing racist about this either.

-UT's Greek community, specifically member organizations of the Inter-Fraternity Council and University Panhellenic Council, has recently drawn sharp criticism for racially-themed parties at which sorority and fraternity members and their guests -- who, for the most part, are white -- dress up in stereotypical clothing associated with a minority group. The local chapters of Tri Delta and Zeta Tau Alpha have recently apologized for a fiesta-themed party where two party attendees wore shirts that read "Illegal" and "Border Patrol."

Now I am assuming the asailants are white, and they may not be, but I don't know how else to take throwing bleech onto students of color, besides racially motivated. However, as of right now, everyone that has come foward has been a minority, and until that changes, it will be discussed as it's a hate crime.

 

[rkell87]

That could be for any number of reasons. For starters, the bleech was likely heavily diluted, so it would not cause harm, yet still get the point across. Also, if the campus typically didn't do anything in situations like this, the victims of the attacks may have been afraid to go foward or felt it was a waste of time.

Reguardless, this is kinda irrelevant. It's a fact that these attacks happened for months, without being reported. Whether you find it hard to believe or not.



Here's something else going on at UT, bet there's nothing racist about this either.

-UT's Greek community, specifically member organizations of the Inter-Fraternity Council and University Panhellenic Council, has recently drawn sharp criticism for racially-themed parties at which sorority and fraternity members and their guests -- who, for the most part, are white -- dress up in stereotypical clothing associated with a minority group. The local chapters of Tri Delta and Zeta Tau Alpha have recently apologized for a fiesta-themed party where two party attendees wore shirts that read "Illegal" and "Border Patrol."

Now I am assuming the asailants are white, and they may not be, but I don't know how else to take throwing bleech onto students of color, besides racially motivated. However, as of right now, everyone that has come foward has been a minority, and until that changes, it will be discussed as it's a hate crime.

I'm not going to comment on the bleach thing but the costume thing is just dumb, you can get those costumes in any Halloween store and probably walmart. I don't pretend to know the motives of the people putting on the costumes but people need to realize that this is a different generation that for the most part is more tolerant of people than any other time in history. The persons in question, being in college, could just as easily be trying to be ironic in their humor as they could be trying to make a political statement or be purposefully insensitive or hateful.

Or, ya know, they didn't put any thought into the costume and picked the matching costume that was available that fit the theme of the party. But no probably the worst case scenario cause that is what gets clicks.