On the afternoon of January 27, 2009, members of the George Washington College Republicans found Christian crosses strewn about and defaced with a variety of goodies, such as condoms, antagonizing words, and phallic symbols. The crosses were haphazardly appended to none other than the College Democrats’ bulletin board. The two political groups share the same space and have separate, but equal, private storage bins which are entrusted to protect private property, such as the crosses.
Keeping the extensive coverage in mind that we gave the defacing, or deflaging, that our own dear campus recently experienced, with the famed “black flag” incident, it is interesting to see how other schools respond to hate crimes compared to ours.
In the official statement of GW, President Steven Knapp flounders around with feelings of disappointment but will still “continue to hope” that his students act better in the future. No statements about condoning the behavior or seeking to punish those responsible anywhere on the GW official statement.
One might wonder, does the subject of a hate crime dictate the response?
Per our conversation this morning, it’s the George Washington University College Republicans.
-Andrew Herron (GW ’04)