How About a Dress Code or Uniforms for Campus?

[Yosef10]

It's not hypersensitivity it's a moral compass. The only time you ever hear the word thug thrown around is to describe a black man doing something we don't like. But then it's suppose to be ok for a group of 99 if not 100% white kids to have a "theme" of thug life where, let's call it like it is, they tailor there outfit to an urban style normally worn by blacks...while the theme is THUG life. This isn't being over-sensitive, it's calling out the hypocrisy at hand.

[Gonzo]

There is nothing genuinely offensive about a "thug life" theme party, but Young Life has indeed committed the cardinal sin of honkey-dom: treading too heavily on the egg shells. They will atone -- they must atone -- because we live in a time that demands it.

Dressing up like rappers is a far cry from blackface. Hip hop culture is pervasive, even among white people. This is classic over reaction from the race-bating, muck raking (usually white guilt) types. I hate to be presumptuous, but the people of color whom they interviewed and photographed HAD to be outnumbered by white kids (who frankly don't have standing to be offended). After all, it's App State. These are people who feel like activism is the only way they can absolve themselves from their "original sin": being born the ancestor of a slave owner or a segregationist.

Cultural appropriation is a contentious subject in some circles. Many hip hop fundamentalists are hostile to the likes of Iggy, Eminem, etc because they feel like they're being robbed of the integrity of their music genres. I'd love to know how those people feel about Darius Rucker.

Anyway, dispite America's obvious racial double standards, you HAVE to know better because that's just the way it is. Mistakes like these, usually innocent ones, get people fired or worse.

[Gonzo]

And suffice it to say, there isn't a constitutional speech issue here...

[appst89]

The only time you ever hear the word thug thrown around is to describe a black man doing something we don't like.

Not the only time. I work every day in a place with over 900 thugs; and they come in every color. Thug is not a racial term, it is a descriptor.

[Gonzo]

[appchicago]

Whether people should have been offended by this dumb party (can we all agree that it seems like a pretty dumb party?) or not is one conversation. I can understand how people might be offended, but I think the internet will implode if one more thread gets lost in the weeds of white privilege and cultural appropriation.

So I'll just say that even if the people who were offended have zero case, they have every right to have their discussion, just like people have every right to meet to talk about how offended they are by the "war on Christmas" or the use of pleather on university grounds or the fact that Yosef's beard is the wrong color or what the hell ever else. That doesn't constitute a suppression of anyone else's speech, and if there's any place on this planet where a little indignation, however misplaced, should be welcomed, it's on a college campus.

[App91]

The only time you ever hear the word thug thrown around is to describe a black man doing something we don't like.

Not the only time. I work every day in a place with over 900 thugs; and they come in every color. Thug is not a racial term, it is a descriptor.

Those who see this term as racial are simply trying to find something by which to be offended, reaching the holy grail of offended status.

[T-Dog]

If you can't see a campus group of what appears to be mostly-white students, a Christian group nonetheless, hosting a "Thug Life" themed campus event is completely idiotic and racist, I don't know what to say.

[AppGrad1]

Merriam-Webster
Thug - a brutal ruffian or assassin

Dictionary.com
Thug - a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer.

Wikipedia
Thug - Thug, a common criminal, who treats others violently and roughly, often for hire

Oxford Dictionary
Thug - A violent person, especially a criminal.

I've not seen one description where race was mentioned.

[EastHallApp]

The inability to distinguish between "scolding" and "censoring" is at the heart of most misguided First Amendment complaints.

I'm not making a First Amendment complaint. I'm making a point about the sensitivity level of these college students.

Fair enough. But then censorship doesn't factor into the discussion.

How so? The word censorship/censor is not used in the First Amendment once, to my recollection. Do you not believe that the mission of the discussion was to stop/silence young life from their actions through shame?

Don't know, but if that was their mission, that's not censorship.

[T-Dog]

Merriam-Webster
Thug - a brutal ruffian or assassin

Dictionary.com
Thug - a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer.

Wikipedia
Thug - Thug, a common criminal, who treats others violently and roughly, often for hire

Oxford Dictionary
Thug - A violent person, especially a criminal.

I've not seen one description where race was mentioned.

The group brought race into it by dressing as what they think thugs dress up as.

[Saint3333]

If you associate that type of dress with only one race, isn't that racist?

Many races dress in that fashion.

[Gonzo]

The video I posted (thug life animals) is all the rage right now. It is a wildly popular meme, undoubtedly the inspiration for Young Life's party. Somehow there isn't a nationwide movement against the video declaring it racially insensitive cultural appropriation.

To think of all the REAL racial issues still facing this country.

[APPARJ]

If you're offended by this or consider this racist, you're missing the forest for the trees.

The "Thug Life" theme has been huge and mostly beloved in pop culture for over 2 decades.

A bunch of college kids having a party emulating that theme with baggy sweats, backwards hats, chains and NBA jerseys isn't racist in the least. They're just trying to recreate album covers we all see in retail stores and the internet.

What a ridiculous thing to be upset about.

FYI, you're all invited to my Tupac Shakur party. The only requirement is you have to write "Thug Life" on your belly in Sharpie (or get a real tat like 'Pac) and wear a bandana on your head to get in.

BYOBA40 (Bring Your Own Blunts And 40s)

[Yosef10]

Watch and read news outlets, tell me how many times the word thug is used to describe any person who is not black. I'll say this, I have no "white guilt" and I don't necessarily think having a thug life themed party is racist, but if you don't see the double standard here you're incompetent or simply don't want to see it. It's the hypocrisy of it all that draws my attention

I understand thug isn't a racist term but if you want to be honest with yourself, this country uses it as a replacement for another word whites used for blacks

[appst89]

Watch and read news outlets, tell me how many times the word thug is used to describe any person who is not black. I'll say this, I have no "white guilt" and I don't necessarily think having a thug life themed party is racist, but if you don't see the double standard here you're incompetent or simply don't want to see it. It's the hypocrisy of it all that draws my attention

I understand thug isn't a racist term but if you want to be honest with yourself, this country uses it as a replacement for another word whites used for blacks

I don't and no one I work with does.

[Saint3333]

Did Charles Barkley stubble onto the MMB, geez.

[clayton]

It's a dumb idea for a party.

Earlier in the thread, somebody posted the actual dictionary definition of "thug."

"a brutal ruffian or assassin"

Why would a Christian organization throw a party to celebrate that?

EDIT

For the record, I don't think the people at Young Life blatantly meant to be racist when they decided to throw this party. I just think they were being dumb.

AND...students at Appalachian State got together and had what sounds like a civil discussion about race. Isn't that what everybody wants?

[JTApps1]

So I guess every party with a theme is now going to be considered racist or offensive to someone, somewhere? Would anyone have noticed if they had a redneck themed party? I guess we should cancel Halloween too since people dress up as all sorts of other people in costumes that could be considered offensive to different races or occupations.

People need to lighten up a little.

BTW- I've known my fair share of white kids that I considered a Thug.

[Gonzo]

Yosef10 and Tdog: Would you also opine that the thug life animal video is racist?