[IMC-US] RE: [Imc-us-editorial] Va. Military Institute story, but Richmond site down

Mon Jan 31 11:04:55 CST 2005

So you have no copy of the original story? Have you tried a google search in 
"cached"?

d.o.

***************************************
"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as 
necessary in the political world as storms in the physical world."

- Thomas Jefferson
***************************************
more rebellion here:
http://concertobi.blogspot.com/

***************************************

>From: muna rva imc <muna at richmondindymedia.org>
>To: "imc-us-editorial at lists.ucimc.org" 
><imc-us-editorial at lists.ucimc.org>,"imc-us at lists.ucimc.org" 
><imc-us at lists.ucimc.org>
>CC: richmond indymedia editors <editors at richmondindymedia.org>
>Subject: [Imc-us-editorial] Va. Military Institute story,but Richmond site 
>down
>Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:01:58 -0500
>
>I really wasn't sure how to summarize this in an email title, and perhaps I
>should've brought this story to US's attention earlier, but... Why don't I 
>just
>start from the beginning...
>
>So about a week about a Richmond Indymedia user posted photos of cadets at 
>the
>Virginia Military Institute wearing extremely offensive Halloween costumes 
>--
>some dressed up as Nazis and donned blackface back on Oct. 2004.
>
>Well, the story's hit big. There's almost 200 comments on it (about 180 
>more
>than normal), plus it got picked up by regional, and now national papers 
>and tv
>stations.
>
>But the high traffic has killed our site. Odds are none of you will be able 
>to
>access richmond.indymedia.org to actually see our story. That's what I've 
>been
>trying to deal with the past few days, unsuccessfully.
>
>RVA IMC is still not syndicated, so US IMC of course did not pick it up. I 
>wish
>it did, or could, so all these anxious public folks could at least see some
>semblence of this story on Indymedia somewhere.
>
>Given the tech problems, I really have no idea how to get this story to 
>you. The
>story really is in the comments thread.
>
>But I figure it's worth mentioning.
>
>Anyway, here are some shitty corporate links to follow our scoop. Oh how 
>low I'm
>forced to sink. The first one from the regional Roanoke Times is almost all 
>from
>our site, and I've included it at the end of this email in its entirity.
>
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45703-2005Jan28.html?sub=new
>
>http://times-dispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031780524156&path=%21news&s=1045855934842
>
>And, of course, just in case ya wanna try:
>
>http://richmond.indymedia.org/feature/display/9193/index.php
>
>X,
>Muna
>
>----- Forwarded message from muna rva imc <muna at richmondindymedia.org> 
>-----
>     Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 17:34:01 -0500
>     From: muna rva imc <muna at richmondindymedia.org>
>Reply-To: muna rva imc <muna at richmondindymedia.org>
>  Subject: VMI/IMC coverage in Roanoke Times by Roanoke NBC afflilate
>       To: editors at richmondindymedia.org
>
>I'm still sifting through the 138 comments, but in the meantime, I just got 
>off
>the phone with the Roanoke NBC reporter -- they're running the pictures and
>story at 6pm tonight (her email's at the very end of this). And she told me
>that the Roanoke Times ran a story today, which I just found online.:
>
>http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/17647.html
>
>Friday, January 28, 2005
>
>VMI launches investigation of costume party
>
>Although the party was in October, message boarders and school officials
>weighed
>in Thursday on the cadets' choice of attire. What do you think?
>
>By Matt Chittum
>  981-3331
>The Roanoke Times
>
>Virginia Military Institute officials are investigating a 2004 barracks
>Halloween observance during which cadets dressed as Nazi soldiers, drag 
>queens
>and a starving African.
>
>Officials at the Lexington college were alerted to the behavior when 
>someone
>referred them to an Internet message board on which four photographs of the
>costumed men are posted.
>
>"We've been made aware of the possible involvement of a small number of VMI
>cadets in various insensitive and inappropriate photographic poses 
>appearing on
>a Web site unaffiliated with VMI," spokesman Stewart MacInnis said. "VMI 
>does
>not condone such behavior and this matter is being investigated 
>accordingly.
>While recognizing cadets have rights as private citizens to express 
>themselves,
>we are disappointed in their behavior and judgment."
>
>MacInnis said officials are satisfied that the pictures posted at
>richmond.indymedia.org are from an October event in barracks during which
>cadets were permitted to dress in costume for the evening. The Web site is
>operated by the Richmond Independent Media Center and offers a forum for
>"promoting social and economic justice in the Richmond area," according to 
>its
>mission statement.
>
>One picture shows three men in their VMI-issued black shirts and gray pants
>giving the Nazi salute to the camera. Two are wearing homemade swastika
>armbands. One is wearing a small Hitler-style mustache.
>
>Another picture shows two men dressed in tiaras, wings, lipstick and eye
>shadow.
>One is holding a wand, and both are wearing underpants and tank tops that 
>read,
>"I [heart] a man in uniform."
>
>There are also pictures of a man smeared head-to-toe in dark makeup and 
>wearing
>a loin clot  h, and a man with a bull's-eye drawn with tape on the rear of 
>his
>pants.
>
>Posted Thursday, the photos immediately generated a running online debate 
>about
>their offensiveness. Some posters noted that they appeared weeks after
>England's Prince Harry was criticized by Jewish organizations for wearing a
>Nazi uniform to a recent costume party and that Thursday was the 60th
>anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
>
>Using the screen name "CBC," the person who posted the images said others
>should
>"condemn VMI's ability to laugh at the deaths of millions, make light of 
>famine
>and race and mock homosexuality. These are, after all, the men who are 
>supposed
>to one day graduate to their own posts at Gitmos [Guantanamo Bays] and Abu
>Ghraibs around the world."
>
>A writer identified as "Sean," who said he is a VMI cadet, defended the
>costumes.
>
>"We, the Corps of Cadets, were apalled [sic] at the Abu Ghraib incident, 
>but
>seeing as how we're going to be in the midst of death and inhumanity and 
>other
>such facts of life we need to be able to keep a sense of humor," he wrote.
>
>"What's funny about the Nazis?" replied poster "James Spady."
>
>A poster named "Joseph" advised others to "lighten up, anyone construing 
>this
>as
>anything other than absurd and jovial is nothing short of anal retentive."
>
>Even if they acted without malice, the cadets involved could still face
>disciplinary action.
>
>MacInnis was unsure of what specific regulations VMI has regarding racial 
>or
>ethnic sensitivity, but he noted that such behavior might also fit in the
>category of "conduct unbecoming a cadet."
>
>New cadets receive instruction in sensitivity to matters of gender, race 
>and
>the
>like, MacInnis said.
>
>"VMI will continue to make strong efforts to educate the Corps in civility 
>and
>respect for others," he said.
>
>
>----- Forwarded message from mmartin at wsls.com -----
>     Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 10:35:30 -0500
>     From: mmartin at wsls.com
>Reply-To: mmartin at wsls.com
>  Subject: pictures
>       To: info at richmondindymedia.org
>
> > I am a reporter with the NBC affiliate in Roanoke, VA. We are interested 
>in
>doing a story on the pictures of VMI cadets posted on your website. We 
>would of
>course courtesy your site. Could you please get in touch with me regarding 
>this
>as soon as possible? My cell phone is listed below.
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Melissa Martin
> >
> > Melissa Martin
> > Reporter
> > WSLS-TV
> > 540-981-9126/ 1(800) 800-5797
> > cell 540-529-2150
> > mmartin at wsls.com
> >
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
>
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
>
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