Mississippi fire department roiled by noose in locker

AP ^ | 11 30 2019 | Rebecca Santana

[yesthatjallen]

There’s little disagreement that the object found in a white Mississippi firefighter’s locker was a hangman’s noose. But as with many things in America these days, there’s deep disagreement about what it meant.

To some it was a reminder of lynchings that took hundreds of black lives in Mississippi, and it had no place on city property — though there was no suggestion that firefighter Shelton Russell had ever displayed it or used it to intimidate anyone.

To Russell it didn’t carry that meaning. If anything, it symbolized America’s lawless wild-west culture, where cowboy vigilantes meted out rough justice. It happened in August in the town of Hattiesburg, home to two universities and about 46,000 people. About 53% of the town’s residents are black, and about 42% are white.

City officials have declined to make anyone available for interviews because it’s a personnel matter and might involve future litigation. Many details emerged during a civil service commission hearing Oct. 10 as well as documents released to The Associated Press.

SNIP

[yesthatjallen]

This is an interesting article in that it's a bit nuanced. It discusses how white and black people see the noose differently and each side has an opinion that, while people may disagree on the meaning and history, it acknowledges differences are in the eye of the beholder and not cut and dry.

[BenLurkin]

Hoax probably.

[gibsonguy]

has smollet been in the area?

[Secret Agent Man]

I am regarding it as a hoax unless proven otherwise.

[MrEdd]

Horse thief.

[raybbr]

America has fallen into a stupid state of idiocy and perpetual offense.

[deport]

Russell said he didn’t know how to tie a noose, and his colleague showed him
how it was done. Russell said he put it in his locker and never thought about it
again. He said he still doesn’t understand how it’s offensive.

“African-Americans were hung by it. So were whites. So were horse thieves and
you know, I’m a cowboy. I’m out in the country. I ride a tractor every day. That’s
what I go back to, cowboys and that’s how it got started, with watching the Western,”
Russell, who raises chickens and grows hay, told the AP.

[BenLurkin]

Why would anyone want to learn how to tie a noose?

[dfwgator]

Hoax

[DannyTN]

A noose once bit my sister

[DIRTYSECRET]

And that General at the Air Force Academy? The one who ran with the racial graffiti?

[joma89]

I am going out on a limb and saying it is yet another hoax.

JoMa

[MacNaughton]

I saw what you did there, “Whitey”.

[chuckee]

Has there ever been a noose story in the last 40 years that was not a hoax. Why report this stupidity unless they have proof that it is not a hoax.

[deport]

Not sure about this person but he’s a country boy so it
doesn’t surprise me. When I was a kid growing up we
all knew how to make/tie a noose. It was a part of the
culture back then along with cowboys and indians.

[GaryCrow]

That’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I just have to assume the “offended party” was looking for a payday. More whites were lynched than blacks so the so called racial overtones are bunk, if anyone should be offended it would be whites.

As for why anyone would want to know how to tie a noose I’d say why not? It’s not like the thing is going to jump up and wrap itself around your neck, it’s just a knot. I grew up in the country and any time there was a rope nearby I’d practice different knots, lasso fence posts, use it as a whip and try to snap leaves, tease the cat with it like people do with a laser pointer. You know, stuff that people actually did before everybody sat around playing video games all day long. I’ve probably tied a noose a hundred times, never in my wildest dreams would I think somebody would get offended by it.

Good God, the whole world has gone mad.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

It was also part of boy-culture in rural Canada, where I grew up. We had no idea about black lynchings; but, we saw plenty of hoss thieves hanged on TV. All my adult relatives were staunch anti-racists (having been the target of different forms of racism themselves); and they obviously didn’t get the symbolism Americans now assign to the noose (as evidenced by my hide not being completely tanned).

[Mark17]

And that General at the Air Force Academy? The one who ran with the racial graffiti?

I have some Air Force Academy friends. I harassed them about this dude.

[yesthatjallen]

NOT A HOAX.

The firefight freely admits he had the noose but he claims it represents punishment for the lawless. There's no proof the FF is a racist or he had the noose for racist intent.

[Quickgun]

I have to agree. I have known how to tie a noose since I was about 6 years old. I’m not sure exactly how “offensive” a damn knot in a rope can possibly be...