At 12:30 a.m. last Sunday I was awakened by a very loud knocking at my door and the words, “Public Safety.” The P-Safe officers were genuinely concerned as they explained to me that my van had been vandalized with “a new coat of spray paint.” I smiled a little because I thought I knew the explanation: I had been invited to bring my van to Zonker Harris Day so that the kids could spray paint on it. I thought it would be fun and harmless, just some stoned out WestCo kids painting unicorns and rainbows on the “Nut Wagon.”
When I picked up the van at the end of the day all the windows were painted over as well as all the headlights, turn signals, and rear lights. I thought this might be why P-Safe was concerned but as they began to show me some photos they had taken, I realized the weight of the situation. Some very nasty things had been written on the van in huge letters: “WHITE POWER,” “FUCK LITTLE CHILDREN,” “FUCK THE COPS,” “I HATE HIPPIE BITCHES.” P-Safe was confused but I wasn’t. I’ve been surrounded by this type of bullshit behavior ever since I’ve come to Wesleyan. Kids who, for whatever reason, don’t respect anything but their right to do whatever the fuck they want. I wasn’t going to write anything, but with all the media hype about racism I thought I should open this up for discussion. I came to Wesleyan thinking it was a progressive liberal institution with open minded, friendly people. Most of us are, but continually I am forced to say, “What the fuck?” So here is my question to you, bad eggs and bright minds of Wesleyan, “What the fuck?”
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