Cancel Culture: A Vindictive Teen Destroy a Classmate

Stupid - yes. Deserving of punishment at this scale? No. Deserving of any punishment? No.

It's ridiculously hypocritical that a white person can't talk like a rapper and because they did when they were 15, they have to be kicked out of college at 18. That's just so mind boggling stupid - I can't see how you can say your sympathies lie more with UT than her.

 

yet I’ve seen ridiculous strawmen like she was just singing song lyrics (lie), black kids also say n***er (they don’t), the word n***er is used in many songs (it’s not used at all), and now she probably wasn’t comfortable using it when she said it with ease and recorded herself doing so

What’s next?

 

Dude she was 15. Surely you aren't so simple minded to believe that a human's two seconds at the age of 15 defines their life? What type of Puritan asshat would you have to be to believe that?

 

Did you just say black kids don't say n***a and it's not used in songs? WTF

 

I'm a black man and I think that the school, Jimmy Galligan and the NYT were all WAY out of line here. Kids (Mimi) should be allowed to make stupid mistakes and be reprimanded or punished in an appropriate way that doesn't completely upend their future life aspirations. The Univ of Tennessee should not have pressured her to withdraw. I think the school felt they had a growing PR problem on their hands, and took the easy/weak way out by wanting to get rid of her.

There are no "heroes" in this story.

Apparently Mimi and Jimmy used to be friends or on "friendly with each other" or something? All Jimmy needed to do was to pull her aside, sit her down, and explain to her face-to-face that what she said in that video is not okay, and explain why. Deal with the n-word issue educationally, not via worldwide public shaming. (And she did apologize a long time ago.) What Jimmy did here comes across to me as straight-up vengeance. And in the long run, he might have hurt HIMSELF more than Mimi...both socially and professionally. Many employers will be reluctant to hire him. As for Mimi, I think she'll be okay in the long run, especially if she has a strong support group of friends and adults around her to help her get through this emotionally. I also hope she learned that she needs to be more careful about what she puts on social media. I doubt her life will be "ruined". Both her and Jimmy need to be counseled about this. Speaking of adults...the "adults in the room" (the high school teachers, admins, etc.) deserve a LOT of blame here for not doing more to proactively address the general racism problem. I fault them more than I fault Jimmy.

Spiteful responses like what Jimmy did will not help race relations. I also worry that if these types of vindictive responses and ensuing mob pile-ons are allowed to continue unabated, it might one day drive a targeted kid or young adult to suicide. Yes, Mimi should have known better, and it's reasonable to expect that a 15-year old white kid to know that saying the n-word in just about any context is unacceptable. It doesn't matter if it's the -er or the -a variant. But...it does matter how you react to someone when he/she does or says something stupid or offensive. How you react may speak volumes about your character and maturity. "You" in this case can refer to either an individual or an institution.

 

she fcked up, and got a consequence that has been given to many kids for putting something unflattering on social media...she’s not the 1st, and she won’t be the last

that’s why u watch what u post on social media and don’t go around saying n***er so casually...a college possibly rescinding your acceptance is a likely consequence, this sh*t isn’t even a surprise

this is exactly why kids are told to watch they post and/or erase anything foul on their social media when applying

who I really feel sorry for are the kids who had to go through high school enduring all this sh*t

 

Can u read? She said n***er, not n***a. Black kids don’t say n***er, and it’s not used in songs.

 

there’s a big difference between saying n***a and n***er...n***er is not used in any songs, nor is it used by black kids, so y’all can stop repeating that lie

 

We appropriated slavery propelled financial benefits but we think it's unfair that African American community has appropriated a word?

The extrajudicial nature of dolling out punishment is questionable, but social policing has always been like that.

The woman can sue the university and considering how much of a controversial topic this appears to be, I'm sure she could get a pro-bono representation if she wanted to.

 

A white person can say the N word and everyone else can call them whatever they want and shun them if they want. Freedom of speech works every which way. She wasn't kicked out of college and I don't have any sympathy for UT. You're late to this pity party.

 

I’m not surprised by the actions of this kid. You’re at school, and every day, these white kids are spewing out the word n***er so casually. It’s been brought to the faculties attention numerous times, and nothing is ever done. They don’t even view it as a big deal.

As a minority, how could u ever feel comfortable at school? At some point u might get filled with anger and resentment. He basically wanted revenge, and I’m not surprised that he did. Teachers should have put a stop to this the minute it was made known, but they allowed that toxic environment to fester.

 

Why will some black people allow close friends of a different race to use the word n***a, but there is not a black person alive that would let them use the word n***er? Why does a racist always call a black person a n***er when they really want to demean and denigrate them? Why is n***a used in songs, and among some black people as a form of endearment, but no one goes around saying “what’s up my n***er? Yes, there’s a difference. Let’s stop being culturally clueless.

 

I see nothing wrong with this at all, she needed to learn a lesson and she did.....it won't ruin her life, won't follow her around, but she sure as hell just realized that words matter.

If you don't like doing time, don't do the crime.

She was stupid for saying it, and even worse, posting it......

Life is hard, she got a good taste of it.....one year at Community college is hardly anything too bad....she can enroll back at UT and join a sorority and get on with her life....this will pass in a hurry, nothing sticks....in this country for too long....unless she wants to keep bringing it up.

DD

 

there is no good context for saying that word...she shouldn’t have said it at all, and many kids are able to, but for some reason she just has to do it and also record herself

she probably thought she was being cute and edgy...”look at me casually saying n***er on video, ain’t it funny guys?”

well, it wasn’t funny to all the black students there who were hearing idiots like her toss that word around like it’s nothing

 

You didn't read any of the context did you.

She didn't learn a lesson unless that lesson is that if you slip up at 15 for a racial slur, even if you reform and grow up and advocate for black minority issues, you will still have your life turned upside down. That's the lesson she received.

And I don't think you remember what it's like being 18. Kids at their age worked their entire lives to get to the college they want. It effects their future career opportunities. Let's not forget all the harrasement she has received from this.

Bad take DD. Very bad take.

 

And that was years ago when she was younger and she has shown very obvious signs that she isn't the racist you are trying so hard to protest her as.

You can believe what she said at 15 was wrong and deserves a stern lecture or maybe after school remedial classes on black history and it would only be effective right after she said it. Not 3 years later after she has grown as an adult and regrets saying it in the first place. Than it doesn't becoming a learning experience form of punishment but just a vindictive one that serves zero utility.