Back in February, NYU's College Republicans decided to play a game. "Find the Illegal Immigrant" consisted of someone wearing an illegal immigrant name tag and wandering around the campus area until found by one of the other participants. The person who located the "illegal immigrant" was then to be rewarded with a gift certificate.
The group's defense of the try-and-hide-and-we'll-seek-you-out game?
"The game is going to bring awareness" to the issue of immigration, said President of the NYU College Republicans Sarah Chambers.
Uh-huh. Right. Awareness to the issue -- or to the ignorance of those supposedly debating the issue? Bringing "awareness" to the issue is a nice line to throw out in your defense to the media, after you've been protested and attacked by fellow students and the community.
National news coverage doesn't add any pressure either, I'm sure.
Photo property of Ashley Phillips. ABC News.
Many people say things or do things -- then backtrack as fast as they can once the spotlight and pressure are on. Look at examples we've seen recently -- the media is filled with them.
Most recently?
Don Imus' career suicidal "nappy-headed hos" comment during his Imus in the Morning show a couple weeks ago.
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There was also...
Michael Richards' not-so-funny Laugh Factory 2006 display when he yelled out at a disruptive audience member, "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a fucking fork up your ass!" Then he proceeded to use "nigger" multiple times.
Mel Gibson must not have really had passion for the Christ... otherwise, would he have made such anti-semitic remarks to a police officer when he was pulled over for drunk driving last summer? Jesus, after all, was Jewish.
Isaiah Washington got into a tumble with co-star Patrick Dempsey on the set of Grey's Anatomy when he referred to co-star T.R. Knight as a "faggot" last fall.
Rosie O'Donnell (though I love her to death) received a lot of criticism for using the phrase "ching chong" to represent the Chinese language.
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Don't worry though, all offenders have since told the media that they are deeply sorry. But for what?
Sorry they were metaphorically caught with their pants down in public? Sorry they've been backed into a corner, where only an apology may grant them some salvation? Or truly sorry not only has such hatred festered inside of them, but that their actions were vocalized in a world where we are supposedly above and beyond such cultural differences? Were they just sorry they added fuel to the already blazing hot fiery hatred?
For whatever reason, this past year has definitely felt like the year of slip-ups. It may seem only fitting that NYU's College Republicans join in, though their lack of celebrity status may or may not have lightened the blow of the media.
What is a relief to know is that when racial slurs are spewed, many react. However, is (most of) our nation smart enough, sensitive enough, to realize that such hatred does not have a place in our society -- anywhere? Maybe not.
At least it's comforting to see that some of the younger generations are able to see the consequences of such a hateful society. Especially, when you can visually witness their compassion and sensitivity.
It's easy to spout off an excuse when pressured by the media to defend your image.
But true honesty and opinions -- such as are presented in the above video -- are thankfully still alive somewhere in America.
