Banana Thrown at Wayne Simmonds

[Draftnik]

I agree w/
Definitely stupid, probably(not definitely) racist.

But I'm more bothered by all the hyperbole and mock outrage about it.

Why wouldn't people be bothered by it?

I have no problem being bothered with it, I guess. It's more the extent of which people are upset. Like throwing around the words "hate crime"... Stuff like that.

I’m not familiar with Ontario Provincial law or Canadian Federal laws, but what the cowardly piece of filth did would be considered a hate crime in some US States:

http://definitions.uslegal.com/h/hate-crime/

Its definitely harassment and even threatening based 100% on racial prejudice.

I shouldn’t be surprised people think this is OK or even funny. It is the Internet after all.

If the piece(s) of filth that threw the banana peels had the courage of their convictions they would have confronted Simmonds personally to let him know they didn’t like him because he is black. Instead they anonymously & cowardly threw banana peels at him. The perpetrator(s) is a pathetic loser, just like the pathetic losers on the Internet that try to rationalize this act as being funny or immature.

[Physical_Graffiti]

I agree w/
Definitely stupid, probably(not definitely) racist.

But I'm more bothered by all the hyperbole and mock outrage about it.

Why wouldn't people be bothered by it?

I have no problem being bothered with it, I guess. It's more the extent of which people are upset. Like throwing around the words "hate crime"... Stuff like that.

I’m not familiar with Ontario Provincial law or Canadian Federal laws, but what the cowardly piece of filth did would be considered a hate crime in some US States:

http://definitions.uslegal.com/h/hate-crime/

Its definitely harassment and even threatening based 100% on racial prejudice.

I shouldn’t be surprised people think this is OK or even funny. It is the Internet after all.

If the piece(s) of filth that threw the banana peels had the courage of their convictions they would have confronted Simmonds personally to let him know they didn’t like him because he is black. Instead they anonymously & cowardly threw banana peels at him. The perpetrator(s) is a pathetic loser, just like the pathetic losers in the Internet that try to rationalize this act as being funny or immature.

[Draftnik]

Racism is despicable & disgusting. The only people that see any humor in it or can rationalize it in any way, shape, or form are by definition racist.

[columbia]

Kevin Weekes is being interviewed on TSN Radio right now.
He is *pissed*.

[Froggy]

I really don't care what the law *technically* says. Calling this a hate crime is silly, and only accomplishes in cheapening actual hate crimes. A lynching or a beating or a murder are not remotely the same thing as mocking someone's ethnicity by throwing a piece of fruit at them.


I don't think it's funny. I'm just not at my wits end with outrage and bloodlust about it. My reaction was more along the lines "what a stupid thing to do"

[Physical_Graffiti]

Racism is despicable & disgusting. The only people that see any humor in it or can rationalize it in any way, shape, or form are by definition racist.

Spoiler:

[meecrofilm]

"Stupid" is a massive understatement. Imagine how Simmonds feels. I'm sure it was a bit more than just "stupid" to him.

[penny lane]

sadly other nitwits will attempt the very same.
I would hope that if I was at the game, I would turn the person in, or provide a description.

[Pops16]

Find the culprit and ban him from attending games league wide. That sends a nice little message.

[Draftnik]

I really don't care what the law *technically* says. Calling this a hate crime is silly, and only accomplishes in cheapening actual hate crimes. A lynching or a beating or a murder are not remotely the same thing as mocking someone's ethnicity by throwing a piece of fruit at them.


I don't think it's funny. I'm just not at my wits end with outrage and bloodlust about it. My reaction was more along the lines "what a stupid thing to do"

Hate crime laws are as most laws are - full of technicalities.

The only people that don’t understand that are people that don’t understand the nature of law.

“Technicalities’ as you say are usually differentiated in the sentencing process if crimes of various degrees are charged and prosecuted under the same statute.

Lynching & murder would also involve other more significant criminal charges. People that understand the law would already know that.

[Froggy]

Shocker. You're missing my point. The words "hate crime" invoke very specific connotations. Wether intentionally or not, you are implying that throwing a banana peel at someone is the same as lynching them or dragging them from a truck. There is a difference between the two, and I don't feel comfortable with lumping them all under the same umbrella.

[Physical_Graffiti]

Aren't all/nearly all crimes "hate crimes"?

[shmenguin]

Aren't all/nearly all crimes "hate crimes"?

your disrespect for the law and the different races that it protects makes you an enabler of all things evil.

but it is the internet after all.

[Henry Hank]

Aren't all/nearly all crimes "hate crimes"?

You're arguing semantics. The term hate crime implies a specific type of crime regardless of what it has been termed.

[doublem]

Do people really not understand why hate crimes exist?

[Pavel Bure]

Reports on Twitter that when Simmonds was called to take part in a shootout in their game against DET tonight, someone threw a banana.

Wow....just WOW!

What wasn't reported is that this song was playing

And the person is a huge Lil Wayne fan.

[Physical_Graffiti]

Aren't all/nearly all crimes "hate crimes"?

your disrespect for the law and the different races that it protects makes you an enabler of all things evil.

but it is the internet after all.

I disrespect different races?

[shmenguin]

Aren't all/nearly all crimes "hate crimes"?

your disrespect for the law and the different races that it protects makes you an enabler of all things evil.

but it is the internet after all.

I disrespect different races?

nah not really. just pointing out that there has been an aggressive element to this thread that is largely unwarranted.

[Physical_Graffiti]

Aren't all/nearly all crimes "hate crimes"?

your disrespect for the law and the different races that it protects makes you an enabler of all things evil.

but it is the internet after all.

I disrespect different races?

nah not really. just pointing out that there has been an aggressive element to this thread that is largely unwarranted.

Ah, truesay

[Admin]

I hope they find the sad person that did this.

[shmenguin]

I hope they find the sad person that did this.

can't argue with that

[Draftnik]

Shocker. You're missing my point. The words "hate crime" invoke very specific connotations. Wether intentionally or not, you are implying that throwing a banana peel at someone is the same as lynching them or dragging them from a truck. There is a difference between the two, and I don't feel comfortable with lumping them all under the same umbrella.

I didn't imply anything. I didn't "lump" anything together. You don't understand the law. If somebody were lynched or dragged from a truck the punishment for the perpetrator would be predominately based on assault, level of premeditation, injuries sustained by the victim, and other factors independent of the racial aspect that made it a hate crime.

A person tossing banana peels at Wayne Simmonds wouldn't receive the same charges or punishment as somebody that physically assaulted Simmonds. Both would still be considered hate crimes in many states. The person committing assault would receive charges carrying significantly more punishment than a crime not involving physical violence.

You have erroneously attached physically violent connotations to all hate crimes and that isn't how hate crimes are exclusively defined in many states. Just because you think something is "the law" doesn't make it so. That is why laws are reduced to writing and codified instead of just being ideas that mean different things to different people.

[littlemoonboot]

My first thought was, "Simmonds is a Flyer? Ewwwww! Not the Flyers!"

I suspect it was some dumb ass teenager who thought he was being "funny." Not cool either way, though.

Waffles > Banana peels.

[Froggy]

ugh. i'm done arguing. not worth giving it anymore thought or energy. have fun guys.

[Idoit40fans]

Froggy is correct. This is not a hate crime. Hate crimes require violence, there was no violence here. If you want to suggest that a thrown banana is violent, I want to suggest that you check out the real world.