I seriously feel I’m reading parody websites with some of the news that has made headlines lately. In the latest battle against all of this oppression in the United States, two people were compelled to contact the University of Maryland Police Department when they spotted a discarded piece of trash lying on the ground. No, they weren’t trying to save the earth from litter. They were convinced that the piece of plastic wrap resembled a noose, and they had stumbled upon a possible hate crime.

Random object on the ground (photo credit: Jaime Hurtado’s Twitter feed, twitter.com/Protect_UMD/status/879742194764046337)

It was literally a piece of plastic wrap that can be found securing any number of items or packaging. It even looked like someone either pulled it from an item or was sitting in a boring class fidgeting with it. I’ve been known to play with random objects in class a time or two.

[lz_ndn video=32625995]

Of course, it’s being taken seriously — as all allegations of hate crime should be — but things are getting a little out of hand. I’m pretty sure that if a person intended to commit discriminatory acts against people, it would be a little more obvious that placing a plastic-wrap noose on the ground hoping someone would find it and be shocked. Come on.

The campus police have said they will review video in the area just to cover all bases. I mean, even if some random college kid were seen throwing trash on the ground, how does that equal a hate crime? That’s just bad manners and littering.

Naturally, I went on over to see what social media had to say on the topic. Most people are of a mind that the folks who reported the vicious act of plastic wrap are reaching.

I haven’t seen many in defense of being offended by a piece of trash.

However, it should be noted that University of Maryland was the site of an actual incident earlier this year when a noose was found inside a fraternity house. There is no comparison between the two, either in terms of seriousness or intent. ‘Pick up the offensive trash’ is the advice I would give. It doesn’t make headlines or draw negative attention to spin a narrative that hate crimes are out of control.

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Things have gotten to the point in the United States that seemingly benign occurrences have ridiculous new labels. Microaggression. White privilege. Cultural appropriation. It all confuses me, and I am a member of a minority community! I have asked questions and engaged social justice warriors in dialogue, but was swiftly called a troll for questioning certain aspects of why everyone is mad. It’s straight-up aggression if you ask me, no need for the “micro.”

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Related: A Teacher’s Reprehensible Behavior at the White House

In any case, let’s stop looking for racism in the trash. If it’s there in the trash, dismiss it and move on. Don’t let garbage be a trigger. If people want to commit hate crimes or hate bias, they are going to, and it will be loud and clear. There will be no room for interpretation.

Angelina Newsom is a U.S. Army veteran and an OpsLens contributor. She served 10 years in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She studies criminal justice and is still active within the military community. This OpsLens article is used by permission.

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