FBI Clarifies Role in Meredith Statue Investigation

HottyToddy.com received the following statement from the FBI this morning regarding the Meredith statue vandalism case:
Daniel McMullen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi, stated:  “The FBI is looking into the circumstances regarding this incident, which we take very seriously.  These actions may constitute a federal offense if they were intended to threaten someone because of their race and in connection with their use of an educational facility.  Federal threat of force cases are very fact specific, and we do not have sufficient information at this time to determine if a federal crime has occurred.”

Two Ole Miss graduates and former editors of the Daily Mississippian shared their perspectives on the Meredith statue issue with HottyToddy.com
Sidna Brower Mitchell edited the DM during the racially charged times in 1962 when the school was ablaze with tension. She voiced her dismay at the incident. The Pulitzer Prize nominee said,
“When I read about the statue of James Meredith being defiled, my emotions started swirling — anger, disbelief, embarrassment, sadness and back to anger. Why after 50 years of healing would anyone hang a rope around the neck of a black man who braved all odds to integrate the University of Mississippi? Indeed, I am angered, stand in disbelief that this occurred, embarrassed that once again Ole Miss is shamed and saddened that this could have happened on the campus of a university that has accomplished so much in race relations.”
With the Daily Mississippian reporting today that the University Police Department is near an arrest, Hotty Toddy.com blogger and former DM Editor Frank Hurdle sounded a cautionary note about assuming the suspects are Ole Miss students:
“There is a chance of course that the person or persons who did this will be drunk, racist fraternity boys. I don’t think this will be the case. I think it was either non-students or else a good old-fashioned race hoax.”
Hurdle adds that the race hoax option is just a possibility, but adds, “Whoever did this needs to be punished. It gives the school a black eye and causes untold turmoil. The university cannot afford to simply ignore this.”
Andy Knef is HottyToddy.com editor. Andy can be reached at Andy.Knef@Hottytoddy.com