Ed: When we heard about the latest racial incident at Columbia, we were flummoxed, flabbergasted, and hornswoggled of our very wits. We decided to consult our man in Morningside, J.D. Porter, who is an expert in hate-crimes. Maybe he could explain the upsurge and make sense of these troubled times. Here is what he wrote instead:

You may remember Columbia racism from such recent displays as noose-hanging and racist bathroom graffiti, but it wasn't until someone spray-painted a swastika on the door of Teacher's College professor Elizabeth Midlarsky that the New York City Council decided to take notice. The Council has declared November 29th an official "Day Out Against Racism".

Much more than an awkwardly worded empty gesture scheduled a month after it would be relevant, the Day Out will include both an "interfaith prayer breakfast" and "discussions involving senior citizen centers".

Reaction at Columbia has been relatively muted so far, possibly because a "been there, done that" mentality is starting to take hold. Another factor in muting the fury is that both Midlarsky and professor Madonna Constantine, victim of the noose incident, work for Teacher's College. That's the Columbia graduate school for education, and most students are only vaguely aware that it exists, like the fencing team, but with widespread racism.

Even the crazed far-right zealots who comment on the Spec's website (who told these people about the Spectator? Why?) have quieted down, with fewer than 20 people claiming that Midlarsky faked the event, compared with the 80-plus who made the same claim about Constantine.

Of course, the usual pointless anti-racism rhetoric, which failed to prevent a follow-up to the noose incident even within the month of October, made an appearance. Student activists held a teach-in and came up with a list of demands ranging from unrealistic ("Columbia withdraw its 197-C proposal to rezone Manhattanville immediately") to confusing ("research the steps necessary for the creation of... Native American Studies"). Can racism stand up to Political History of the Cherokee and interfaith prayer breakfasts? Check back in a month.

--J.D. Porter