He's not really a bad guy. He's just a burglar.

Up at Syracuse University, officials are investigating a "blackface" incident that may turn out to be just a big misunderstanding. As reported in the Daily Orange Online:

"We were unable to find him at first," said Marlene Hall, director of Public Safety. She said that DPS officers received a second report and were then able to located the student and speak to him.

The student told officers that the face paint was camouflage - not blackface - and that he was actually on his way to rob a house, Hall said.

Think about that for a minute. A college student, faced with being charged with either wearing blackface or conspiring to commit burglary, chose BURGLARY! What kind of intellectual environment makes it worse to wear offensive makeup than to actually commit a crime? And beyond that, the Syracuse authorities sound relieved to have only to deal with a student attempting to commit burglary. Wow. University authorities find it more disagreeable to deal with an offensive student than with a criminal one. This is the road so-called "hate crimes" takes us down and it is strange indeed.

Hat Tip: Volokh