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POPSObama, Arlington and the Moving Target of Racial Politics in America The author's take: this isn't a hate crime. This incident, improperly labeled as such, sensitizes us to real hate crimes: (Emmit Louis Till, James Byrd, Jr., Matthew Shephard, et al). Yet, every black person over 40 who has lived in the South understands the following as part of our collective memory: The first step is a warning; the second step is burning and the third step normally involves a rope. This trifecta was an oft-repeated series of racial terrorism against persons of color in Texas and throughout the South.