Life With the Lions

[H2O Man]

Team protests racial slur at Vestal game
Horseheads girls report incident at soccer match
By Nancy Dooling • Press & Sun-Bulletin • October 7, 2008

VESTAL -- A girls' soccer game turned ugly Saturday when a Vestal spectator allegedly yelled a racial slur at two black players on the opposing team.

When a 14-year-old black player on the Horseheads team told the man to "shut up," he continued to yell at her and a teammate, and the girl began to cry, a spectator said.

At that point, the Horseheads girls' junior varsity team walked off the field in protest, forfeiting Saturday's game at Vestal stadium just 10 minutes into the second half, said Patty Dawson, a Horseheads parent whose daughter plays on the JV team. ....

Vestal spectators cheered as the Horseheads team walked away, Dawson said. She said many may not have known what happened to cause the forfeit. The team and fans were taunted in Vestal's parking lot as they left, Dawson added. However, she said she did not hear any racial slurs used. ....

more at:

http://pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/NEWS01/810070347&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Note: This type of crap has happened in our area for many years. But it's always been with the boys' sports programs, as far as I am aware. I think that the hatred that is associated with the racist reactions to Barack Obama's campaign has made it where hateful people feel comfortable yelling racist comments at 14-year old girls.

It makes me sick. You can be sure that I will be working with the local and regional chapters of the NAACP, to try to have criminal charges filed against the low-life that did this.

Racism, sexism, and all of those other "-isms" which infect our society need to be confronted by those people of good will, at the grass roots level. Obama and Biden being elected will not resolve these problems. But it will allow us a better opportunity to do so in our own communities.