Well, Isn't that just Special?

[FrenchieCat]

http://web.archive.org/web/20070814083246/


I watched CNN interview one of the Children who was humiliated and then turned back by the Oh-so-Squeeky-"Clean" Country Club. Made me fucking crying mad! :mad:

Having children, in this era, being treated this way should be a crime. Those White folks who reacted as they did, should be arrested! The Country Club should be sued for all that it has.

Sorry, but this kind of shit hurts my heart! :cry:

Pennsylvania country club in racism row after children turned away

Parents at club allegedly made derogatory racial comments when black and Hispanic camp members arrived at pool
Daniel Nasaw in Washington guardian.co.uk
Friday 10 July 2009 16.34

In the hot Philadelphia summer, the 65 children of Creative Steps day camp wanted a place to take a dip after a shrinking budget closed the local public pool. Instead, they got a lesson in racism that most Americans thought the country had left in the past.

The largely black and Hispanic day camp paid about $2,000 (£1,200) to use the pool at the suburban Valley Club once a week. On 29 June, the children made their first visit. But no sooner had they jumped in the pool then white parents began pulling their children out, making derogatory racial comments, wondering why black children were in the pool, and saying they worried the black children would harass or harm their kids, the children and camp director Alethea Wright told news media.

The children, who have had little direct exposure to racial animosity, were devastated.

"I was amazed that they would think something like this," said Marcus Allen, 12. "We're just like you, we're just like your kids. This is kind of sad that people were still thinking like this, when I thought that these days was over."

Club president John Duesler was initially apologetic, but before the children could visit a second time he refunded the payment and cancelled the deal. Wright said he told her the club members no longer wanted the children in the pool. But Duesler later told a local television station: "There is a lot of concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."

The club has denied it was motivated by racial animosity, and claimed on its website that it underestimated its pool's capacity when it signed the agreement with the camp. At least one member has said he would seek Duesler's resignation for his "stupid" remarks but said the club had withdrawn an invitation from two other mostly white camps.

"Whatever comments may or may not have been made by an individual member is an opinion not shared by The Valley Club Board," the club wrote.

The club claims a "multi-ethnic and diverse membership", though no black members are apparent in photographs on archived copies of the club's website, which was taken down when news of the affair broke.

The case has attracted national outrage, and Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter has asked the club to extend a fresh invitation to the children.

It reminds America of the some of the ugliest incidents in the country's racially charged past. In the Jim Crow south, swimming pools were strictly segregated, and in the 1950s and 1960s when civil rights activists began successfully pushing for racial integration in public life, many cities and towns drained pools rather than allow blacks and whites to swim together.

"We thought that with issues like this - swim clubs and so forth - we had crossed that hurdle, but clearly we have not," Homer Floyd, executive director of the state Human Rights Commission, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/10/pennsylvania-valley-club-race

[Number23]

1. Meanwhile, HALF OF DAMN DU is defending this country club or complaining

that we "don't know the whole picture." What else do we need to know?? One of the children HEARD one of the people say "what are all of these black kids doing here?" before they were thrown out. What the FUCK else needs to be said???!

Between this and some people here getting their drawz all in a twist because Ghana wishes to bestow the title of Queen on Michelle Obama, I truly think I'm going to eat some Chinese food with my husband and kiss this sh*thole good night for a little while.

Even in 2000 and damn 9 folks are still apologizin' and rationalizin' racism. Racism against CHILDREN who did NOTHING to deserve the despicable way they were treated. And people wonder why we lose our damn minds?

[Raineyb]

2. Really!

And of course there's the "it's not race it's class" idiots. "I don't know if it's racism. I'm sure they'd behave the same way if 65 rowdy white kids came into the pool" NO the fuck they wouldn't. As incidents go this one was pretty damn blatant and there are people who are rally working hard to avoid seeing what's right in front of their damn nose! And people wonder why we can't have real discussions about race.

It reminds me of what I said once when accused of being a rather flagrant liar for saying we don't discuss racism here. We don't discuss racism here occasionally a racist incident is mentioned and we have the usual suspects who will bend over backwards in order to explain why the racist incident isn't racist but we don't do discussions of the systemic nature of racism in this country.

I'd like to be wrong on occasion seeing as my being right doesn't seem to add up to credit for having a working brain in my head.

[Number23]

6. By all accounts, the children were well-behaved and well-supervised

Adding insult to injury, there was an article posted that points out that 80 white kids were allowed at that same pool less than two weeks prior. This makes me just INSANE.

Here is the story - http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/28/2009/july/10/a-slap-in-the-face-over-color-of-kids-in-pool.html. The last sentence says:

"Twelve days before the Creative Steps campers were shown the door, Wright said The Valley Club hosted four sixth-grade classes from Rydal East Elementary School in Abington. Only two of the nearly 80 kids were minorities. One of them was Wright's 11-year-old son, Marcus."

I just re-read my post in this thread from last night and I was spitting fire! :) Sorry about all of the profanity. I think I was just fed up with the willful stupidity around here. The pool actually told the children that "we don't allow minorities here" and yet, in every thread here there are at LEAST three people (and yes, they are the same ones) over and over again crying "we don't know the whole story."

Between this and the folks here burning calories sweating over Ghana bestowing the honorary title of Queen on Michelle and Bill Clinton getting inducted into Phi Beta Sigma, I am at my wits' end with the racially clueless that blanket this site.

[bliss_eternal]

7. unfortunately...

...we can lead the horse to water, but we can't make it drink. most around these parts are clearly dehydrated, but not even willing to admit they are thirsty.

[Brewman_Jax]

3. This is supposed to be the 21st Century...?

The country club gave back the money. Seems they couldn't give the money back fast enough. Kinda blows a hole in the "class, not race" explanation.

Notice that racism by "normal" white people, as opposed to the obvious screaming hood-wearing confederate-flag waving racists, has to "explained" away, as racists aren't "normal". :eyes:

[firedupdem]

4. uugh...

Sick people! I watched the attempt to explain it away on CNN this morning.

[cyndensco]

5. During the presidential campaign, many people were outraged

that racism was alive and well. :eyes: A year later, they hear a group of black children was kicked out of a private club and figure there has to be some other explanation.

I was amazed at the amazement some expressed last year. I figured they had not been paying attention (it didn't affect them after all) but welcomed their enlightenment. Many of those same people are now able to explain away the Valley Club injustice. Either memories are short or racism is exclusively an Obama problem.

[bliss_eternal]

8. there were also those....

...that made racially insensitive comments during the primaries and couldn't recognize it in themselves (even when called on it). if people are unwilling to admit (or see) their own issues around racial issues, it's going to be difficult for them to see it in others.

a few examples:

16 Million Black Americans voted in 2004:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3566721

^^Always appreciate being told by non-ethnic DU'ers how we may act--as opposed to being asked 'directly.' :eyes:


Obama needs to dumb it down:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=6991172

^^Can't have Obama being all uppity and sh**, right? :puke:


The main reason Obama can't go negative, a Black man can't be seen as disrespecting an old white man
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=6574273

^^Please bow and scrape more, Obama...so the white dudes can maintain their sense of ownership of you.... :spank:


Does anyone here know any white racists who are voting for Obama?:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3823188

^^Said it before, and I'll say it again...this one creeped me out :scared:

[Raineyb]

9. Perhaps they only see racism when it gets in the way of something they want.

And any other time it's nonexistent as far as they're concerned. I'm still leaning towards the "they don't really give a shit because they're hoping they can cash in on their whiteness" theory myself. How many times can you constantly repeat the same obvious answers to daft questions and still here "You haven't shown me any proof" before you lose your damn mind? When proof is offered multiple times and they still refuse to say what other explanation is there?