(no subject)
So I just read this article www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times/courier_times_news_details/article/28/2009/november/15/embattled-swim-club-headed-to-bankruptcy-1.html. It's about the swim club that made the news in the summer for kicking out a camp full of minority kids.
I haven't really kept up with the story and even when it was in the news I didn't do that much digging, but it still irked me. To summarize what happened. A NE day camp of mostly minorities paid to go to a suburban swim club, and when. People at the pool complained and the camp refunded their money and claimed that they couldn't allow the kids because of safety issues (too many kids). Some of the people who complained about the kids said things in their emails like 'what are all these black kids doing here'. Also, the pool had previously had larger groups without problems.
My assessment. Race was clearly a factor. Some of the club members don't want a ton of black kids running around their club. My guess, the pool pulled their membership because they didn't want to have to deal with a bunch of angry members. I don't know the law well enough to know if that is illegal. It might be. But the parents of the campers then went and exploited their kids, paraded them in front of the news and spoke for them about how horrible their kids for being descriminated against. My guess is their parents are making some 'I just want my kid to feel normal and included like everyone [every white kid] else' sob story on national tv. Isn't it more embarrassing to put your kid on national tv and talk about how worthless he feels then deal with it privately? Then they go sue the crap out of the swim club, including going after the head of the club. The poor head of the club. From what I've heard he was nice with kids and is clearly not a racist. He was probably just trying to keep his struggling club afloat by having a bunch of angry members leave. So he just did what the board told him to do, which was based on general pressure. There is no need to sue him. And by suing him the campers (or their parents) lost all my respect and I can't help but look at them as gold diggers throwing around one of the worst terms in our society 'racist'.
I haven't really kept up with the story and even when it was in the news I didn't do that much digging, but it still irked me. To summarize what happened. A NE day camp of mostly minorities paid to go to a suburban swim club, and when. People at the pool complained and the camp refunded their money and claimed that they couldn't allow the kids because of safety issues (too many kids). Some of the people who complained about the kids said things in their emails like 'what are all these black kids doing here'. Also, the pool had previously had larger groups without problems.
My assessment. Race was clearly a factor. Some of the club members don't want a ton of black kids running around their club. My guess, the pool pulled their membership because they didn't want to have to deal with a bunch of angry members. I don't know the law well enough to know if that is illegal. It might be. But the parents of the campers then went and exploited their kids, paraded them in front of the news and spoke for them about how horrible their kids for being descriminated against. My guess is their parents are making some 'I just want my kid to feel normal and included like everyone [every white kid] else' sob story on national tv. Isn't it more embarrassing to put your kid on national tv and talk about how worthless he feels then deal with it privately? Then they go sue the crap out of the swim club, including going after the head of the club. The poor head of the club. From what I've heard he was nice with kids and is clearly not a racist. He was probably just trying to keep his struggling club afloat by having a bunch of angry members leave. So he just did what the board told him to do, which was based on general pressure. There is no need to sue him. And by suing him the campers (or their parents) lost all my respect and I can't help but look at them as gold diggers throwing around one of the worst terms in our society 'racist'.