Comments on: Did Private Pool Turn Away Minority Kids?

Pa. Investigating Claim of Discrimination and Racist Comments at Swim Club

[cbs_tom]

I believe the part that you do not understand is that they had a contract with the pool to swim.

[calgal4]

PA isn't racist, but some Pennsylvanians sure are.

[davelangton]

What part of Private Property do some people not understand?
If I don't want someone on my property, that should be my call, and mine alone. If anyone doesn't like that, don't invite me onto your property. I can respect the private in other people's private property.

[cbs_tom]

I believe the part that you do not understand is that they had a contract with the pool to swim.

[tautomer]

Typically, such a facilities use contract would include a clause in which the host reserved the right to deny use as it saw fit, possibly with a refund. CBS_Tom do you know whether there was such a clause? It would be very rare not to have one.

Pools, skating rinks, movie theatres, amusement parks etc virtually always reserve the right to eject partrons, You will generally see this printed on the back of a ticket stub or posted clearly.

[twinkie1cat]

I grew up in Birmingham in the 1960s. I watched as the public pools closed and became private clubs to keep out the black children. My favorite one, in an urban community was filled with concrete and made into tennis courts. My mother told me it was because the colored kids carried diseases so they did not want them to swim with the white children. The suburban pools quickly re-opened as "private clubs" with carefully carefully gerrymandered neighborhoods being included as eligible to join, drawn suspiciously similarly to the equally segregated school attendance zones. A whole generation of black children never had the opportunity to learn to swim. So did the white children whose families were too poor to pay the substantial fees designed to be out of reach of low income families at the "clubs".

This is racism, pure and simple. The shocking part is that this is 2009, not 1969 and this happened, not in Birmingham but Pennsylvania, the supposedly "liberal" North, not the "backwards" Deep South. The club should lose its license and be forced to sell its assets to be spread among the harmed children. Racism is something children should read about in history class, not something they experience themselves.

God will judge America because the conservatives have no family values, are racist and classist just like the Sodomites and do not treat people the way Jesus did. God hates hypocrites.

[2foxes]

that is sad i hope they allow me through the Pearlie gates when its my turn hope the angels at the gate r not racist but not the children in the pool after they had payed the fees for membership is wrong

[estabwary]

PA is racist; these are their true colors.

[coreypowell_wv]

but see this type of rejection is what breeds to other types of disorders, i can remember i was 8 and was at a picnic and my grandma had some chicken, and fruit and stuff like that for us and these white kids looke at us and said feeding the monkeys watermelon and bannannas and laughed and now im 34 and i will not eat watermelon or a bananna i dont let my children eat it either. and all of that is do to this one incident

[News195]

Wow. And northerners like to believe this only happens in the south. I guess it makes them feel better to believe that they are better than southerners b/c they don't discriminate. It happens everywhere in this country.

[docpeter1953]

From the above article, "Wright said that the children were upset, and that she was looking for a psychologist to speak to them next week. Some have asked her whether they are "too dark" to swim in the pool, she said."
___________________________________

No honey, you are not too dark to swim, but you may be too fat to sink. OK, I am crude and worthless.

But really, do you think the kids need a psychologist? Geeze, give me a break. When we were young we didn't run to the psychologist every time our feelings were hurt. Tough it out, it may make you a stronger person.

[coreypowell_wv]

but see this type of rejection is what breeds to other types of disorders, i can remember i was 8 and was at a picnic and my grandma had some chicken, and fruit and stuff like that for us and these white kids looke at us and said feeding the monkeys watermelon and bannannas and laughed and now im 34 and i will not eat watermelon or a bananna i dont let my children eat it either. and all of that is do to this one incident

[tautomer]

corey, dats jez plain DUMB!!!!! Watermelon is great! Nice and cool and juicy with that slightly rough texture that tickles you tongue. You really should get yourself one, cool it down and enjoy.

Corey do you remember when everyone was calling Bush a Chimp? Did you think that was funny? How about when they call Obama a chimp?

Corey if you are going to let criticism or ridicule control your behavior you really need an attitude adjustment. Basically, you are telling us that as a 34 yr old man you are allowing a group of kids 30 yrs from in the past direct your actions. That is pitiful.

[ktgilb1]

What rights do we have that whites don't?

[natdom210]

Iam not surprise white people have not change much they like to act like times have change trust my when stuff like this come up. I show my kids and let them know you my look at a person face but sometime look threww and youll see there hearts.

[coreypowell_wv]

i totally disagree, the number of children they should have said so from the begining why wait till you see that they are black and then say you cant accomidate them? and it is 2009 racist will use that term as you put it, see there is way to much focusing on terms then the human factor.. we all bleed the same. children are hurting because some biggots got upset and it needs to stop.black , white , asian , or latino, we are all gods children and are here to live amongst each other and be happy ... love thy neighbor is what my bible says.

[coreypowell_wv]

It is such a shame that this many years after our blood shed and great lives were sacrificed for our freedoms that "mr.charlie" still thinks he can tell us where we are permitted to be. Hasnt any one awakened white america to the fact that the days of jim crow are gone forever and that by God we have a african american president. The glass ceiling filled with its thick shards of color barriers has been shattered and so with that are the days of feeling like our blackness is a prison, a leash around our neck only letting us go so far. So as long as the money stays green and the assumption im sure was that these children were white but when there beautiful brown faces showed up the green dollar sign became a burning fire in the clubs pocket how dare these people actually be able to afford to come to this club.. will the black germs live through the chlorine? will my children start wanting to eat soul food.. omg!! they may even start watching black shows. see it is this type of action that keeps ripping the racial divide between us , its alearned behavior from ignorant people that lkeeps racial tensions at a all time high!here is the funny thing in this as far as i can see, they worried so much about this pool and the effects of white kids swimming with black kids, dont all children urinate in the pool so that water was tainted long before the black people got there.

[skyk-2009]

Rowdy, now YOU have been in the Klan long enough to KNOW the Civil Rights Laws of this nation. When that Club took that Money they committed to allow those kids to use that Pool. If it can be shown that they then refused the use of that Pool because of Race, they MOST CERTAINLY did violate the law and must be held accountable. You can't just have a token black in the club and dodge the law.

[skyk-2009]

Oh PLEASE! Let's not get ridiculous here! LOL The Klan is EVERYWHERE in the South. I was BORN and RAISED here and folks there is NO doubt that IF we didn't have STRONG Federal Laws against it, you'd still see the same, maybe worse, from these people.

[skyk-2009]

pw08, IF you had a clue what you are talking about, the HATE and the vile conduct of White Supremacist never change. I have been involved in fighting Racism for 30 years and people like you always amaze me. My guess is you do not actually KNOW a black or Hispanic Person, have made NO attempt to befriend any and have serious problems with your own self worth. I'd say 95% of the cases where you find someone like this you find they are under educated, are either locked in a job they do not like or are unable to get a good job and lack the ability to actually put themselves in the shoes of those who have confronted the challenges of being a minority. I have often wished that for a week someone like this would have to go out EVERY day as a Black or Hispanic and attempt to deal with the world. My bet is, if that were possible, their attitude would change radically.

[skyk-2009]

Bingo!! When we overturned Jim Crowe and wrote the Civil Rights Act it was with the CLEAR and SPECIFIC Goal of NOT allowing people to be able to join or be involved with any group or organization because of their race. In this case the folks paid to be able to use that Pool. Now IF, as it appears, they were then denied the use of that Pool because of their race the Law has been violated and people should be held responsible.

[skyk-2009]

Oh come on GiveMeFreedom, you know EXACTLY what's behind this and were it comes from. Anger, although not always justified, has to be expected after all these years to find people still clinging to these OLD Conservative views of race.

[skyk-2009]

Sounds like something that would happen in Texas, not Pa! This needs to be looked into and the laws enforced.

[ktgilb1]

Probably because the story is b.s. There are too many questions about this story that need to be asked.