Comments on: Did Private Pool Turn Away Minority Kids?

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

[maz30]

They knew ahead of time how many children were coming. I have been to pools with hundreds of kids and never asked to leave because it was crowded. Wow... they even gave them their money back. It's obvious they can find a new pool but sometimes it is just ethical immorality that deters our nations progress. We all know that sooner or later AA's and Hispanics will spread out further into the suburbs of PA. What will happen then??

[gravyboat4000]

That's exactly it, pw. The kids and counselers heard one thing, and the club officials say the exact opposite?

It's not so much that anybody WANTS it to be racism, it's that people like you,"have never seen it and don't believe it".

Then you criticise it whent IT is called for what IT is.

How can you criticise what you've never seen?

[maz30]

Club president John Duesler told Philadelphia television station WTXF that several club members complained because the children "fundamentally changed the atmosphere" at the pool, but that the complaints didn't involve race.

That's an interesting way of putting it. Was the water also "fundamentally" changing or becoming darker. I never heard it said so clever and eloquent.

[gravyboat4000]

That's exactly it, pw. The kids and counselers heard one thing, and the club officials say the exact opposite?

It's not so much that anybody WANTS it to be racism, it's that people like you,"have never seen it and don't believe it".

Then you criticise it whent IT is called for what IT is.

How can you criticise what you've never seen?

[maz30]

They knew ahead of time how many children were coming. I have been to pools with hundreds of kids and never asked to leave because it was crowded. Wow... they even gave them their money back. It's obvious they can find a new pool but sometimes it is just ethical immorality that deters our nations progress. We all know that sooner or later AA's and Hispanics will spread out further into the suburbs of PA. What will happen then??

[Yeah-Me]

Well to build here... (quoted from an article from the CNN site)
========
CNN attempted to speak with club President John Duesler on Thursday. He said he had no comment and asked CNN to leave the club property.

But Duesler told two Philadelphia television stations that the children had changed "the complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club.
==============
Mr Duesler's use of "the complextion" surely does hint more strongly of a racial bias in his comments.

[gravyboat4000]

IMO, you're wrong.

If the kids heard racial comments, and the counselers from this camp saw,"members", pulling their kids from the pool, I'd say there is legal grounds for a lawsuit.

Remember, the article tells of three families that didn't pull their kids from the pool...potential witnesses...

This isn't over by a long shot.

[gravyboat4000]

Yes.

(pats self on back)...

[maz30]

I just can not see them being asked to leave if they were day campers from the Huntington valley area. I also highly doubt the parents would have minded some new white faces from a neighboring elementary school district.

[maz30]

Oh I see. Do you really think that if the kids were white that they would have been asked to leave? Have you been to a private swimming club in PA? We all know that if those kids were white they would still be in the pool as we speak. The club president had a clever way of how he responded but we all know what he really meant.

[cyinzl8r]

It's so predictable that most of you base your statements on the one sided story that was presented here. You are just as bad as the bigots that you claim to abhor.

[maz30]

Oh I see. Do you really think that if the kids were white that they would have been asked to leave? Have you been to a private swimming club in PA? We all know that if those kids were white they would still be in the pool as we speak. The club president had a clever way of how he responded but we all know what he really meant.

[maz30]

I just can not see them being asked to leave if they were day campers from the Huntington valley area. I also highly doubt the parents would have minded some new white faces from a neighboring elementary school district.

[maz30]

This is how small town Pa is. They try to stay in their suburban bubbles and hide from the minority people. Then on the weekend, Huntington Valley adults go to Sixer and Eagle games to cheer on predominately black professional teams. They then scurry to their car so that they do not get approached by a South Philly African-American. The saddest part of this story is that they respond with ambiguous reasoning and expect the average American not to read between the lines. Shame on those parents. It is 2009 and some still do not know what cultural diversity is. Maybe the curriculum needs changed up there so that multicultural views could be addressed.

[usadcj]

Are you saying that because I live in the south, I can't be objective?

[GiveMeFreedom]

So the two of you would condone violence as a reaction to a few horses behinds behavior?

[usadcj]

If The Valley Club does indeed have a proven multi-ethnic and diverse membership, then it can hardly be held responsible for any comments made by its members. It's a country club not an employer so IMO, no one has any legal ground to pursue action against the club.

[gravyboat4000]

IMO, you're wrong.

If the kids heard racial comments, and the counselers from this camp saw,"members", pulling their kids from the pool, I'd say there is legal grounds for a lawsuit.

Remember, the article tells of three families that didn't pull their kids from the pool...potential witnesses...

This isn't over by a long shot.

[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.

[gravyboat4000]

Do you live in the south?

[voultron]

The illogical statements presented by "acehanlon" are typical of those who live in the the parallel universe that is opposite to the rest of America.

His weak comparison between a real event and make believe is stunning. Or, it would be stunning if that type of idiocy wasn't so prevalent among the far right.

Those kids were deeply insulted and hurt by the fools who run that damn county club. This racist behavior should no longer be tolerated in America.

[acehanlon]

Physical violence is less a threat to the "rest of America" than hurt feelings? Is the event "make believe" because you want it to be? because it cuts against your agenda of stoking racial tensions and dividing America? Throwing around labels like "idiocy" and "bigot" and "illogical" are the only tools you have so you can hide from reality. You can't have an intelligent debate on the merits on these issues because you know that your position is a losing one OR that you are too ignorant to understand the import of what you are saying.

[usadcj]

IMO, this proves yet again that racism is everywhere, not just the deep south. In fact, I do believe honestly that the south is *less* racist than the north.

[gravyboat4000]

Do you live in the south?

[usadcj]

Are you saying that because I live in the south, I can't be objective?

[gravyboat4000]

Yes.

(pats self on back)...

[SAMTORRES66]

I live in North Alabama, moved to the area 6 years ago. I am a white/hispanic, with a slight spanish/New york accent. I haven't never felt any kind of discrimination, have many friends from all walks of life and race, Black, white, rednecks(country folks), asian, you name it. People at least in this area treat each other with respect. There is trash in everyrace, believe me, I lived in NY for 14 years.

[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.

[acehanlon]

gravyboat is an elitist, incapable of reasonable thought or realistic analysis

[gravyboat4000]

They paid to be there. When you pay, to enter a,"private", club, that means you are a,"member", albeit for one day a week.

And these RACISTS couldn't stand to have a Lil' flava around their kids for one friggin day?


(um, here's your money back, don't come back, and if you ever need anything, we ain't got your back, MMK?)

[pw08-2009]

Give me a break. I don't beleive any of this...There are black people out there who look for any angle to use the discrimination crap. Everyone I see is always faling over themselves to please black people and it's become a real joke. You have no credibility with me on this one. You can bet that this facility will go out of business because of this and then what about all the other kids who used to use it...where are their rights? The black community has cried wolf too many times and now has no credibility...it's a tool to get money and that's it.

[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.

[acehanlon]

Don't worry pw08, the undersigned needs to blame someone and would be out of a job if not for "racism." But that racism but be white on someone else. Because when black mobs rape and murder whites, it's a product of an underprivileged upbringing, in fact a true "blaming the victim" argument.

[lb2258]

While I think it is bad that the kids were invited then turned away what part of private dont you understand?.

[gravyboat4000]

They paid to be there. When you pay, to enter a,"private", club, that means you are a,"member", albeit for one day a week.

And these RACISTS couldn't stand to have a Lil' flava around their kids for one friggin day?


(um, here's your money back, don't come back, and if you ever need anything, we ain't got your back, MMK?)

[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.

[blog_fever2]

So this is how you justify this? Evil for Evil? Shame on you.

[blog_fever2]

I agree and I do not believe this statement they put out one bit. When they originally agreed to invite the campus the use the facility, they would have asked how many students would be with them then, so the whole "capacity" statement is a bogus ploy to cover up the obvious racism. Sad.