Comments on: Pool to Minority Kids: You Can't Swim Here

Suburban Club Accused of Racism For Rescinding Pool Privileges; State to Investigate Actions

[toldyouso29]

I agree, but I am also cognizant that racism flourishes most when the economy is down and opportunities and jobs are limited. Affirmative Action does not apply to any private business UNLESS they accept any money from the government or gov contracts. The reason is, gov funds are made up of tax payer money which means ALL money from all people and people should not have to subsidize or help to benefit an org that discriminates. That being said--the reason that AA exists is that the gov found out that on their own companies would not give minorities (and often women ) a chance no matter what their skills were and something had to be done to ensure access IF a company was making money off the public--so here is the actual rule of AA:

Of 100 jobs, 5 must be set aside and to be provided for blacks and other minorities (including Indian and Asian) and for women, and the disabled and now, the elderly. The other 95 can go to white males--no problem.

The result was a backlash. Companies, angry at being told to let those groups share 5 jobs began to hire the worst candidates possible and to parade them around as AA not working--because here is the other thing about those 5 jobs:

The jobs can only go to a "competent" minority, woman, handicapped or elderly person and a company must exercise due diligence and good faith and PROVE they sought out those groups before giving those 5 jobs away to those groups.

if you think there are public companies where no blacks work--that is untrue--I have worked for several of them. Know why they get away with no blacks? Because no blacks either apply or meet the standards set by the gov to work in my field and so cannot get the jobs. The jobs require certain degrees and years of experience, also, few women are in the mgmt positions in my companies because they too, fail to meet the criteria.

So--is that discrimination? YES--it still is--discrimination is singling anyone out for special treatment (good or bad) based on race, creed, skin color, religion, etc--it is the same thing we do when we allow phones to give directions in Spanish but don't allow for them to give directions in Swedish, Swahili, Chinese, Dutch, German, etc

Some discrimination will exist because we have not found a way to integrate willingly. The real question is--when 95 white males are hired to a company and 5 jobs are withheld for women of any color and for minorities--is that unfair? If so, what is the remedy? In instances where AA has been curtailed, it was found that on their own, companies do not trend toward diversity, which means regardless of education or trying to become better citizens, some groups are deliberately hamstrung and left out of the loop.


When you come up with a better suggestion--let the gov know--just remember--that if you favor solutions which benefit YOU as a majority--those same benefits will disappear when other groups become a minority--can you honestly say you would want to be treated and perceived in the same way blacks are? CAn you honestly say if faced with the same obstacles and prejudices their lot would not eventually be YOUR lot?

Points to think on....

[toldyouso29]

The really scary thing pw08-2009 is that you probably really believe that if you share a race with others that they must believe like you do--you cannot imagine others not believing like you do and that it is not an act. I believe you were on another site blasting Obama and touting Palin right? And like most of the 17% left in the GOP--you seem to think what you feel will translate into how others feel. Usually such simplistic and narcissistic view of the world recedes after about age 3--at that point, someone usually teaches a toddler that what they want and feel is not the center of the universe and that just because they want or feel something does not mean it has to be catered to or that everyone around them feels the same way.

if there is one common denominator between bigots/racists and the GOP--is that all of you fail to differentiate or understand that your feelings are not the universe and that the rest of the world, no matter if conservative, white or the same gender as you--are NOT extras in your personal movie.


YOU DO NOT GET TO CALL THE SHOTS. YOU DO NOT GET TO DETERMINE OR TELL OR EVEN EXPECT THAT WE ALL FEEL LIKE YOU DO--IF WHAT YOU FEEL IS SINGULARLY ABERRANT LIKE RACISM--YOU MAY BE FEELING IT IN THE MINORITY.

Whether you can accept this or not only connotes how close you are to being the dregs of any genetic pool.

[toldyouso29]

by PAT1866 July 10, 2009 1:09 PM PDT
First...what does the POTUS have to do with this?
The city kids are not wanted there...
Don't go where you are not wanted..
Having 65 kids for 8 weeks, where they are not used to acting like the regulars was a tough position to put them in. the kids are better off where they are used to... I would think the club members are better off with the kids going back to their own place."

Uhmmmm... yeah Pat, you would think that--until the ensuing law suits close the club down for good and the private club goes bankrupt due to this, huh?

[toldyouso29]

Well, one thing is for certain, with the publicity and locked doors and the picketing and the national notoriety--NO ONE of any race will be swimming or enjoying the atmosphere now.....

[Uncle_Eccoli]

Looks like we're going in circles again here, but...
One form of discrimination cannot alleviate another. "Affirmative action" is merely institutionalised racism in the other direction.
Yes, to truly move forward and make any progress EVERYBODY, black and white and in between, will have to let the past be the past and not let it define the future.

[Uncle_Eccoli]

*Sigh* Alright, then these 'temporary members' would be subject to the same set of rules as applies to every other member of the club? I suspect that the club reserves the right to terminate any member's membership for any or no reason.
Look, each of us believes what we believe about this, and neither of us is going to move the other. It looks like it's going to be a matter for the courts. I'm content to leave it to them.

[Uncle_Eccoli]

Oh, I understand completely, but I disagree. I believe this is simply a matter of people having been offended, perhaps rightfully, and making every effort to trump up the situation and stretch the law to find satisfaction, the ultimate goal being to have what is essentially a thought crime legislated from the bench. Reason free from passion must remain the judicial ideal. Like I said, we'll see how this turns out.

[SAMTORRES66]

LOL......

[Thalia-9]

absolutely pathetic and absurd...the people who pulled their kids from the pool should be refunded their dues and kicked out of the club, the president of the club should be replaced, and if it were myself holding membership there, I'd pull it and go elsewhere - sick, sad and wrong...reminds me of Rosa Parks - those poor children...hopefully they'll rebound with the understanding someday that this select group of people are nothing but the empitome of scum - right now it's a group of children who are incredibly wounded -if any of you club 'members' responsible for the action are reading this, go F yourself...and don't forget about kharma cause it's headed your way like a firestorm.

[toldyouso29]

Slavery by Europeans began in the Americas in the 1500s, for African Americans, in the mid 1600s.

More importantly, "wallowing or not" when racism is institutionalized, then any effort by blacks to escape the 'wallow' will be limited or controlled by whites. This means a black who wants to get off their butt and get an education may find the education options limited (as was the case prior to the CR movement) or out of reach financially. After getting a degree, the same black may find no one will hire him or her regardless of degree or skills--that same black with no job is no different than the black on welfare--both will be in poverty...if residential options are limited--that educated black will live in the ghetto, be subject to the same treatment as other blacks, will be stopped and questioned and treated by cops the same way--etc--it is disingenuous to speak of blacks or any other racial group "wallowing" in their circumstance when others do not face their circumstances and the "circumstances" are such that they are sanctioned and fostered by the society. That is like touting a man who learns to fish eating for a life time--but denying access to the pond, the fishing rod or anything else but worms to the man and claiming it is his fault he can catch no fish.