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]

Let us guess? You love both Palin and Bush too, right? You also did not read the article. The kids PAID. That little act/transaction comes with certain entitlements like the right to use what they paid for--the payment also represents a contractual agreement--certain amount of money--based on how many people and usage and for a certain amount of time--that transcends the private club--because for all intents and purposes, the paying for and acceptance of that money means that for the duration of their contract--those 65 camp members had a limited access and club membership. but...to know this--you'd at least have to know that the campers PAID to get in and literacy is not a Republican or racists' strongpoint, now is it?

[blog_fever2]

IF that is the case Pat, the pool administrators should not have INVITED the city kids and made those arrangements. The kids did not beg to go to that facility. Read the story again for yourself.

[PAT1866]

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.

[tmittelstaed]

So when you signed up for your private pool membership did the rest of the members get to vote on whether to let you in or not?

[violist47]

I'm amazed that the pool people claimed to have "underestimated" the pool's capacity. Surely they mean the "overestimated" it. If they had underestimated it, why then they would have been surprised at how much room there was. There would have been no problem, would there? There would have been plenty of room for 65 children, whatever their race.

[tmittelstaed]

You know, if you copy and paste your post to a notepad file you can copy and post from that many more times than your currently doing.

[ToolMangler1]

by Henri_Rochard July 10, 2009 10:56 AM PDT
Another fine controversy courtesy of the slave states.



All thirteen original colonies were slave states and some till just before the Civil War. Do you still consider your 'snipe' to be of worth?

[tmittelstaed]

That's not true. Yes they probably have destroyed their club but the physical facility won't be going anywhere - all that will happen is the club will close and go defunct and a new operator will buy the pool and open it to everyone - and anyone who wants will swim.

[tmittelstaed]

If the contract that you signed for your private pool states "the pool will be generally quite" then if 65 kids showed up you would have a legitimate beef. But if you review your pool contract I'd bet money that it does not say that at all. I would also bet money the contracts these folks signed also do not say that either.

The complaining pool members are no different than people who complain because they buy a home next to an empty field then 5 years later the city zones the field retail and someone puts a strip mall in. They didn't pay for the field yet they ASSUMED that they were buying the peace and quiet of an empty field next door. In short, they don't have a legal leg to stand on, nor would you if your pool got busy.

You know what they say about people who assume things - assumptions make an a s s out of yoU and ME.

[tmittelstaed]

private clubs sell privileges like this to groups in the general public all of the time. It's great advertising and revenue for them. The only thing that membership in a private club guarentees you is access to the club.

[tmittelstaed]

This is simplistic BS. There are answers to ALL those questions and if the person being asked is educated they will know what they are. For example, asking why so many blacks are on welfare - that's an easy one. It's because the US still has a lot of racism in it. Granted, that doesn't explain it for ANY INDIVIDUAL but it definitely explains it for the entire group.

Asking questions like these is not racist. They are just questions. They have answers. Sometimes, the answer actually is that while there's an answer the question is also carrying an implication that is wrong and the answer explains why the implication is wrong as well as the answer to the question. Like your question about gays and dangerous sex. The answer to that one is easy - men get anonymous sex because it's exciting - but since many more hetro men do it than **** men, the implied coorelation of gays all wanting anonymous sex is wrong.

[Gory77]

The way this story is now being represented it definately portrays a race card. That is not how it first developed. The camp went to a local news station and when they called to follow-up on the story, the president made a stupid comment that the camps changed the "complexion" of the club. That was a stupid choice of words for this situation. Other local news stations just got "change of atmosphere" out of the guy. This club handled this very poorly and obviously opened itself up to what this turned into as it wnet national because of himusing the word complexion. There were other camps cancelled also during this same time that were not black. I have listened to staff members of the camp get interviewed and they said that the childeren were complemented about there good behavior and so on. They also said it was only the one member that said black children. I do not understand in reading the story now 2 weeks after the incident, it is a whole different story of racial slurs and we don't want your kids here. None of that stuff was in the initial stories and there is some mischeif behind them now in the quotes I am reading.

[tmittelstaed]

When a pool or other building is permitted they are permitted based on a total max occupancy. The director absolutely knew what the occupancy of the pool was and it was certainly well over 65 or he never would have taken the fee from the camp for the kids.

[tmittelstaed]

Even if a lawsuit is lost it is almost certain that a large number of the club members - perhaps even the majority - would be appalled by the situation. It's my experience that organizations are far too often swayed by the ******** and complaining of a vocal minority. The fact is that the swim club should have had some balls and told the complaining parents to go jump in the lake. If that had been done then after a week or so most of the complaining parents would be grumpily back to the pool, with their kids.

[toldyouso29]

LOL--but it is breach of contract--and it CAN mean MILLIONS lost in a lawsuit and legal fees, Because the fact is--a private club loses it's claim to privacy or right to choose when they accept money and people into their club who are not members then renege, because a few don't like all those new black children in there....If you leased your home out to boarders and took money from a couple--then kicked them out not for breach of anything except you found out you do not like their race or religion or other factor that was a personal prejudice---you could be sued--the problem was opening up their 'private' club to public money and accepting it, then reneging. That is called 'breach of contract' and is subject to a lawsuit. LMAO

[tmittelstaed]

Well, Obama did come from "us yankees", you southerners had your chance to produce a Black president first, and you muffed it. ;-)

Seriously, yes there's a lot of racists in the North too. But there's more people who are trying hard NOT to be racist than there are racists. As for the South, I can't say as I don't live there - but voting preferences sure seem to indicate that there's still quite a lot of racists still in the South.

[toldyouso29]

My point is that this story is continuing to emerge into greater fabricatiosn. When this broke in Philly 2 days ago, there were 3 children who overheard a member make the comment "What are all these black children doing here?" The mistake was that the member put "black" in front of childeren. You can not say that is a slur, or maybe you can.."

The problem is by putting race or ethnicity into it in any way then following it up with threats to remove all the kids--practically guaranteed a charge of racial discrimination. After all, if a person mentions color, then says they are going to get rid of all of those people with that color and then after legitimately paying for a service and being kicked out--what do you have?

Should the black camp just chock it up to people changing their minds? THINK about it--whoever made the comment about skin color already set the tone--any actions after that--esp if the same people said they would make sure those 'black kids" did not return--would be seen in a racial light--how could it not?

The sad thing is--it may have been just as you said --about capacity--but since the remarks were made known to the Director before he refunded the money--to do so in the face of such remarks and others was practically BEGGING for just the media attention and problem and reputation that he now is facing.

If a person yells "fire" in a room and there is a stampede, they are charged with a crime and are responsible for the damage--even if there is no fire. If race was not an issue--then when the issue was brought up (invasion of non paying members) no one should have brought race up.

[tmittelstaed]

Don't blame the director for this, it's not his fault. If the swim club was fully financed it wouldn't have taken the kids to start with. This is so typical of facilities that cater to the nouveau riche. Most N.R.s expect the white glove treatment but are so leveraged that they nickle-and-dime everyone they buy anything from since they have so little cash. It's easy to see what is going on here. The pool was desperate for money and the N.R.'s paying the yearly membership wern't willing to pay more money, so the pool took in these extra kids. No wonder the pool closed Monday, they probably spent the $2K on some much-needed maintainence and now they are short, and the director is probably telling all the racists that if they want their "white-only" pool all to themselves that they are gonna have to get out their checkbooks.

I hope the club gets sued into bankruptcy. Then a new pool operator comes in and buys the place and turns it into a public pool. Then all those racists can explain to their children why they aren't letting them swim in the public pool because there's black kids there.

[toldyouso29]

Like I said, the problem is the information you have brought up. Once skin color was included and followed with seeing to it that the hordes of campers were removed--it could legitimately be perceived as a race issue. Once a contract was signed and money was taken, reneging without just cause could be perceived as a breach.

IF the camp can prove they informed the club of the number coming and IF anyone admits to threats of removing all of them from the pool and using racial terms--they have a case and a very possible win--the problem with our race issues in this country--is that once someone used race then later stated actions they would take --deleterious to any group--the person who said it DEALT the race card. The person who used it--was perfectly justified in doing so.

In knowing the comments (Althea spoke to the Director about the comments before they refunded and the Director said he would take care of this) then the Director should have realized the potential time bomb--let his club members know of it --and tried for a compromise.What he should NEVER have done was just refused to let the kids back in and let the comments from members and the breach of contract stand--that was handmade for a lawsuit and this kind of negative publicity.

[ToolMangler1]

by YCantWeAllGetAlong July 10, 2009 6:12 AM PDT
"Here comes the racial money train! Give me a break."



YCantWeAllGetAlong? Because of mindsets like yours!!!!