Okay, so I was doing a little blog cleaning this afternoon. You know. Going through old blog posts and comments. My blog history is getting a little crowded and I wanted to see what can safely be archived. I happened along an old blog post about Valley Swim Club. You remember Valley Swim Club Don’t You? The club in Huntingdon Valley that removed 65 Black and Latino kids because of the way they changed the “complexion” of the club so many months ago.
Well in reading a comment by an infamous ancestor of a potato farmer (don’t ask, that’s what he said), I found a link to another blog post about the club. There I found an array of comments that at first seemed typical and worthy of merely a shrug. By the time I got to the end, I was plain old saddened at the arrogance and insensitivity that some people of the pinker persuasion hold toward people of browner complexions. The comments ranged from the petty to the ridiculous.
We can call it ignorance on their part. We can say they just lack experience with “us”. We can say that prejudice is a disease, we can say that they “just don’t know no better”.
What I read was an array of contempt. Contempt for the circumstances of the poor. Contempt for the idea that we are all made of the same stuff. Contempt for life itself. There was one who made the prophetic comment:”Black people need to get over it. You can only milk the slavery card for so long guys.”
Wow. Is all I could think to say. You can only milk the slavery card for so long. Is that what we say to the Jews or the Japanese who were persecuted also by whites? No. We don’t say that. And we rarely have a forum open enough to hold the “whites” accountable for their part in our persecution or the dehumanization that happened during our 400+ years of being “white” property. Because it wasn’t them (per say), it was a group within them, or a long dead relative. Their contempt screams things like: “You aren’t slaves now are you? Pull your own selves up by the boot straps! Stop making excuses! Stop being lazy and just do it! We did…see. We created the American way and the American (failed) economy! BTW, slavery is in the past. So what. Get over it.”
I am by no means saying every “white” (poor, affluent, male, female or otherwise)believes these things. We can gather that complexion has little to do with any of it. It’s something else. Something that requires discovering.
As I read the comments in question, I thought about our economy and the debate regarding health care. I thought about how insurance companies released a statement saying that if the health care reform bill is passed, they will raise insurance premiums by around $2000. Huh? Am I hearing this right? If we want competition in our free market to get better service, rates and care for health insurance we can’t afford because of your monopoly on the industry–i.e. true capitalism, you will raise rates even more?
Okay. So it was rich, white men who created capitalism. It was rich, white men who decided that capitalism is all about free market (float or you’re fucked). Then when the system fails, these same white men ask for a government hand out. The same hand out they abhor for everyday people like you and me.
So then we say, we want health care for all. These same rich white men say “no way! that’s socialism! And in the same breath say we are the health care companies. If you make health care for all, that’s market competition we can’t compete with.”
But isn’t that the system of capitalism YOU created? I’m confused.
No actually, I’m not confused at all. What we have here, pure and simple, is a group of people (a growing minority, mind you) who are used to having all of the pie to eat, and the table and the chairs in which to sit, and the venue to eat in. They are used to making the rules about who is fit to eat and who is allowed only their crumbs. Throughout history it has been that way. We should know, we all took history in our piss poor schools (compared to the rest of the world). We were taught that we must sink or swim. We must eat or be eaten. Conquer or be conquered. That’s what we know and whatever we have to tell ourselves, whatever we must say or do to win, to survive–no matter who we hurt or how we hurt them–to protect our flailing way of life, it must be done.
The world is changing and the old, rich, white male way of life is literally withering before their eyes and it hurts like a wisdom tooth breaking the surface of our mouths. They’ve kept their own so ignorant, for so long, it’s crippling their own self preservative intentions and it hurts.
Change, growth, evolution, birth all hurt at first. It has to. That’s how we know we are alive and giving room for more of ourselves to emerge. We try to stop it. We desperately try to keep things the way we know them, but change always happens. God is change. Just like seasons. Just like people. Just like our fragile peace of mind. It fluctuates, making us make room for more. What ever doesn’t fit the evolutionary pattern, becomes extinct. Period. Like the dinosaurs, like so many species that have come and gone before our eyes, if you don’t evolve with the times, you pass away like dust. A memory for new generations to ponder about with science teachers. For those of us unwilling to expand our minds and thus expand our lives here on Earth… I ask you, how’s that for food for thought.
I’ve taken the liberty of posting all of the lovely comments I found from that post I mentioned earlier. Do you want to know what fear of extinction looks like? Take a gander.
I salute the divinity in you. Be blessed. -e-
Posted by KnightErrant at 2:05 PM 21 comments:
Anonymous said…
White kids misbehave too, but when they are kicked out of the pool no one considers it a racial issue. God forbid a black kid gets kicked out of a pool for reasons other than race.
1:42 PM
Anonymous said…
It’s right on CNN “two other day-care centers, neither of which included minority children, had previously been similarly disinvited”. So what is the problem? Why is it a big deal all of a sudden when black kids get kicked out, just like the white kids?
1:45 PM
urwrong90 said…
There is absolutely no tolerance in this world today for racism or bigotry. An example should be set that this is an unacceptable behavior by closing the swim club down for a specified period of time.
It is beyond comprehension that innocent children are being singled out for their skin color. It really makes me wonder if I should be proud to be an American when my neighbors are such bigots!
1:52 PM
howie said…
It alter’s the “complexion?” WTF is that? That’s where the problem lies… if he didn’t say that, this probably wouldn’t have been escalated like it has. Unfortunately, ignorance is bliss. Thanks to all you racist rednecks in PA for letting your true colors shine, you make it harder for decent White folks. Thank you.
1:54 PM
Anonymous said…
Seriously… Racism is alive because people can’t let it die. Can’t people/kids be kicked out for causing a commotion that is outside the clubs atmosphere? 2 other clubs, not including minorities, have been asked to leave and not come back. Stop being so dramatic and let racism go! If the owner/president said that the black kids can’t come back, then maybe you have something… but only a member made a comment, and not all people these days can let racism go. I can only imagine what will happen when the country continues to fail under our president… things are just going to get worse.
Grow up people. You don’t obey the rules, you can’t play. Drop it.
2:21 PM
Anonymous said…
I truly agree w/kicking them out! Im 99%sure they were misbehaving and disruptive. I know if I were 2go up to a pool & it was full of a bunch of kids…especially black, I definently would not get n tht pool!!! Sorry but thts the cold hard truth most are 2scared 2 admit. in my town we have a city pool..no whites go there..wonder why??..it was taken ovr yrs. ago & gone down hill since then!!!
U can cuss me if u wnt 2 but i will know tht u dont live around tru blacks. come 2 new orleans/baton rouge 4a week or 2 & lets c how u feel then!!
2:26 PM
Anonymous said…
You are getting outraged but you don’t even know the real story. I know a lifeguard there, who was there that day, so I know what actually happened. They were asked to leave because they misbehaved, not because they were black. The swim club is white because, as you the blogger said, Huntingdon Valley is 94% white, not because they don’t allow blacks – it is mere demographics. You have no support, you have news stories manipulating quotes and stories because a race story sells better than a day camp story. All of the day camps that had made contracts with the Valley Swim Club were also asked not to return because if the swim club asked one to leave, they knew it was only fair to ask all of them to leave – which is NOT racist. What the news does not tell you is that the kids were not following the rules that the club has, and that the staff was not prepared to have that many kids. As far as the comments from members, such as the one asking what “all of these black kids are doing here”… if you lived in Huntingdon Valley, which is 94% white, and at your private club, all of a sudden there are 60 black kids there, wouldn’t you have questions?
oh, and I believe the picture you think so appropriately depicts your blog is from 1931! accurate. you should be a news reporter.
2:31 PM
Anonymous said…
don’t we carry the right to refuse service to anyone regardless of the color of their skin?! if the pool doesn’t want them there, they don’t have to allow them in!
stereotypes exist for a reason; maybe the african-american culture should take a look it itself and ‘rekonize’.
i certainly wouldn’t want a class of ill-behaved black kids in my pool….
2:39 PM
Anonymous said…
So to cover there tracks they “dis-invited” two other day care center. So far no one speaking for the club or the day care has raised or stated anything saying the kids misbehaved (regardless, summer at a pool and you should expect some kids running or splashing water, etc). Being 94% white does not excuse anyone for being a racist. These are kids…now another group of kids have to feel the sting of racism…People stop looking for excuses and start demanding solutions.
2:42 PM
Anonymous said…
This is the 3rd time that a group of kids have been un-invited to the club. Just because these kids a black doesn’t make it racist.
Also, if 64 white kids showed up at a pool in harlem I think they would hear adults asking “what’s going on here?”.
2:43 PM
Anonymous said…
And yet another blog leaves out the mention of the two other (non-minority) groups that also had their privledges revoked because it doesn’t support their feigned moral outrage. I guess IGNORANCE truely is bliss.
2:49 PM
Anonymous said…
Exactly, He said two other day-care centers, neither of which included minority children, had previously been similarly disinvited. So can we put the race card to rest? Racism is a two way street. Can’t really blame someone else for it, then in turn use it as an excuse when things don’t go your way. Does that make me a racist? If it does, I blame the fact that I had an ancestor I never knew who suffered a potato famine back in the day. There, played the potato famine card 5 times today, wonder if I can get it up to 20 before the day is over.
2:52 PM
PL said…
There are a few things I don’t understand:
Why does the club sign contracts with day care centers if they don’t want large groups of kids in their pool?
Regardless of whether the disinvitation was racially motivated or not, it seems that there were racial comments being made. So, doesn’t that point to some racism?
Why didn’t Duesler explain to the day care center why their check was returned? Returning it without explanation seems to be opening up trouble.
What did Duesler mean when he said that the kids changed the “complexion” and “atmosphere” of the club? Is it as blatant as it seems or did he mean something else?
2:54 PM
Anonymous said…
“…two other day-care centers, neither of which included minority children, had previously been similarly disinvited.”
No racism here. It is quite straight forward that they don’t tolerate mis-behaving children at this club. I’m glad they follow their rules and don’t bend for skin color no matter what color it is.
2:55 PM
Anonymous said…
“Live around true blacks?” What the heck does that mean? What makes someone a “true black?”
While the club may have “disinvited” 2 other day cares, the club management did make racist comments. The “race card” will go away when racism goes away. If you don’t think racism exists, try raising bi-racial children in a mostly white, affluent community. I was shocked that some people can be so blatant!
3:09 PM
Sion said…
Wow, the comments here are nuts. Many of you do not get your own racism do you? When the minorities like gays and blacks ect can move freely through society with full equal rights then they will no longer have the need to protect their own little ghettos.. like Harlem or the Castro in SF. But that’s okay it tends to be mostly generational so mortality will fix it soon;)
Just going by the reports this is in fact racist. They paid money and made it clear who they were (an African American paid the bill) and how many kids were coming and what times and what the contract was. It was when they showed up the term “ change the complexion of the pool” was used by management to explain why they were being kicked out. .Management did not say that they were acting dangerously to themselves, the property or to others.
If other groups (no proof yet and it has been weeks since this happened) of children in day care who were white were also kicked out maybe we have a management problem. Valley Swim Club seems to like to take the kids money then when they show up all sweaty and ready for the promised fun time they are sucker punched and kicked out of the pool!
Kids of any race or age misbehave at pools. Have you all no recollections of your own youth? And the usually most productive policy I ever saw work ( I worked with youth of all types in pools) was warn and suggest better behavior and if that didn’t work remove only the trouble maker… not the whole class.
3:11 PM
Anonymous said…
Geez. I just found out the Angels game is sold out tomorrow night! I called in as well and they told me it was sold out, I demand a lawyer. I know I have an ancestor who once suffered a potato famine and I’m positive that’s whats going on here. It must not have anything to do with the fact that it’s sold out or other group of people who want to go can’t get tickets as well. Black people need to get over it. You can only milk the slavery card for so long guys.
3:17 PM
Anonymous said…
I don’t think that just because we disagree and say this doesn’t seem racially motivated doesn’t make us automatically racist.
Ignoring the facts presented and automatically assuming that the even is racially motivated DOES however make you a race baiter.
Completely ignoring that this has happened into the past to other camps and automatically crying racism is just plain ignorant. Did it ever occur to anyone that past history of revoking privledges might indicate that the club doesn’t feel that large groups of children in general (regardless of race) is a bad idea. OF COURSE NOT IT MUST BE RACISM!!
3:20 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you. Finally some level headed people. I just saw a black man walk to a crosswalk and the light switched back from green to red right when he got there. THE LIGHT MUST BE RACIST! Geez guys. Sometimes the race card gets really really old. No wonder people don’t take it seriously, it’s like the boy who cries wolf.
3:26 PM
Anonymous said…
inner-city kids are typically mixed race and typically do resent typically white suburban people. just listen to their ghetto rhyms! its a cultural thang! Also, inner-city kids are typically defiant and rude.. inner-city parents need to do a better job of raising their kids to respect the rest of society. just look at all the tagging.
however, the statement of mixed complexion and atmosphere was resentful as well. if they were in a country club and acting like inner-city kids typically do, I would expect them to get kicked out as well. bravo for someone to hold the same standards to everyone regardless of race. just because someone may have mixed race it does not give them a free ticket to disrespect the established norms of society.
both parties get what they deserve but even minorities need to “face the music”. there is no place for racism.
7:07 AM
James said…
Whomever said this is dumb. (Anonymous said…
White kids misbehave too, but when they are kicked out of the pool no one considers it a racial issue. God forbid a black kid gets kicked out of a pool for reasons other than race.
1:42 PM)
First of all it wasnt just a ‘couple’ black kids who were kicked out. it was { 65 } of them !
Are u trying to say all 65 of them were