Told You So!

[SuperScout]

For years, I have been advocating that we abandon this silly racial labeling process, especially when the "African-American" term is used to identify a Black person. It is bogus, and bad geography. But nobody in the media has ever had the cajones, brains, or use of other body parts to question this geo-babble, being gifted instead with a broad yellow stripe down their collective backs. Now there's news coming out of Omaha, Nebraska, that the seeds to this lingusitic whirlwind has ripened. At a nearly all-white high school, officials disciplined students who advocated effectively to award the school's "Distinguished African American Student Award" to what the school is now saying is the wrong person. The award was to be given to Trevor Richards, originally from South Africa, but very white indeed.

Peggy Rupprecht, spokeswoman for the Westside Community Schools district, said administrators at Westside High School discovered more than a hundred of the posters throughout the school first thing Monday ? Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"The content of the posters, they believed, was inappropriate and insensitive to some members of our school community," Rupprecht said.

Citing privacy policies, Rupprecht said she could not specify what the penalties were or how many students were disciplined. But the mother of the boy pictured on the posters said he was suspended for two days.

The award has been given the last eight years to an outstanding black student as part of the school's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, she said. The poster pictured junior Trevor Richards, 16, smiling and making a thumbs-up sign. A message at the top encouraged votes for him for next year's award.

Karen Richards said her son and his friends were not trying to hurt anyone. "My son is not a racist," she told the Omaha World-Herald. "He has black friends, friends from Bangladesh and Egypt. Color has never been an issue in our home."

"It was a very innocent thing," she said.

Two of her son's friends were disciplined along with him, she said. A fourth student was punished for circulating a petition Tuesday criticizing the practice of recognizing only black student achievement with the award, she said.

Tylena Martin, a junior, said the poster had been on the door to her homeroom class where she is the only black student. She said she felt hurt by the posters and the backlash that ensued.

According to 2002-2003 state statistics, 56 Of Westside's 1,632 students are black.

MORAL of THIS STORY: Be careful what yo ask for, you just may get it!!

[Jerry D]

Thats a shame that the one student in Westside High School Omaha,NE who was born in Africa isn't eligible for the "Distinguished African-American Student Award" That to me it is a very racisist act in itself . To say that some one who is white can't claim the regional distiction of being African-American would be to deny a young black kid named Sammy Davis from being Jewish-American or Asia Carrera from being German-American. A continent is a place not a race. So the School in Omaha is definitely out of line reprimanding these kids for campaigning for this young kid for the "Distinguished African American Student Award"
Deo Vindice

[SuperScout]

Instead of playing the Political Correctness Game with all it's attendant stupidity, perhaps we should recommend that Westside High School district officials enroll in some remedial geography classes. That way, they may be able to learn that neither Algerians, Moroccans, Libyans, Egyptians, nor many other living on the African continent are not "Black," and to label them as such is simply a mark of ignorance.

[MORTARDUDE]

So Scout...Clinton was a draft dodger and "loathed the military"...is Boy George Bush a deserter ? Why or why not ? Does it matter to you ? He had the brass balls to show up in a flight suit and say the war in Iraq was over and is a deserter too? If he was a Democrat how would you feel ?

Larry

[BLUEHAWK]

Interesting experience yesterday, along these lines...

Got a call at the museum from a young woman, from whose manner of speech I could discern was negro. She demanded to know what my museum was exhibiting on the occasion of "Black History Month."

I said, "Nothing in particular, but we do have some fine African artifacts on display and in storage I'd be glad to show you in person if you would wish to make an appointment."

She said, "Okay, how about tomorrow at 11AM." I said, "Fine, I'll see you then." I went to storage, and brought to my office three of our finest African sculptures, and made her photocopies of all the provenance we had on each piece... looking forward to our meeting and dialogue about the role of art museums in American society.

What do you think happened that next day at 11AM...

[Seascamp]

In that museum quality art and art forms have permanent residence in the shot-pouch of the cocked PC catapult, I venture a guess that almost anything happened and probably did. Who did ya offend now Blue ya onery critter?????.

Scamp

[BLUEHAWK]

Dang Scampness, I did it agin'... sure 'nuf.

"We shall overcuh uh uhm
We shall overcuh uh um
We shall overcuh UH UH um mmm mmmm
One day..."

Right?

[BLUEHAWK]

p.s.

didn't mean to bro, did NOT mean to.

[BLUEHAWK]

p.p.s.

My Lady Carol, upon hearing of this from mine own lips said, and I quote (precisely):

"HELLLOOOOOO!"

[Seascamp]

.......................what did you go and do now Blue, again and still? I wonder if there any museums on the dark side of the moon? I really don?t think the Lady was inquiring about that kind of African history and artifact for crying out loud.
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, you are going to get a PC Cop willow branch switching, for sure, for sure, just mark my words and wait and see. Yikes, you are incorrigible. :ek:

Scamp