60 black kids kicked out of Philly pool; Might 'Change the Complexion'...

Yikes, not sure what is to come of this story...I can see Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Sr. all over this one:

More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.

When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.
www.nbcphiladelphia.com...

I don't support racism AT ALL. BUT, this is a PRIVATE CLUB, and as such, they can discriminate against anyone they want. My question is: if minorities are not allowed, then how did they get access to the pool? This reeks of SETUP and Scandal.

Just my 2-cents.

reply to post by Aggie Man


From the article in the OP

The next day the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.

Originally posted by Aggie Man
I don't support racism AT ALL. BUT, this is a PRIVATE CLUB, and as such, they can discriminate against anyone they want. My question is: if minorities are not allowed, then how did they get access to the pool? This reeks of SETUP and Scandal.

Just my 2-cents.

From an article I read, it sounded as though they paid an upfront fee to use the facilities, but upon their arrival, the other club members exited and left the pool. Their access to the club pool was then revoked the following day.

Is it possible they just caused too much trouble that first, and only, day they were there? Perhaps they were not abiding by the rules and the other club members exited so they weren't associated with the guests.

Of course, then this all looks "racist" and this story will certainly become just that.

I tried checking to see if there was any YouTube footage...it'd be interesting to see the behavior of the guests and what impact that actually had on their access being denied.

Originally posted by Hazelnut
reply to post by Aggie Man

 

From the article in the OP

The next day the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.

So who sold them the memberships in the first place? Were they purchased online? Over the phone? OR did they change their membership policy ONLY after 60 minority children showed up at once?

Private clubs can do whatever they want with membership.

If I were a member at a private pool and suddenly 60 camp kids (of any skin color) came pouring into the place I'd not be very happy about it.

hey, you have 60 screaming kids jumping in my pool i'm getting the hell out!! i don't care if they're black, white red, i don't care i'm outa there pal!

seriously though, the kids PAID to swim there. if they didn't want them there they shouldn't have taken their money...

Originally posted by FlyersFan
Private clubs can do whatever they want with membership.

If I were a member at a private pool and suddenly 60 camp kids (of any skin color) came pouring into the place I'd not be very happy about it.

my words exactly girl!! you beat me to it!

Oh man, the lawyers are going to have a field day with this one. I can see this getting full scale MSM reporting and slanting from both sides. Pretty stupid for the club to give a permit and NOT consider what that might entail. By rescinding the permit over a racial issue, and they are going to have a real problem denying that fact, they have just shot themselves in the foot with a damned canon!!

Zindo

I can see this is going to get such publicity because it screams racism but really private clubs can do what they like, they are expensive to encourage a certain breed of people into thier clique. Really, I would expect the same reaction by the club if 60 rednecks walked into the club to swim too. It's all about image!

reply to post by ZindoDoone


So the "regular" members were offended when 60 kids jumped in the pool and the ones in the pool got out and complained. Race or territorial?

I know that if I walk into a neighborhood bar for the first time, I'm not welcomed with open arms. I can imagine it being something like that in this case. The "regular" members consider the pool their turf and don't like or want strangers. When they complain to management, the customer is always right. Right?

But yeah, the way the story is portrayed makes it look politically incorrect for sure.

Well, I know lots of places were I get treated the same for being white.

It is a private club though, but this is going to raise all kinds of hell for sure.

The evil white man did it again, ala all white people are racists! Here it goes, I'll walk down the street and hear *in racist over there!

Apparently they were members as they attended Day Camp there, so they should be given equal respect. This is awful. It was discriminatory. Especially when those parents bought membership for Day Camp, in the Y you're given time in the pool if you are a member of day camp. Private or not, they took their money for Day Camp and they should be given just as much right to pool access as any of the other Paying Day Camp members, regardless of race!To Philly I never expected this from the City of Brotherly LOVE!

[edit on 8-7-2009 by ldyserenity]

[edit on 8-7-2009 by ldyserenity]

reply to post by FlyersFan


Depends on the particular State law, FF, but it most states that is not true. You can't discriminate because someone has a different color of skin than you.

Also this is not going to raise alot of questions or issues, these issues were settled with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That was 45 years ago folks.



[edit on 8-7-2009 by damwel]

reply to post by Republican08

I thought we couldn't be called racist anymore since obama won...

Originally posted by Hazelnut
Race or territorial?

... or just a private pool that suddenly became over crowded with a bunch of tween and teen age rowdy city kids splashing and doing god knows what else in the water.

We go to a private pool. We paid for it and we expect to be able to have a nice, relaxing afternoon poolside. It wasn't expensive ($350 for the summer for the family) and it's not 'upper class' or anything ... but if suddenly there were 60 screaming, jumping, splashing, noisy camp kids filling up the pool ... I'd not be happy at all.

If people got out it's probably because there wasn't any room to swim and relax.

The one comment about race was from one of the campers who claims they heard comments from one person saying 'why are all the black kids here'.

Originally posted by damwel
You can't discriminate because someone has a different color of skin than you.

Oh gosh .. I didn't mean it that way. What I was trying to say was that it's a private pool and they can sell memberships to who ever they want. if they sold the memberships to some camp, they can do so. If they find that the campers are too rowdy or disturbing for the other members, they can withdraw membership.

That's the way it is at our pool. If people misbehave ... OUT YOU GO.

60 rowdy camp kids ... I can see where that would be a problem.

reply to post by FlyersFan


We've got a membership with the Moose Lodge which is private. If the same thing happened there, I can hear them now, stomping into the office to demand an explanation! I don't think it would go over very well.

But in this instance, the private club sold a membership to the camp, even if a limited one. So they are the culprits in the end.

I don't think race had anything to do with it. That card has been overplayed.

reply to post by JulieMills


We can always be called racist.

I get it all the time, and I really do nothing racist at all, I actually treat black people 100 times nicer then white people just so Al Sharpton doesnt knock on my door or the NAACP files me a nice lawsuit.

I guess if we removed pelosi, and put in idk Steele, then replaced everyone in gov't then we will no longer be called racist.

But even then we'd probably be called racist..... its a lose lose situation.

I have personally witnessed night clubs, malls, and teen hangouts taken over by black kids. It is not their fault, but the white kids do tend to leave. It is not a racism thing, it is a cultural thing. Black people are much more open, loud, and overbearing and the white kids don't know how to deal with it. Even movie going is different. I still remember the first "black" movie that I took a girlfriend to! I almost had to fight, and I wound up making some friends. It is a cultural divide that people could and should learn a lot from instead of running away!

That said, if they bought and paid for the membership, they should not be removed. This is so damaging to a young person's ego. This club just created a bunch of racists on both sides by allowing things to happen the way that they did. These poor black kids did a whole lot of growing up that they should not have had to do, and those white kids behaviour was reinforced as appropriate by getting their pool back!

WRONG WRONG WRONG ON ALL COUNTS, AND ALL SIDES!