And then I go and read something like this, and I realise that from time to time we're still as dumb as rocks.
Every year when the little kiddies are sent off to their first year of school you could reasonably assume that the worst problem they'll have to face is if they know where the bathroom is, whether their Mum packed them the good stuff for recess, and who's going to get first turn on the swings. At least, that's how it should be.
One thing they shouldn't have to worry about is whether they're being discriminated against because of their skin colour!
As unbelievable as it sounds, it would seem that a school in New York made the questionable decision to divide their kiddies up into different kindergarten classes based on their skin colour. Yep, you heard me right, they took a bunch of five year olds and split them up into white and not-white.
What the hell! I thought we were done with shit like this years ago! Those kids are going to find plenty of reasons to hate their fellow man when they grow up, they don't need stupid, pointless prejudices instilled in them as well!At first the school did the usual "Segregation? What segregation! I know not of this segregation of which you speak!" schtick, but after an investigation found that for at least the past two years they've been splitting the kids up based on ethnicity, they really didn't have a leg to stand on. I believe they've cut a deal and are going to be monitored for the next couple of years, but that hardly seems good enough, does it.
So I'd like to offer my highly illustrious Douchebag Award to the school that thought it was appropriate to teach five year olds that judging people by how they look is okay. Congratulations on your attempt to set the civil rights movement back by fifty year.
Hello Kellie:
ReplyDeleteNot only do we find this incredible but also, of course, appalling. And we are perhaps doubly shocked that a case such as this one should emerge from the United States a country which, on this side of the Atlantic, we tend to regard as possibly free of such very basic racism.
I just have this tendency to forget that people are still generally stupid.
DeleteWow, that's insanity. I've been hearing a lot of news here regarding them being taught slavery and the teachers giving assignments or homework that they don't find OK. Ya would think we'd be past this already.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty shocked when I read about it. It's so blatant!
DeleteThis is disheartening to read and you have done us a service to point this out. Shameful, illegal, irresponsible; pick all the adjectives that are synonymous with Racism.
ReplyDeleteIt's just an awful thing to do to anyone, let alone five year olds!
DeleteAll you have to do is look at how segregated most cities are to understand that racism is alive and well in the U.S. I'm not surprised by the school's behavior. I'm curious as to the logic behind the decision since i'm sure they felt it was somehow justified.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they rationalised it in their minds, but racism is still racism, even if it's semi-subconscious.
DeleteLiving in the south where neighborhoods and entire schools are "districted" based on what the powers at be say is socioeconomic status (which is really racism in disguise), this comes as no surprise to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's just so depressing.
DeleteI don't think racism is any better than it was. I just think people are more sneaky or quiet about it. I hadn't heard about this school. Now I'm going to go read everything about it.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right. I guess it's human nature to define the "us" and the "them". It just hurts my soul a little bit when those definitions are based on something so arbitrary.
DeleteThat's really unbelievable that in this day this would happen. And it sounds like they don't even think they did anything wrong. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure in their minds they are completely blameless. But the evidence was pretty damning.
DeleteThat's so Ridiculous! I had not heard about it.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty shocked when I read it.
DeleteLet's see how many avenues we can take progress backwards in a two-year period! Between reintroducing segregation here, redefining rape, and using public funds for (Christian) religious schools or allowing parents to not educate their children at all for religious reasons, we may hit a record.
ReplyDeleteNow if we just reintroduce legalised slavery, we should really hit all the main points.
DeleteI'm always shocked at things like this. When it's one person being racist and being an idiot that's one thing but there had to be several people aware of this or at least help make it happen. How does that still happen in 2012?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea. I like to believe that we're getting better, but things like this do give me pause.
DeleteGack. That is atrocious. At first I thought it was one of these new "teach kids about how wrong racism is" by engaging in a segregation exercise. Usually they just break up the kids by their t-shirt color and both sides get incensed by the preferential treatment either group gets because "that's not fair!" they all chime.
ReplyDeleteIn the end though, the fact that this got so much attention is a testament to our understanding of who appalling racism or bigotry is.
I suppose that's true. The fact that it was so immediately seen as an abysmal case of racism is promising.
DeleteThis school certainly deserves a douchebag award. Glad you gave it to them.
ReplyDeleteOh, they earned it alright!
DeleteThat's just outrageous! Heads should roll at that school.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they will, although the article wasn't very clear about the repercussions.
DeleteKellie, this is an excellent find on your part and disturbing to hear about, appalling.
ReplyDeleteI guess if we know and spread the word, then the chances of it happening again lessen.
DeleteHow utterly insane! What were they thinking? Actually, I don't believe they were thinking.
ReplyDeleteWhatever they were thinking, it wasn't anything nice!
DeleteIs that for real, seriously??? How can that even be legal anyway??
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing it's not, but they thought they could get away with it by saying "Oh, really? Segregation? We don't know what you're talking about! We split up the kids in a perfectly random way. Not our fault all the white kids ended up together and all the not white kids ended up with the African American teacher". Yeah, totally random.
DeleteIs it wrong that I giggled at "wider probe sought"?
ReplyDeleteThen I read the entire article. I honestly don't know why I'm still shocked that this kind of thing continues to happen. I suppose there are always going to be ignorant, pieces of shit walking around trying to influence the world for the worse.
It's absolutely not wrong! In fact, I think it should be mandatory for all probing jokes to be tittered at.
DeleteWow! I vote for throwing the douchebag award at the person/people who think this is ok... I am literally in shock
ReplyDeleteHopefully it'd hit them on the head and knock some sense into them!
DeleteAnd no one in the entire school thought this was wrong? Talk about turning a blind eye.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have to assume they were all complicit.
Deletewoah.
ReplyDelete