Is it Actually Racist?

[The_Doc_Man]

Isn't Springfield where Mr Trump said that they eat cats and dogs? I thought Springfield was a make believe cartoon place, didn't realise it was real.
Col

Springfield isn't unique in this condition, but as it happens, it is one of the more common town names. At the moment we have 34 states (out of our 50) that have a small town or small city named Springfield. The two largest cities have about 150K population each (rounded a bit). The number one town name is Riverside, which I believe exists in 46 states.

As whether it is a real place, ... yes it is. As to whether it is anything like a cartoon place, I've only been to perhaps 4 or 5 of the 34 Springfields and didn't see any obvious cartoon characters walking around. But that DOES leave 29 or 30 places left to check.

 

[ColinEssex]

I've never seen The Simpsons. I think I read it somewhere.
What is a mystery is why do they eat cats and dogs in Springfield? Is it just limited to that area or is it a nationwide phenomenon that has been kept quiet until Mr Trump decided to tell the world.
Col

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Ah, but they don't, Col. That rumor has been traced back to a disgruntled woman who decided to cast what amounts to ethnic slurs after an influx of Haitian people that resulted in changes to her neighborhood demographics.

Sort of the way that you cast ethnic slurs against Meghan once she "moved into your neighborhood."

 

[ColinEssex]

Ah, but they don't, Col. That rumor has been traced back to a disgruntled woman who decided to cast what amounts to ethnic slurs after an influx of Haitian people that resulted in changes to her neighborhood demographics.

I dont get it.
a) why did Mr Trump say it if its not true? He said he saw it on TV.
b) why did Mr Trumps advisors not tell him it was untrue?
c) did Mr Trump believe it was true? Or does he regularly tell lies.

BTW, Miss Markel is disliked by many people in the UK, especially the press. Its hard to see what a z rated actress has going for her. Thank god she resides in the USA now.
Col

 

[GaP42]

Unbelievably in this country, children as your as four years old are being sent home by their school for making a racist statement.
The statistics are 1,413 incidents at primary schools, were logged against children as young as four last year.
Childhood does appear to becoming ever shorter thanks to these nut-jobs. The question is; just who is approving and supporting this nonsense?

Hmm ... So unbelievably perhaps you think that children at primary school should not be reprimanded for making racist statements? Would you prefer that the child should not be admonished at all?
If not then what should be done? How would you expect the school deal with it? The statistics you provide are there were 1,413 incidents logged where primary age school children had made racist statements. Not 1,4i3 four year olds, not 1,413 students sent home?
What if the behaviour involved a physical assault? What if your child as the target was upset by the incident? Should it be ignored?
An incident being logged would indicate that some assessment/ review of the incident occurred and action determined. Madness, maybe in your view but you have no real information about any specific incident.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

@GaP42 - your hypotheticals are getting a bit far afield.

Should children at primary school be or not be reprimanded for racist statements? The first question before that is to determine if the child even understands what statement was made and whether that child was parroting a parent.

When I was a kid, my father was moderately racist. My mother taught me to not use the language Dad used and she eventually calmed him down. He was a good guy in many ways and actually a loving man, but he was himself a product of a very difficult childhood and didn't have a strong father figure to discipline him. (It's too long a story to relate here.) I didn't understand that the words Dad used during my early years were, in fact, offensive. Mom corrected me and informed me that the words were hurtful. She simply told me that good boys don't use hurtful words and at that age, the lesson stuck. I don't remember any conversation she might have had with Dad when HE got home because I think they held that little discussion when I was outside playing.

When you jump to questions of physical assault, most schools here have a formal procedure to deal with violent children. As to racist incidents, a lot more of the incidents are concerned with bullying, and any racism angle might just be a sprinkle on the ice-cream cone. To be honest, I have no clue how to read the statistics coming out of schools these days. Oh, I understand statistics pretty well. Had to study them for my doctorate in chemistry. But Mark Twain once said this: "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics." If put forward by a politician, the difference between statistics and damned lies become minuscule.

Madness, maybe in your view but you have no real information about any specific incident.

Nor does it matter whether I do or don't. We have 50 states with 50 different sets of state laws governing school districts. Forgive me if I'm not up on state school discipline laws. But I know they exist.

You seem to have a massive chip on your shoulder. I'm truly sorry that you are carrying that burden. I don't believe in the mysticism of the Bible but I absolutely DO believe that it offers good advice. Like forgiving people by recognizing that often, they are not malicious but instead are simply ignorant. They know not what they do. That should take at least some of the sting out of what nettles you.

 

[Cotswold]

Hmm ... So unbelievably perhaps you think that children at primary school should not be reprimanded for making racist statements? Would you prefer that the child should not be admonished at all?
If not then what should be done? How would you expect the school deal with it? The statistics you provide are there were 1,413 incidents logged where primary age school children had made racist statements. Not 1,4i3 four year olds, not 1,413 students sent home?
What if the behaviour involved a physical assault? What if your child as the target was upset by the incident? Should it be ignored?
An incident being logged would indicate that some assessment/ review of the incident occurred and action determined. Madness, maybe in your view but you have no real information about any specific incident.

Oh, please! How the devil does a four year old know what racist is? Exactly what opinions does a four year old have?
It wasn't a physical assault was it? So why bring that up at all? Pointless. If it was then the assault the staff would deal with it. Just in the same way a parent would deal with one between their children. Simples.
Apparently some children start school unable to use a knife and fork because they've only been fed junk food. Some are still in nappies. Some are effin & blinding in their everyday language. If the teachers have any ability at all they should be able to cope with such things as part of their job. If they cannot then they should leave the profession and get some non-job as a civil servant, or at the local council. It is this type of idiot teacher who is responsible for sending pupils out into the world unable to read, write and do even simple maths.
Sending a four year old home is stupid, ludicrous and clearly displays a high level of incompetence by the staff. I am surprised that you appear to think that incapable teachers are acceptable. All they had to say was "don't say that Jack, (or Jill) " But sending a four year old home is plain wrong. You don't sit a four year old down and try to instruct them in the politics and in the opinions of organisations like Stonewall.

By the way, I wasn't saying a child shouldn't be reprehended. I was saying that sending a child home was not the thing to do. They are there to educate them. So they should educate them and telling them something is wrong should be adequate if they are capable of educating of course.

 

[NauticalGent]

It wasn't a physical assault was it? So why bring that up at all? Pointless.

Sending a four year old home is stupid, ludicrous and clearly displays a high level of incompetence by the staff. I am surprised that you appear to think that incapable teachers are acceptable.

y the way, I wasn't saying a child shouldn't be reprehended. I was saying that sending a child home was not the thing to do. They are there to educate them. So they should educate them and telling them something is wrong should be adequate if they are capable of educating of course.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

You want to keep kids from becoming racists? This comes from the musical South Pacific in a context where a Navy officer who loves a woman of (I think) Japanese ancestry is bemoaning the way she has been (mis)treated.

This video comes from the mid-20th century and attempts to point out that hatred in adults stems from the way the kids were taught.

If you punish children for something they don't understand, you do nothing except confuse them and cause them to be resentful. If you make it a calm lesson and point out that some words are rude or hurtful (and therefore should be avoided), you are more likely to make headway.

 

[Isaac]

It's not racism It's math.

Well said.

It's not racism, it's factual math - something those who initially questioned that topic are supposedly all about