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Filed under: Teens, In The News, Playground Bureau, Weird But True, Media, Day Care & Education
Ashleigh Jones got a lot more than she bargained for when she recently donned a "Go, Sarah, Go" T-shirt and wore it to school. The twelve-year-old Florida native was called a racist by her classmates at New Smyrna Beach Middle School. Jones had volunteered with the local Republicans, who gave her the pink T-shirt supporting VP candidate Sarah Palin, which she proudly wore to school. Jones contends that because she is white her classmates called her racist because she was promoting the white candidate. I'm sorry -- that's just plain stupid. If that were the case then all of us would be racists as ALL the candidates, up until now, have been white! The seventh grader was clearly only exercising her right to her opinion.
Her parents aren't upset with the school, but they do think all the students should be able to voice their opinions more constructively than calling their daughter a racist. That word is a very loaded one that you can't walk away from easily once you're labeled with it.
Some schools ban the wearing of certain items or have strict dress codes which are intended to keep everything status quo and avoid a ruffle like the one at Smyrna. Still, regardless of what rules are imposed, people will make their opinions known, and many would say they should be allowed to express those opinions. Is school the appropriate setting for children to be discussing politics and expressing their political opinions? I don't see why not -- in fact, what better place?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2008 @ 11:40AM
Karen said...I sure hope there is a teacher there that can address this misuse of the word and put a stop to it right now.
The problem is, so many ADULTS are throwing around that word as a means to stop rational discussion, and for the most part, white people afraid to be labled as racist, have allowed it.
It is time to put a stop to this and here is an excellent starting point.
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10-30-2008 @ 11:31AM
Jenn said...I think someone at that school needs to have a talk with the vocabulary teachers -- obviously those children have no clue what "racist" actually means. They are simply repeating something that they know is bad, or that they've heard someone else say.
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10-30-2008 @ 2:23PM
jen said...Thank goodness there are some people out there that are looking at more than just the race of a candidate! I am so sick of people telling me I'm racist because I won't vote for Obama. I'm not racist; I disagreee with what he stands for! He'll change the country, that's for certain. People just aren't going to like how it's changed! Socialism tends to leave a bitter taste in one's mouth.
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10-30-2008 @ 2:30PM
Mihir said...my guess is these kids are just parroting what they hear on the news from the likes of charles barkley, john murtha and anyone else that says if Obama doesn't win, it's because of racism.
by the way, i'm not white and i'm voting for McCain, do i get a "get out of racist jail free" card?
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10-30-2008 @ 2:46PM
Jan Bay said...I'm seeing more and more out of control remarks as election day gets closer. It probably should be no big surprise that racism is becoming more of an issue. Ugly comments are a sign of ignorance. The right and left are both guilty of throwing out demeaning statements that have nothing to do with what we should be focusing on as a country which is who has the tools and support to make improvements in our country. When campaigns are lowered to racial slurs and name calling just to confuse voters we ALL lose!
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
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10-30-2008 @ 2:53PM
c_rousseau05 said...Maybe the parents of the kids need to worry about teaching their children what racism really is.
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10-30-2008 @ 3:20PM
JESS said...What cracks me up is that if America was so racist, then how did he get to where is is already? How did he, a supposed black man, get to be on the ticket for president?
Second, it burns me when he speaks so negative about whites being racist. Why is he so loyal to his *blackism*? His black daddy ran out on him when he was only a baby while his white mother is the one who was left raising him along with her white parents footed the bill...where were all you black family members then?
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10-30-2008 @ 3:44PM
Master Bruce said...I have the pleasure of teaching sunday school to 12 and 13 year olds. Last week they brought up the fact that calling someone a racist is a fairly common thing that happens now. You don't give someone a pencil? Racist! You don't loan someone a dollar? Racist!
Great, now I have to start a fund for private school! ;)
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1-07-2009 @ 2:56PM
john said...well for starters the blacks who make the race comments are really the ones who are the racists,they have to vote for the black guy because they are black but since the other was white it is made to be a issue if a white person votes for a white but its always different as far as the blacks are concerned
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