Racism Alive And Well In Philadelphia

[Lt. Staplic]

Public or Private, refusing service based on the premise of Gender, Skin Color, Sexual Orientation, etc. is discrimination which is illegal in the US...as Nick put earlier....

Though it's simple enough to get around as rochey was also pointing out, 'they were making too much noise', even if the entire group had only said one word, it's a valid excuse they could have used and gotten away with it.

[Nickswitz]

Yeah, and it all depends on the judge, the judge could believe either one and wouldn't be in the wrong, however, if they have a record of kicking out black kids their screwed. Which could very well be the case based on the persons blunt way of putting things.

[Lt. Staplic]

true, but you're going to be hard pressed to find a judge that is going to push the issue if they give even that bs excuse. If they have a lagit reason, no matter how retarded, it's their right to do....if there's some evidence that proves they did it because of the kids race then it's different, but I don't think a Jude will push the issue weather they want to or not.

[Nickswitz]

Actually, because it's one person or the other, a good lawyer could pull it off. Not easily, but it could be done...

[sunnyside]

Well, it could be straight up racism. But there could be something else at play here.

See I lived in Philly for a while, and it's messed up. You can't just expect people en mass to go from being impoverished in the extreme environment of racism of 50 years ago to being middle upper class overnight. However while most of the country is moving along in the right direction Philly developed a gangster culture. It's is the place that sells "Stop Snitchen" T-shirts, and gunbattles where dozens or hundreds of rounds are fired only to have nobody see or hear anything almost isn't newsworthy unless it's at a school.

So out of curiostiy I looked up the address of the camp the kids came from and compared it to the philly murder map. Apperantly they have plenty of pools there, it's just they're of peoples blood. (I exagerate a little. Seems they only have a half dozen to a dozen killings a year around the school, but I wouldn't exactly call that "good"). And I guess my wife knew the area was bad without having to look it up.

Anyway the point is that there is a possibility there were factors other than race involved here. I mean I don't believe I'm racist at all. But in philly when a crowd of people are speaking ebonics around you and you don't it's time to GTFO regardless of their color.

Though again, it's possible these kids were the good ones in the area and this is straight up racism.

EDIT: I happened to check out the slightly more scary place where we first lived when we came to Philly. On the year the murder map is displaying (2006) some dude got shot to death like 100ft away from my place at 4pm! Glad I moved out to the no murder suburbs before then.

[Angharrad]

Campers' "Complexion" No Problem for New Pool
By VINCE LATTANZIO
NBC Philadelphia
The campers from Creative Steps have cause to celebrate since they will again be able to make a splash.

For kids in the summertime, there's nothing better than jumping full-speed into a pool to cool off. So when 65 kids from a Northeast Philadelphia camp were banned from taking a dip at a private swim club because of fears they would "change the complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club, they couldn't understand why.

Creative Steps Day Camp paid The Valley Swim Club more than $1900 for one day of swimming a week, but after the first day, the money was quickly refunded and the campers were told not to return.

At first there was no explanation, but some of the campers recalled overhearing comments about the color of their skin while at the club.

Then the swim club president John Duesler issued this statement: "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion and the atmosphere of the club."

So the staff at Girard College, a private Philadelphia boarding school for children who live in low-income and single parent homes, stepped in and offered their pool.

"We had to help," said Girard College director of Admissions Tamara Leclair. "Every child deserves an incredible summer camp experience."

The school already serves 500 campers of its own, but felt they could squeeze in 65 more - especially since the pool is vacant on the day the Creative Steps had originally planned to swim at Valley Swim Club.

"I'm so excited," camp director Alethea Wright exclaimed. There are still a few logistical nuisances -- like insurance -- the organizations have to work out, but it seems the campers will not stay dry for long.

And to sweeten the deal, the owners of Gumdrops & Sprinkles treated the kids to a free day of candy and ice cream making.

The banning has caused so much controversy that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) plans to launch an investigation into the discrimination claim.

"The allegations against the swim club as they are reported are extremely disturbing," Specter said in a statement. "I am reaching out to the parties involved to ascertain the facts. Racial discrimination has no place in America today."

Members of the club came forward Thursday to defend the organization. They call the situation a misunderstanding.

Source

[Mikey]

It's a "misunderstanding" - as in, "Nobody was supposed to hear those comments."

[Sionnach Glic]

Indeed.

"We're so sorry that people actualy realised we were racist fucks, so you can come play in our pool now."

[Tsukiyumi]

Good deal.

I mean, what kind of crappy summer break doesn't involve swimming?

[Nickswitz]

This made me very happy to see that there are people willing to correct a wrong, (And I don't mean the people at the swim club.)

[Lt. Staplic]

It is very nice to see, even with the uglyness that occurred at the first club, how good and generous people can be.