these white high school students are holding a white only prom, there is also a black only prom and a mixed prom at the same school. So is it racist to ahve the white only prom? All the ethic groups can seperate themselves for scholarships and graduations and organizations, is it wrong for these white teenagers to have a white only prom? I think its the same thing, if you can have all gay, or all asian, or all black graduations, why not a white only prom? I know the liberals will be their two faced selves and denounce this as racist, while celebrating the all latino graduation and dance as "diversity"

White Students to hold All White prom (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=4&u=/ap/20030501/ap_on_re_us/separate_proms_2)

Let them do what they want, as long as it strays from name calling and violence. There should be nothing wrong with these such things at all.

I think the white-only & black-only proms both are racist.I really don't see the point.

There really is no point.

Yeh, it sounds kinda racist to me alright. Funny that you bought that up though, I went to a high school that was 2/3rds black, and the black kids bought up the idea of having an all black prom. It didn't happen the year that I graduated, but I heard it did happen a couple years later.

I just hate it when people make white people out as the only racists around. Hispanics and blacks are often more racist than whites.

Ah. Interesting subject.

Is it racist? Well, yeah. Excluding people from a prom on the basis of their race only? That's the dictionary definition of racism.

Now if you're asking if it's wrong (people often assume racism means immoral), the question for me is whether government funds are used for the exclusive prom? If so, yes that's wrong. If not, I think people have every right to exclude on the basis of whatever factors they deem fit.

And what prom does have government funding???

Yes it is Racist, the whites are being racist and the blacks are being racist, but if this is what they want, and can do it without violence then I say have fun.
It is funny how whitey is always the one being called racist, but blacks, asians etc.. can do what they want, just take Black History month, or BET TV. Now just try to have white history month and see what happens, or maybe we should have the white TV channel now that would start some sh**

It is racist, for all the reasons everyone else came up with.

Originally posted by Leper
Is it racist? Well, yeah. Excluding people from a prom on the basis of their race only? That's the dictionary definition of racism.

Now if you're asking if it's wrong (people often assume racism means immoral)

This is a really interesting point. I think we can all agree that a most racism is bad, but is all racism bad?

I would argue that segregation happens naturally. If not by race, then by culture, or religion, or thought. People have a tendency to group themselves in like minded groups. But is this something that is morally wrong?

Also:

Originally posted by Karankawa
And what prom does have government funding???

If its a public school, then probably at least part of it.

Originally posted by Sucellus
This is a really interesting point. I think we can all agree that a most racism is bad, but is all racism bad? I would argue that segregation happens naturally. If not by race, then by culture, or religion, or thought. People have a tendency to group themselves in like minded groups. But is this something that is morally wrong?
First part: NO

Secound part: If a group of people want to hang out with there own kind then that is fine, as long as they aren't violent towards another group. Even if a group disagrees with another group they should still show the other group respect and give them there space.

Unless you guys know something I don't, I think you guys are wrong in thinking that tax money or any public funding is used to pay for a prom. Our prom required a lot of fund raising to pay for it. Local businesses would donate, but mostly our class officers would do car washes, have bake sales, etc. to raise money. I can't say for sure that no tax money was used to help raise the money, but I do know that a lot of money was generated this way. In fact, the pricing of prom tickets depended, from what I understood, entirely from how much money was raised by our senior class and how expensive the prom was going to be.

But this is off the subject!

My own attitude is: one standard, one standard for all. But that is more often than not considered a racist position -- particularly if the person expressing it is white!

The solution should be that every group can hold a racially homogenous prom, or that no one can. But this constant use of selective double standards is not only stupid, it just perpetuates the antagonism it is supposed to negate. (Which is what liberals want, of course. If there's no racial antagonism, they lose their power and high-paying jobs!)

Hmm..there is something I have just thought of. What if someone wanted to have a straight prom and a gay prom?

I'd say both are ridiculous, but unfortunately the whites are the only ones who will catch any heat. Segregation is stupid. I thought we were passed this.

At my college (and probably all colleges) there are black-only organisations, ie the black student union. It's absurd in my opinion.

There's also a Christian group that is all black (can't remember the name). Well there are also a few others that aren't race specific. Virtually no blacks go to these. One of my friends there who is black says that everyone she knows won't go to the mixed groups because there's "too many white people." Incredible.

Originally posted by BorgHunter
Hmm..there is something I have just thought of. What if someone wanted to have a straight prom and a gay prom?

Borg I am quite sure this will happen sometime soon, if it hasn't already.

Would that gay prom, mean a happy prom :D :D

Borg, I believe Dave is correct on this one, if it hasn't happened it will soon.

And how would Affirmative Action - an unabashadly liberal notion - keep rich white folks in their rich white jobs?

just to add my 2 cents (and introduce myself as well):

is it racist: pretty much. even though it was held as a private party, the school should have said something to those kids. the whole idea behind it was just plain wrong!

anyone watch Bill O'Reilly the other night? he flat out asked the school's superintedant why he wasn't out in front of that party picketing to show an example!

the seniors had put on the first segregated prom the year before and hoped the tradition would be passed on. unfortunately that tradition didn't get off the ground. i watched footage of those kids flipping off cameras and swearing like maniacs. that really makes a good impression for the school don't you think?

mad dog....only if held in 1903 rather than 2003

Originally posted by GoGo_Manzanilla
anyone watch Bill O'Reilly the other night? he flat out asked the school's superintedant why he wasn't out in front of that party picketing to show an example!
I saw B. O'Reilly, he kept asking why didn't you picket, and the guy kept changing the subject. Then all he would say is "this is being looked into". Which means lets just hope everyone forgets about it. From my understanding it was a private party so maybe there isn't much that could have been done. It was sad to see the kids driving around flipping everyone off doesn't show much respect for themselfs or other people, plus it makes there school look like a bunch of delinquents.

Racism? Well, let’s look at some facts:

1. There is a Miss USA Pageant that is open for women of all races and ethnic backgrounds; and there is a Black Miss USA Pageant that is for black women only.

2. There is an MTV, which shows videos from all music artists; and there is a BET, which only shows videos from black music artists.

3. There is a Video Music Awards that honors artists of all races; and there is an African American Video Music Awards that’s for black artists only.

Now, does anyone think THIS is racism?

And...

4. There are scholarships open to people of all races, assuming you meet some academic and volunteer requirements. There are also "African-American" scholarships open to only those who are African-American.

5. There is a Black History Month, but I have never heard of a Celtic History Month or some such thing.

One of my friends is orrigionally from South Africa. When applying to colleges he applied for some "African American" scholorships. When he showed up for interviews for those scholorships they automatically turned him away without even talking to him. The reason, he's white.

We're just going to stop sharing St. Patrick's Day with all you folks of non-lepruchaun ancestry. Go elsewhere to find your green beers.


That's pretty funny (& sad) about your friend trying to get African -American scholarships. Brings to mind one of those "Lethal Weapon" movies "......but, but you're [not] blek!....."

:D

most likely the superintendant couldn't have stopped the kids from throwing the party, but seriously why wasn't he at least publically discouraging it? just made him look bad!

why isn't there a celtic history month anyway?

geeezzzzz.....lookit how hammered everyone gets celebrating their (imagined) celtic history in one day, and you suggest making it a month?

Hmm...sounds like fun. :D

Mebbe so, Borg, I'm merely concerned for the health & welfare of those not of Irish ancestry.

Originally posted by GoGo_Manzanilla
most likely the superintendant couldn't have stopped the kids from throwing the party, but seriously why wasn't he at least publically discouraging it? just made him look bad!

why isn't there a celtic history month anyway?

Since when is it the superintendant's duty to protest the private actions of students? You know if he got involved in the issue, he would soon find his head on the chopping block in one way or another. If I were him, I'd do the same: stay out of it, cause when he gets involved, the government is involved, and the government doesn't want to get its hands dirty by involving itself in racist situations these days.

Originally posted by Sucellus
One of my friends is orrigionally from South Africa. When applying to colleges he applied for some "African American" scholorships. When he showed up for interviews for those scholorships they automatically turned him away without even talking to him. The reason, he's white.

Wow. That's both funny and disturbing. Your friend should've sued their dreadlocks off.

Since when is it the superintendant's duty to protest the private actions of students? You know if he got involved in the issue, he would soon find his head on the chopping block in one way or another. If I were him, I'd do the same: stay out of it, cause when he gets involved, the government is involved, and the government doesn't want to get its hands dirty by involving itself in racist situations these days.

ok but the superintendant and the principal of the school have had to defend their actions (or rather inactions) to CNN, NBC, Fox, and other news sources! just by allowing this to happen they have subjected themselves to public scrutiny anyway. personally if i was an authority figure in that type of situation, i'd rather risk it and make a public statement of disappointment towards those students rather than make an ass out of myself for not saying anything. bottom line, they knew the public would be outraged, so why not save your own ass and say something?

They aren't "allowing" anything to happen. The fact is that the school has no control over what people do in their private lives.

What exactly would you say? Personally, I think it's none of the superintendant's business. If I wanted to throw a party and I didn't want to invite certain races, I wouldn't give a rat's ass what the superintendant said. In fact, I would hold it against him for even trying to meddle in my business.

I agree with Leper.

If someone wants to throw a party, prom, whatever, it is no one's business who they invite or why.

lol, these liberals are priceless!

Sucellus that is a funny story :D:

Leper I also agree, it is none of the schools business, but was the super worried about his image with the locals, or was he worried about the kids actions. The super is in a catch twenty damn if he steps in, damned if he minds his own business. One thing he could do to clear his name with the media is have a class about racism........... that would make some heads spin.

Originally posted by mad dog
One thing he could do to clear his name with the media is have a class about racism........... that would make some heads spin. [/B]

Though one thing he could have done is just come out and say:

Proms are school sanctioned events. This is a private party with no affiliation to the school besides the attendies. This is not a prom and I have no jurisdiction over it. I neither condone nor acknoledge their actions.

exactly! just say something! anything other than "proms are school functions"

it just appears to me that by their willingness to not say anything at all they're almost condoning racism when the kids the year before had tried so hard to get beyond that.


"these liberals?" i'm flattered!

Originally posted by Sucellus
Though one thing he could have done is just come out and say:

Proms are school sanctioned events. This is a private party with no affiliation to the school besides the attendies. This is not a prom and I have no jurisdiction over it. I neither condone nor acknoledge their actions.

Puhlease. Like that would make a difference. People should be assuming such a statement unless he says otherwise. If he DID say something like this, it would be so out of character that the fact he was making such a statement would be an acknowledgement that he thought there was something wrong with the party. I mean, when kids have a party where there's a bunch of underage drinking, do you want the superintendent to come out and always say "This is a private party with no affiliation to the school besides the attendies. This is not a school function and I have no jurisdiction over it. I neither condone nor acknowledge their actions?"

The problem here is that you guys are looking for a scape goat and you're really targetting the wrong man. If you want to harass somebody, harass the kids' parents, particularly the one responsible for hosting the party. Those are the people who bear the accountability in such an ordeal.

But don't go bitching at the government because they're not involved. This is America, the government shouldn't be involved in anything that is not remotely related to a government function.

I'm not saying that its his fault. But people are making him defend himslef, and there is an easy thing to say.

And yes the party is not associated with the school, however real proms are. The school says what can and cannot be done at the prom. It would be easy to acknolodge that this is not a prom. And yet he has not done that.

Agreeing with Leper on this one. Public schools have no jurisdiction about who gets invited to the parties. That seems very clear. It'd be a pretty scary thought if principals or teachers or anyone involved with schools got say-so about who gets invited to what parties.

But they do have jurisdiction over proms. A school can stop someone from going to prom. They are school sponsored. These kids were calling it a prom. Which it isn't, but the populace may not understand that it isn't a school sanctioned prom.