Who should we help this holiday season?

[Veritass]

My 15-year-old son just got a detention for racism. He is a bit of a smart-ass, so it is not completely a surprise. I just happen to agree with his statement, and I don't believe it to be racist.

It seems his Spanish language club was preparing to help a local Hispanic family at Christmas, as so many organizations do. The family has been identified as living in a two-bedroom apartment and having six children to get presents for. Someone asked my son if he was going to participate and bring something, and he replied (unfortunately within earshot of the teacher), "No, I would be tempted to throw in a box of condoms."

Now this statement does have some racial overtones, because we all know which race in Southern California is predominantly Catholic, doesn't believe in birth control, and is most likely to have six children.

However, his statement is not a racial slur. It deals with the reality that having six children when you are living in poverty is a recipe for continued poverty, and is not good for those children. I, for one, have a problem when my church does the same thing, and they pick a family that has made choices to put them into poverty. I am much more sympathetic to help out a family that has suffered an unexpected illness or some catastrophe outside of their control, and not people who just make bad choices that cause their own misery.

So, for discussion:
1. Is my son's statement racist, merely class-ist, or just practical?
2. Who should we help this holiday season?

 

[JollyRoger]

Perhaps we should gift you a box of condoms, so you won't have anymore bigoted kids.

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[Bozo Erectus]

So, for discussion:
1. Is my son's statement racist, merely class-ist, or just practical?

Its just the plain old truth. Its seems very strange in this day and age to punish a 15 year old because he thinks its a good idea to use condoms. That teacher is using his head as a suppository. You could probably sue the school and win, if you wanted to go through the hassle.

2. Who should we help this holiday season?

People who use condoms

 

[QuoVadisNation]

If they had just would have said he received detention for being "rude" or improper instead, it'd make a world of difference. He was definitely being rude, but I don't think that constitutes as necessarily racist.

Who should 'we' help? Whoever; as long as you're helping. I see no problem in assisting families stricken with poverty; even if the recipient at one point was a total f****** idiot. If they're trying now, I'd say they deserve help. Families like that aren't necessarily the ones that do nothing but complain about their current situation.

The only problem with it though ifswhy would a church simply select one family? It's slightly unfair. I know many immigrant Polish and Spanish mothers in Jersey that are struggling as it is. But for each his own.

 

[Kal'thzar]

not racist at all, not if he applies the same reasoning to all people.

 

[Brighteye]

Let's do a little bit of helping ourselves, and if we want to help anyone else, do it ourselves.

I see no need to make helping others into some sort of social event. It's rather degrading. You do it, and you get on with life.

As for condoms, it was a reasonable statement. I'd have suggested it myself. It's not racist. It had nothing to do with race.

 

[Masquerouge]

If they had just would have said he received detention for being "rude" or improper instead, it'd make a world of difference. He was definitely being rude, but I don't think that constitutes as necessarily racist.

I agree. Rude, but not racist - and at worst it's a religious slur, not a racial one.

 

[Methos]

So, for discussion:
1. Is my son's statement racist, merely class-ist, or just practical?

To be honest, I don't feel we have enough information to make an assumption. I'd suggest (if you haven't already) ask him his basis for his statement. That would give you a good indication of how the statement should be considered.

IMO the teacher is in the wrong, as again, his statement could be taken in many ways, not just racial.

2. Who should we help this holiday season?

I have trouble helping people, as I also believe that many people put themselves in the position their in due to their own actions. Children are a different story and I see them as worthy of my help. The problem is, is that it's typically the parents who decide what to do with the help I'm giving the child.

 

[CurtSibling]

I would agree with the Opening Poster's son.
He is remarkably perceptive, and that gives me hope for the future.

Mindless breeding is beneath a civilised human.

.

 

[bhsup]

1) It's certainly not racist. As I mentioned in another thread, that word is way overused. Making any comment that could be considered insulting to someone else and you'll hear screams of racism it seems.

2) Entirely up to you.

 

[skadistic]

Not racist, rude, religist or bigoted. Where is the outrage that this family has 6 kids it cant afford. Your son is is a smartass but its infinatly better then him being a dumb ass. Is this family legal? Are they on handoputs by the state? How much aid do they get from the church? The best way to help this family is to give them nothing but food. To keep proping them up will only encourage continued behaveur from them and others.



We should all help our selves this season exspecialy people like this family.

 

[Mulholland]

Agreed. Not racist. Perhaps a little insensitive. But not racist, unless the comment was direced at Catholic Mexicans.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

Agreed. Not racist. Perhaps a little insensitive. But not racist, unless the comment was direced at Catholic Mexicans.

Huh? I thought that was the point.

...we all know which race in Southern California is predominantly Catholic, doesn't believe in birth control, and is most likely to have six children...

That said, I don't think the kid was being racist, probably just trying to be insulting in general to the poor family with six kids. I remember kids who did stuff like that. They would have got detention regardless.

 

[puglover]

That teacher is using his head as a suppository. You could probably sue the school and win, if you wanted to go through the hassle.

Dude, he got detention, not expelled. It would be stupid (or very greedy) to sue over that.

 

[Masquerouge]

Related story, alas in French
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3226,36-843744@51-843746,0.html

Basically this famous singer said:
"Le Niger. Safari-photo insoutenable. Des enfants on en ramasse à la pelle dans ce pays (est-ce un pays ou un cimetière ?) où le taux de fécondité des femmes est le plus élevé au monde. Neuf enfants en moyenne par couple. Un carnage. Les coupables sont facilement identifiables, ils signent leurs crimes en copulant à tout-va. La mort est au bout de leur bite. Ils peuvent continuer puisque ça les amuse..."

Niger. Unbearable safari-photo. You get kids by the dozen in this country (is it a country or a cemetery?) where the birthrate is the highest in the world. An average of nine children per household. A slaughter. The culprits are easily identified, they sign their crime by constantly copulating. Death is at the end of their dicks. They can keep on going since they have fun..."


Puis, interpellé sur ces propos par un journaliste de Nice Matin, le 2 décembre, il ajoute : "Et alors ? C'est la vérité ! L'Afrique crève de tous les enfants qui y naissent sans que leurs parents aient les moyens de les nourrir. Je ne suis pas le seul à le dire. Il faudrait stériliser la moitié de la planète !"

Then, asked about these words by a journalist, he adds:
"So what? It's true! Africa is dying from all the kids born there that their parents can not feed.. I'm not the only one saying it. Half of the planet should be sterilized".

Conclusion?
He will probably be sued for racism and eugenism.

 

[warpus]

What he said wasnt't racist..

but it was hilarious!

 

[Mauer]

So, for discussion:
1. Is my son's statement racist, merely class-ist, or just practical?
2. Who should we help this holiday season?

1. Racist? No. Inappropriate? Yes. Nevermind the fact he's got a point Situational awareness

2. Anyone that we possibly can. Especially if they are playing as Japan and in a hopeless situation against the BChineseLG100

 

[Sidhe]

My 15-year-old son just got a detention for racism. He is a bit of a smart-ass, so it is not completely a surprise. I just happen to agree with his statement, and I don't believe it to be racist.

It seems his Spanish language club was preparing to help a local Hispanic family at Christmas, as so many organizations do. The family has been identified as living in a two-bedroom apartment and having six children to get presents for. Someone asked my son if he was going to participate and bring something, and he replied (unfortunately within earshot of the teacher), "No, I would be tempted to throw in a box of condoms."

Now this statement does have some racial overtones, because we all know which race in Southern California is predominantly Catholic, doesn't believe in birth control, and is most likely to have six children.

However, his statement is not a racial slur. It deals with the reality that having six children when you are living in poverty is a recipe for continued poverty, and is not good for those children. I, for one, have a problem when my church does the same thing, and they pick a family that has made choices to put them into poverty. I am much more sympathetic to help out a family that has suffered an unexpected illness or some catastrophe outside of their control, and not people who just make bad choices that cause their own misery.

So, for discussion:
1. Is my son's statement racist, merely class-ist, or just practical?
2. Who should we help this holiday season?

Have you ever thought of asking the question why regardless of ethnicity poor people tend to have more children? White,black, hispanic, asian, brown,red, pink?

No he's not a raccist he's a smart arse, probably doesn't understand the way the world works, mind you most adults don't either. It's always easy to mock those less fortunate than yourself than it is to understand why they are the way they are. Just the way it is.

 

[Veritass]

Have you ever thought of asking the question why regardless of ethnicity poor people tend to have more children? White,black, hispanic, asian, brown,red, pink?

My own personal opinion is that in a large number of the cases, they do not understand the principle of deferred gratification, which in many cases is why they are poor as well. I believe that the upper class does not need deferred gratification, the middle class raises itself through deferred gratification, and the lower class does not make use of it.

There are other explanations, including (1) the correlation is caused by a third factor: that they are uneducated, (2) that they live in a hopelessness where the best they can hope to achieve is a large family, (3) that they have large families because we reward them by providing more public assistance for having more children, or (4) that they do not have a large family because they are poor; they are poor because they have too large of a family.

What is your opinion regarding why the families of the poor are so large?
Is this fine as their choice, or something that we should combat?

Here in California a few years ago, we passed a law that if you were on public assistance, and had more children, we would not increase your public assistance. This seems to me a common-sense measure to help limit bad behavior by stopping the rewarding of it. It was struck down as unconstitutional; I guess it discriminates against people who don't use condoms.

 

[Xanikk999]

Perhaps we should gift you a box of condoms, so you won't have anymore bigoted kids.

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I think that was uncalled for, hes a kid after all.