Posted on 11/08/2005 12:58:38 PM PST by day10
A dozen Tri-state high school students made quite a scene at the school halloween dance when they put on Ku Klux Klan outfits.
Students and administrators in Rising Sun, Indiana, say they're upset it happened and shocked the students would do it.
The principal made the students take off the outfits right away, but the damage was done.
9News learned the students were told they have to go through sensitivity training or risk suspension.
People in the community are also being asked to reach out to each other.
"I think you're surprised if one person shows up [in KKK garb], but sometimes good people, whether they're adults or kids, do things that aren't the best and make bad decisions and that's what we had. We had about 12 individuals make a very bad decision," said Superintendent Steve Patz.
The superintendent says neither he, nor any administrators, heard rumblings this might happen.
The students, all boys, came to the dance wearing sheets, dressed as ghosts and pulled out hoods a little later.
Students didn't want to talk on camera, but said they were surprised -- even offended.
The students involved will do civil rights research and write papers and the staff will work to improve the way the school teaches issues of tolerance and sensitivity.
The superintendent knows that everyone knows what happened in the small town and everyone knows who's involved. That's why he wants the community to help with the solution.
"I think it gets back to the education we need to do not only as a school but as a community about why these things are unacceptable," said Patz.
Church leaders are being asked to use their influence.
"As a pastor, I care about all the people in this community, regardless of race, and we want to be able to reach out to bring some understanding of what happened and probably some education needs to take place," said Dan Hunt of Bethel Unity Baptist Church.
There was one African-American girl at the dance, 9News learned.
Although the superintendent says he's under the impression the act wasn't done maliciously, it doesn't matter.
He says this kind of action regarding race, religion, cultures -- just can't happen.
blazing saddles for sure.... that mel brookes is EEEEVVILLLLLEEEEE LOL
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It's neo-Nazi/KKK day today.
FAR-RIGHT IN GERMANY WANTS FOREIGNERS PUT IN CAMPS AND EXPELLED
Yeah, but that's a lot more fun than discussing rural, white, likely middle class, racist kids.
And while it may have been intended as a stunt, the probability these kids didn't know the underlying message approaches zero.
Klan Parenthood.
The KKK also hated Catholics and did lynch a few of them. There's an online museum of pictures of lynchings. If more people were exposed to those, there would probably be less fondness for terrorist groups like the Klan and fewer attempts to change topics under posts.
Of course, no one attempted "to change topics under posts." And no one has expressed anything like "fondness for terrorist groups like the Klan."
That is an excellent perspective and well put.
It's just common courtesy. There's also a line in the sand. If the girl happens to be offended by the colour green, that doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't wear the colour green. But it's not unreasonable to say it's wrong and promotes a bad atmostphere to go around dressed as KKK, or Nazis. And for all we know, the girl is s a churchgoing, A student who spends her time with diseased orphans. You can't make judgements about people without knowing anything about them.
And yes, the gangbangers are a huge threat. But because they aren't being dealt with properly does not mean we should stop caring about people emulating or becoming more accepting of the KKK. Both are wrong. Both should be rejected. Period.
I think she'd be an excellent VP, but maybe not President. Not conservative enough for me. But that's just me. She has quite a few excellent qualities and seems quite able. And yeah, the Dems would go absolutely off the walls with frustration.
I didn't know the KKK lynched Catholics. I do know there was heavy anti-Catholicism and which is what made John Kennedy's win for President a "major" event.
I wonder where thier parents were?
Right, the poor Kluckers and Nazis, victims of the insensitivity of non Northern Europeans. Personally, they're the scum of the earth.
Helping them with the costumes?
And for all I know she could be part of a girls gang at the school, too! You see the best in things I guess; I don't because I've seen what the constant influence of the rap culture does. On the other hand, I wasn't suggesting that the KKK was something to be lauded, either. You, by the same token that you are inclined to believe the black girl is "Sunday-go-to-meeting Church Pure" could be just as wrong in the assumption. The dress-up scheme could have been poor humor (have you ever seen South Park and the social plays they put on?) Your 'line-in-the-sand' these days tends only to be for PC for whites to not offend blacks; they appear, through the movies, music, television, and every other venue to have full immunity from question about what they feel, say, or do simply because they are black. It is a double-double standard, pure and simple. Regardless, nice discussion of ideas, though. Thanks for not making cracks (which force equal responses) about one's intelligence.
I think you missed the whole point of this...those kids probably didn't know the significance of what they were doing just as Prince Harry didn't know when he dressed up in the Hitler uniform a while back. I don't need someone to tell me about the KKK, they can ask "Sheets Byrd" about it. IF the subject of the KKK wasn't supposed to be discussed, why then was the KKK mentioned in the article?
Maybe these kids should be sent to re-education camp, along with Prince Harry who dressed as a Nazi for one of his costume parties.
Was there any reason to get this upset? Had there been racial tension at the school? Had the KKK made any appearances? Or were these just kids being goofy?
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