Let's keep the Dem's on the run!
Click the Pic!
Posted on 10/04/2003 5:47:09 AM PDT by grania
BROCKTON — Though all Brockton High School students were welcome to hear Cape Verde Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves speak on Thursday, only Cape Verdean students were invited.
"There was clearly a preference given to Cape Verdean students," Associate Principal Susan Szachowicz said Friday, who added that public announcements at school offered the tickets only to Cape Verdean students, but non-Cape Verdean students who asked were provided with tickets to the hour-long assembly.
Not all who asked got tickets, said Mark Riccardi, a Brockton High School teacher. He said he knows students who were denied tickets and another student who got a ticket only after calling the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts.
"Unless they put up a stink, they were denied access," he said. Some students are organizing a petition drive to show their objections, according to Riccardi, who said the concerns are being raised by teachers as well.
"One Cape Verdean student made a great point," he said. "She said it was a great opportunity to bring people together."
The girl boycotted the program after her non-Cape Verdean friend was denied a ticket, Riccardi said.
Neves appearance was intended to present a positive role model to Cape Verdean youths in the wake of violence that rocked the city a year ago and involved many of that culture, said Gunga Tavares of the Cape Verdean consulate. She said the consulate did not ask that the program be limited to Cape Verdean students.
"We requested that all students of Cape Verde be advised that they have an opportunity to meet with the Cape Verdean prime minister," Tavares said. "It makes sense to give priority to Cape Verdean students."
Seating was limited to 1,000; there are more than 1,000 Cape Verdean students at the school. Szachowicz said about 25 non-Cape Verdean students asked and were given tickets to the program during which Neves spoke in Creole which was not translated into English.
"I don't understand the whole aspect of this," said Donna Tripp of Avon, who went to the school Wednesday morning to protest on behalf of a student who she said was denied a ticket to the program. Tripp, who heard about the ticket controversy through a friend in Brockton, would not identify the student, only saying he is interested and politics and wanted to hear Neves speak.
"He (Neves) doesn't want anyone but Cape Verdean kids, speaks to them in their native tongue, but he wants them to accept America and feel lucky that they're here," Tripp said, claiming this was a case of "reverse discrimination."
School officials said Tripp and the student were offered tickets, but they declined.
The ACLU says that does not appear to be the case.
"It sounds like people are making too much of this," said Sarah Wunsch of the ACLU who called Szachowicz after receiving a complaint from a male student.
"I was satisfied with the school's explanation," Wunsch said. "I think the school was put in a difficult spot, but it sounds like they were considerate of kids."
Szachowicz said the student who called the ACLU had not been denied a ticket, but had not taken the initiative to ask for one either. It was expected that non-Cape Verdean students who wanted to go to the program would inquire even though they were not included in the announcements, she said.
Wunsch said the continued dialogue is good and she supports a petition drive if it represents the students' feelings.
"The school could use this as a learning experience," she said and may even decide against future programs that are not totally inclusive.
And the ACLU? Why, if it were immigrant students who could go to or understand the speech, can you just imaging the outrage. Keep in mind that many Portughese speak excellent English. I thing the prime minister not speaking English or having it translated immediately was setting an awful example. Grrrrr........
Let's keep the Dem's on the run!
Click the Pic!
However, I think the manifestation of that will be civil war, and mass death, and I think that should be vigorously resisted at almost all costs.
That's what I think, but I don't know what to do about it.
"I was satisfied with the school's explanation," Wunsch said.
In other words: the ACLU believes the school is lying and making up excuses, but that's OK since only white students missed out on the speech.
It certainly sounds that way. Can you imagine what the ACLU reaction would've been if the Irish Prime Minister came to Brockton High School and the whole student body wasn't able to listen to and see that speech? If it weren't translated for ESL students?
The irony is that this sends the wrong message to Cape Verdean students. A leader of any country coming to a high school is a momentous event, and it should be treated as such for the non-Cape Verdean students, too. Isn't this exercise in stupidity and bigotry telling all of the other students that the Cape Verde Islands aren't a significant country, except to its citizens? Why doesn't the Prime Minister just annex Brockton for his nation?
Sometimes I think they must give those that apply for decision making jobs in education IQ tests, and only hire those who flunk!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.