excerpt from Proctor for Mayor.com:
Ummm, I might be going out on a limb here, but I know that I’m pretty ashamed and embarrassed we can’t just make John Muir High School a part of La Canada or something. Yeah, I’m ashamed of having that school in my City. Yeah, I think that knowing 1+1 might just make you the Valedictorian of that school. I, for one, think it’s funny to badmouth and continue lambasting such a horrible school and school district to boot. It’s a cheap, easy, funny joke.
- Wanna know the way kids graduate for John Muir? Take the “f” out of way.
18 comments:
How is this racist?
I guess I miss the racism part. My understanding is that school has not achieved its CA Distinguished School designation. As such he feels that the kids and tax payers aren't getting their money's worth.
If you follow what I have said on the topif of education, our kids deserve better than they are getting. How we approach to help the schools differs but in the end it is about giving kids the best we can.
I didn't see the racism in that post, I think he just wants it out of PUSD stats to make the district look better of it can't be fixed.
Just my take. Feel free to disagree.
These comments illustrate the level of misunderstanding that exists here regarding John Muir and Racism. You want to give the Muir students "the best we can" - stop bashing this historic school and by association, its hundreds of students.
Posts like this contribute to the legacy of racism that is very much alive in Pasadena today.
Again please point out the words that are racist.
I am sorry that our local bloggers cannot see this post as racist. But this only points out the blindness of racism - and the human need for self-justification. The slave owners needed this too, and fabricated all kinds of rationals for keeping human beings in chains for 300 years on American soil.
How do we escape this legacy? We cannot, but at least we can move forward. Sadly, we apparently have not.
Let me say only one more thing on this topic - you cannot say "Muir is bad (in a very graphic and ugly manner)" and not be saying at the same time "the students at Muir are bad". Proctor does this anyway in his last sentence.
These same people will sit avidly in front of their television sets and idolize athletes from John Muir, to which the NFL owes its everlasting gratitude. These same people will attend ball games to watch players of all races - something that only happened because John Muir graduate, Jackie Robinson, had the guts to endure the slings and arrows that were thrown his way.
We have a legacy here in Pasadena to protect and honor. Posts like this are insulting this legacy and I find that extremely disturbing, especially in 2008.
I agree Proctor clearly insulted the students - okay but that does not equal racism.
Nor does it make him racist. Honestly, and this is only meant in the interest of honesty and discussion -
Do you always immediately think someone is thinking of minorities when they mention a failing school if so, ask yourself where you stand on race.
I am AN African-American and instead of looking for racism in everyone's comments I look for truth and intent.
What's the truth here? What was his intent??
Maybe Virginia you should stop attacking EVERYONE that points out something wrong with the PUSD and be honest about its GOOD AND BAD points.
wow.
See this illustrates the bigger, and more complicated, contemporary problem of identifying racism.
Even people of color, cannot always see it - when they have sufficiently distanced themselves mentally from the poor of their own race.
But in a message to "excelsior", you need to learn to put yourself in someone else's "shoes".
Not only was Proctor's comment racist, it was also hateful. There is a horrible, but true, adage that goes something like "People hate who they have wronged". Proctor is twice-slighting the students at Muir: he is attacking them as "no goods" AND he is exhibiting hatred towards them.
there is something else very disturbing about excelsior's comment, and then I'm done, this time for real.
When people don't like PUSD - they are willing to tolerate open racism addressed at it.
This has to be why the blogsphere (and the media) is so over-loaded with hatred directed towards PUSD - people are tolerating it.
PUSD is schools, schools and kids. We as a society, don't tolerate hatred pointed in their direction.
But "hatred/racism" has to be recognized, and that I leave up to you.
You are REALLy reaching. It is always disturbing when people don't agree with you isn't it??
Then you call it OPEN racism. I still DEFY you to point to the OPEN or COVERT racism in the comments made by Aaron Proctor.
Sad to say, but I do CLEARLY see the problem now and I honestly don't think it's Proctor.
Will somebody please think of the children?????
I don't know what kind of kids go to John Muir, but I do not see any racist remarks in his statement. Esoteric comments maybe...but definitly not racist. You want to know what's racist? People that think everything is racist. You want to know what else? Please look at the articals on wikipedia for "White supremacy" and "Black supremacy". The White supremacy artical states in the lead that it "is a racist ideology" where as on the Black supremacy artical it states that "Black supremacy is the belief". They should both have the same leads, I'm sorry, there is nothing different from Black supremacy, both are racist ideologies, I tried changing this by altering the artical and bringing it to the attention of Wikipedia but they say the lead on "black supremacy must be "NUETRAL"! They reverted it back to the original version. Notice how the White supremacy artical is done being disputed where as the Black supremacy artical is still under dispute. Gee, I wonder why. That just made me angry. I don't care if White supremacy is labeled as being racist because I think it is, what I DO mind is that Black supremacy isn't also labeled as racist. That's the kind of thinking that is purpetuating racism and contributing to it, the double standard thing. I think if peope just try to forget racism, it'll just go away. It starts with stepping off of the eggshells.
He did nothing wrong, racism is illegal to a certain extent, but when it comes to freedom of speech or press (which really doesn't even apply because he did not imply nor mention anything racial) he has EVERY right to exercise that freedom. He's not denying anybody anything because of their race. KNOW THAT!!!
Excelsior, I am sorry to say, but your sword (as well as your eyes) are still "stuck in the rock". Check out Garrett Sawyer's comment, to see how racism works. Racism is a blindness, remember that.
Someone should do a survey at John Muir and ask some of the students if they can find anything racist about what he wrote...WITHOUT telling them that he is white first, then after their first answer, tell them that he is white and see if they change their minds. That'll answer everyones thoughts and questions... They should be the judges since the comment was about them. You're not the racism police. lol.
Garrett, you try that! or better yet, I will. Do you really not know the answer??
I'll send this comment to the Muir student Blazer, as per your recommendation, and see what they have to say.
But guess what? even asking them to do this "appraisal" is going to hurt them. Listen to me, these words are screaming with racism!
do you really not see that?
I need to hear from you again with the ok to do this.
point out any words that apply to race Ms. Hoge.
To reiterate - you cannot trash a school without trashing the kids who go there. Take out the "John Muir" and replace it with "LaSalle". Make anything clearer? No. Oh well, I tried.
Actually, it doesn't make things clearer. He's trashing the idiot administration, teachers and "consultants" who are giving the students worthless diplomas.
and you read that where? oh, Rene Amy's blog, yes, or was it Proctor's? the SN - via Rene Amy? or the Pasadena Weekly - via Rene Amy?
Yes, our local media has had a grand ol' time trashing John Muir for YEARS and years now. Muir was an "easy" target, a racist target too (and the fact that is was Jackie Robinson's alma-matter meant nothing to them) and now look, they've got your head all spun around and you can't stop the Hating.
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