Racism still exists

I have been following the story out of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania where an alleged "diverse" swim Club named Valley Club and some of its Neanderthal-thinking members complained that a summer camp group who came to use the pool (said camp consisting of mostly black and Hispanic children) would "change the complexion and atmosphere" of the club and forced the children to leave.

Reports were that some members of this swim club asked "why are there black children in the pool" and one mother was reported to have said she was worried that the children of the Creative Steps summer camp would "do something to her child." Yah, probably teach your lily white butt kid how to swim like Michael Phelps.

Of course, the director of the swim club - John Duesler - with his buttoned-up to the neck sky blue polo shirt (so THAT's why he was choking on his words) has defended himself against allegations of racism by claiming that the club didn't have enough lifeguards for the number of children who were in the pool blah blah blah. Yah, right.

If I were the director of a swim club, and someone contacted me about the use of my pool for children in a summer camp, one of the FIRST questions the director would be "how many children will be swimming at any given time?" Obviously, the need for extra lifeguards would have to be considered and put into place in order to accommodate the extra bodies. Duh. That's just plain common sense.

The director's lame excuse for canceling the contract and removing these kids from the pool is beyond appalling, beyond comprehension and reeks of blatant racism. Was Mr. Duesler afraid that the white lockerroom walls might turn brown or black or pink or purple or yellow or orange?

And what about these members of this club who made the "complexion" and "atmosphere" comments? Nevermind the mother who was worried that her child might be robbed of his styrofoam "bubble" by a black or Hispanic five year old. Give me a freaking break. Are these members still members? You bet they are. I bet that mother installed an alarm system in her child's swim bubble just to ward off potential theft. What did she think the kids in the summer camp would use as a weapon? A pool noodle?

Kudos to Girard College - a private college in the Philly area - that contacted Alethea Wright, the Creative Steps' summer camp director - that the kids in the Creative Steps camp could use its pool and facilities for the rest of the summer.

On Sunday afternoon, Valley Club called a "hastily" put together meeting of (racists) of its directors and apparently invited the Creative Camps back to the club. I'm sure that this alleged meeting ONLY took place because (a) "the club has been subpoenaed by the state Human Rights Commission, which has begun a fact-finding investigation, " and (b) "The Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission launched an investigation last week after allegations of racism at the Valley Club."

Duesler's wife, Bernice Duesler stated she wasn't sure how the club would "reach out" to the Creative Steps camp director in finding resolution to this blatant racist attack on bubble-wearing, Spongebob Squarepants/Spiderman/Transformer/Little Mermaid swim suit and swim-trunk clad children.

My heart goes out to those kids who may end up (if not already) emotionally scarred from this swim club's disgusting, pathetic blatant display of racism.

I've taught my son that we are of ONE race: the human race, and that everyone on this planet is just like a big huge box of Crayons: we come in all different colors but either individually or blended together we can make some pretty amazing creations. Let me remind the director of this swim club that if he opens a box of crayons (the big box) he, too, will find a plethora of colors - including white - which incidentally fits in nicely as a part of all those colors.