Pennsylvania High School Students Under Fire for Playing N-Word Hangman

[irisblue]

From TheRoot.com today

"In the video below, which first appeared on Snapchat, a student laughs as he’s at the whiteboard trying to fill in the blanks for “n****r.”(edited by me).
So far, according to the Altoona Mirror, one student, which the outlet did not identify, has ’fessed up to taking part in the video, and claims, like all wypipo, that they’re not racist and have many black friends:

I am genuinely sorry for my actions at school today. I’m not a racist. I have many black friends and I shouldn’t have used that word. I’m a stupid kid and I was just trying to be funny. I know now that it is not funny and I’m very sorry to anyone offended by the post. It was a dumb mistake and was only to be pointed at one person. Which he is a very good friend of mine. I have no problem with any races. I am a lover of all people. (Name removed) was the one that recorded it which I had no idea he recorded it. I’m very sorry. It was never meant to get out to the public. This isn’t right that (Name removed) and I are getting death threats. I have realized how big I messed up. I am friends with tons of black people and I work with a bunch. This has gotten out of hand and shouldn’t have happened at all. There was no teacher in the room. I am very sorry to the ones that I offended and everyone that is involved in this."


There is more to the article, consider reading it.

[malaise]

1. and using the N word among

white friends is funny?
Why would that be? Hmmmmmmm!

[tazkcmo]

2. His parents are probably quite proud of him

No, not sarcasm.

[MineralMan]

3. The symbolism of lynching involved with this is terribly disturbing.

My opinion is that the whole lot of the participants should be expelled immediately.

[TEB]

4. I'm originally from that area

And it is red neck ville big time. And trump country, in small coal town I grew up in. They had some Pakistani folks open up a small pizza and sub shop. Why you would have thought the Taliban moved into town.

[cyclonefence]

17. I used to live in Altoona

and time stopped there in 1952. Apparently the clock hasn't caught up yet.

Best area in the world, though, for crazy radio preachers. Red Lion is nutjbob central.

[TEB]

20. Your correct time has stopped

[MineralMan]

5. Here's the link to TheRoot.com's story and video:

https://www.theroot.com/pennsylvania-high-school-students-under-fire-for-playin-1826445049

[irisblue]

8. thanks for this MM, I couldn't get my phone to cooperate w/ C&P

[MineralMan]

9. I figured that was it, so I put it in there.

No problem.

[cyclonefence]

18. god in heaven

and I'm so fucking tired of "I have tons of black friends." No, you don't.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. "It was never meant to get out to the public."

That's how their parents used to operate. This is part of what we used to call "Northern Racism". They smiled in your face and willingly interacted with you "in public", but behind closed doors, it was another thing altogether.

And nowadays, it's a badge of honor FOR stuff like this to "get out to the public".

Edit to add as a note, that little town has ~5,800 with a 0.82% (i.e., less than 1%) black population. So even if you say 1%, that's what? Maybe 60 or so black people in the whole town?

[appleannie1943]

12. So true.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. I.e., when they say they have "tons of black friends"

I expect that might mean "online" but certainly not in that area of our state.

[appleannie1943]

16. We pass through that area every time we visit our daughter. I have never seen even one nonwhite

person until we get to Breezewood and then they are travelers from somewhere else.

[irisblue]

7. I think the reason why society is seeing this is b/c phone cameras

& sheer stupidity of a lot of people on social media. If the one kid hadn't posted it online, the boil of racism & white privilege would keep festering. Those kids got called out for their racism, they surely don't like the attention. This might show up when time for college admission.

BTW, TheRoot.com is always thought provoking.

[Initech]

10. The Trump effect, at work.

[appleannie1943]

11. If that is how you treat your "friend", don't be surprised when you don't have any.

As for it 'only being pointed at one person' - If everyone cut down one tree, there would be no more trees. That is exactly how racism grows. And if it can't 'get out in public', it should not be thought or said at all. If that is how you act when "there was no teacher in the room" perhaps the best thing is to be on one on one supervision the rest of your life.

[oberliner]

14. Video sparks death threats

Police are looking into a racially insensitive video posted online Tuesday and the death threats that two Hollidays­burg Area School District students say they are receiving because of it.

The video shows a portion of a hangman game and shows one student filling in the puzzle as others call out letters and are heard laughing. The answer was the n-word.

Hollidaysburg Superintendent Bob Gildea called the act “abhorrent” and apologized on behalf of the district.

http://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2018/05/video-sparks-death-threats/

This is the Altoona Mirror story referenced in the OP .

[MineralMan]

19. As one comment at that link said, "Play stupid games; win stupid prizes"

There need to be serious consequences for these actions. Lynching images and burning crosses? This is far beyond a stupid prank or joke. The symbolism is the symbolism of murderous racism. No mistake about it.

Expulsion. No graduation. That's my recommendation. Let the consequences be serious, since the imagery was serious.

[Kittycow]

15. The hangman figure is on a burning cross :/

Even worse than I expected but death threats are still out of line.

[mythology]

21. If he was really friends with so many black people

He'd understand why using that slur is a bad idea. If he was a better person, he'd understand why using slurs at all is stupid.

I don't know that I know anybody who is Romani, but I still don't feel like I'm missing out by not using the word "gypped".

[Tipperary]

22. Once again. Up north.

Fascinating.

[cbdo2007]

23. Reminds me of that South Park Wheel of Fortune where it was Naggers

but of course the South Park guy guessed the wrong word so everyone thought he was racist.

Ahhhh, so funny.