Racism?????????

[Crackpot]

People seem to be missing the point that it doesn't have to be racist to be despicable.

[Scooter]

And what other possible reason could the winning team have had for considering their opponents "unamerican"? Were they having political discussions during breaks in play that made them reach that conclusion?

[Crackpot]

Do you know they aren't divided by political districts? or recently combined due to gerrymandering? it's no more of an asumption than it being abot race or just a bunch of stupid rednecks who thing anything they like is ultrapatriotic.

You have to make an assumptin to link this stupidity to race.

[Scooter]

Oh yeah, because high school kids have gerrymandering at the forefront of their minds when they are playing basketball.

Still waiting for an example of anything that would have made them see the other team as "unamerican".

This reminds me of discussions about kids saying "that's so gay" and people claiming it had nothing to do with having a negative opinion of homosexuality.

[liberty]

I am agreeing with Rubato on this one.

I would imagine it made the other school feel un-American.

Chanting the name of theplayers, the team, the school or the State would be appropriate.

The country dOes not belong to either side.

One only feels un-American if that is what one is. If I had been on the other team I would have chanted also just to show I was an American too. There are Mexicans in the US who clam that Texas is part of Mexico. When in a foreign country, one should respect local sensibilities, but when one is home one should be able express one national pride. I think this has more to do with poor loser than anything else.

[Lord Jim]

If I had been on the other team I would have chanted also just to show I was an American too.

Great suggestion; that would have been the perfect solution.

[Crackpot]

Oh yeah, because high school kids have gerrymandering at the forefront of their minds when they are playing basketball.

Still waiting for an example of anything that would have made them see the other team as "unamerican".

What you never heard of the "young republicans"

And your proof that it was racism is? and I didn't say that they nesscesarily saw the other team as unamerican only that such a chant could appear as such.

Since the point seems to be soaring right over your head my point is that it takes an rather large assumption to attribute any motive to this unfortunate boneheaded activity.

This reminds me of discussions about kids saying "that's so gay" and people claiming it had nothing to do with having a negative opinion of homosexuality.

Ok you got me there just how is "USA" inexorably tied to "racism"?

[Scooter]

Since the point seems to be soaring right over your head my point is that it takes an rather large assumption to attribute any motive to this unfortunate boneheaded activity.

The only assumption that I am making is that they had to have been chanting what they did for a reason. As of yet, I have seen no alternative explanation for why they would be identifying themselves with the USA to the exclusion of the other team.

Ok you got me there just how is "USA" inexorably tied to "racism"?

This was already spelled out for you.

[Crackpot]

The only assumption that I am making is that they had to have been chanting what they did for a reason. As of yet, I have seen no alternative explanation for why they would be identifying themselves with the USA to the exclusion of the other team.

If that were true we would be in agreement since there would be no assumption of racism. But I just gave you two (politics and being a dumb redneck) alternate reasons and you dismissed them out of hand on a basis no better than your support for it being racist.

Ok you got me there just how is "USA" inexorably tied to "racism"?

This was already spelled out for you.

It was? When has "USA" had well known direct racist connotation? How can it be said that describing something as "USA" be related to racist in the same manner that describing something as "gay" is related to homosexuals?

it is a false analogy and I won't let you pull it to support your weak position.

[Scooter]

Jesus Fucking H. Christ, right here:

You have a bunch of white students yelling "USA, USA" at their opponents who are all minorities, probably largely hispanic. It's as if the white players were saying, "this is our country, not yours." They may as well have yelled "wetback, go home."

Do you get it now? Would a diagram help?

[Crackpot]

Get what?

[Scooter]

Uh, why their chanting suggested racism i.e. the whole fucking point of having this discussion.

[Crackpot]

THere's the rub.

Where is the "suggestion"? is it based in the chant itself? or seen through the perspective of those watching it?

[Scooter]

You have a bunch of white students yelling "USA, USA" at their opponents who are all minorities, probably largely hispanic. It's as if the white players were saying, "this is our country, not yours." They may as well have yelled "wetback, go home."

[Sue U]

THere's the rub.

Where is the "suggestion"? is it based in the chant itself? or seen through the perspective of those watching it?

Of course, we will never know the true motivation of the kids, because we can never know what was in their hearts. Perhaps it was merely mindles chanting of phonemes detached from any meaning. But it sure looks like they were making a distinction based on perceived "nationality" -- the distinction being that the kids with Spanish names and dark complexions were not really Americans. Is that explicitly racist? You may see it as a fine line, but I think it's plenty close enough.

[Gob]

You have a bunch of white students yelling "USA, USA" at their opponents who are all minorities, probably largely hispanic. It's as if the white players were saying, "this is all our country, thanks for being part of it." They may as well have yelled "welcome to our country."

[Sue U]

You have a bunch of white students yelling "USA, USA" at their opponents who are all minorities, probably largely hispanic. It's as if the white players were saying, "this is all our country, thanks for being part of it." They may as well have yelled "welcome to our country."

Except for the fact that it was already their country, too.

[Gob]

On the other hand, if these were white US students, then "USA" was probably the only thing they knew they could pronounce right!!


I'll get me coat"

[Gob]

You have a bunch of white students yelling "USA, USA" at their opponents who are all minorities, probably largely hispanic. It's as if the white players were saying, "this is all our country, thanks for being part of it." They may as well have yelled "welcome to our country."

Except for the fact that it was already their country, too.

Which is what I was saying!

[Sean]

We can't possibly know the motivation behind it. For all we know one of these fans may have been watching one of the Simpsons episodes where Homer chants "USA USA" before the game and started the chant in an attempt to be funny.

It's a chant I've heard many times. I always took it to be more, "We're proud to be American" rather than, "Nery, nery... we're American and you're not".

Bad taste? Definitely.
Racist? That's a bit of a stretch.