The majority of those responding to this week’s online poll, about 49 percent, believe a recent, racially charged incident at a Petaluma High School basketball game, where PHS students chanted and held up derogatory signs about a player from the other team, was isolated, not representing a more widespread feeling of racism in Petaluma. About 43 percent believed the incident was not isolated, and about 8 percent weren’t sure.
Most agreed with Principal David Stirrat’s decision to discuss the matter with the student body and his plan to send a delegation of students to apologize to the other school, with about 56 percent saying it was a good idea, 33 perecent disagreeing, and 11 percent not sure.
About 49 percent thought that racism was something that other schools and organizations in Petaluma should be addressing, while 45 percent did not. About 6 percent werent sure.
Here were some of the comments.
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“I’ve been to a few functions at Petaluma High. It appears the wider problem is that the school does not hold students accountable for bad behavior. They are allowed to be poor sports and this is just another example.”
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“This incident makes me so sad. Hopefully it can be used as an opportunity to create greater understanding and empathy for everyone concerned.”
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“Just freedom of speech. Not sure this is a ‘problem.’ Is it a problem to support your country?”
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“My son became a little racist when he was in high school. The problem is being caused by reverse discrimination. The Hispanic kids do not have to follow the same rules as the white kids. They can show racism to the white kids and nothing is said because they would scream racism if they were reprimanded. They are given more advantages than the white kids. I’m not saying that all of the kids behave this way but it is being taught to them to be normal. If all the kids had to follow the same rules and were given the same breaks and advantages regardless of color the kids would all have a better chance.”
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“The parents are the biggest part of the problem. It doesn’t take a village to raise a child; it takes a good parent. Children learn by example. Wake up parents!”
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“Sure, maybe the direction of in-game propoganda toward the Elsie-Allan player was a little too much but we live in the United States of America and if we can’t chant that at a basketball game then shame on the officials, no matter the racial implications inferred from the action. If the Hispanic members who were ‘targets’ of the chanting felt the least bit members of this country instead of a foreign nation perhaps they would have joined in and made the situation much less of a ‘tragedy,’ as some have stated on the online article.”
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