Agreed. However, if I were one of these kids' parents, I would require my child to don some skates, enter the rink, and spend about 20 minutes alone with Mr. Ward for a little bit of friendly checking.

This Is A Parent Issue. 1^st Amendment Issue. If the parents refuse to deal with it the society will eventually.

This is why criminals get out of jail and commit more crimes - we do not reform or correct.

Freedom of Speech refers to saying things like "Your team is the worst" and not expecting to get arrested in that other team's stadium. It's not for demeaning other humans because you lack the language skills to reasonable debate their skill level.

If your kid acts like an animal I am going to hit him in the nose with a rolled up newspaper like any other animal.

If more people would speak up when they see this kids behaving badly maybe they would learn and become productive members of society.

Face it - most parents don't do anything when their kids acts up. It left to the rest of us to say something and when they graduate as idiots it becomes the cops responsibility to lock them away.

Kids are too young (and some adults too stupid) to grasp the responsibility of "Freedom of Speech"

I vaguely remember students still being able to be expelled or suspended from school for committing crimes or fighting even off school property if reported. I'm wondering if representation of the school and also the fact that's it is public disruption plays a part. Your freedoms are not protected in school if they cause disruption. Me publicly tweeting racial slurs at home, then going into class and sitting next to the people that have read them seems like a problem. Where do we draw the line? Yes, it's done in the privacy of your home, but it was meant for the public to see. If a teacher goes to clan meetings on their free time, is that permissible? I know that's a terrible comparison, but it's something to think about.

@Steve-2570999 (It's not for demeaning other humans because you lack the language skills to reasonable debate their skill level.) when you call these kids criminals you are doing the exact thing you are objecting to and then you threaten them with violence ( I am going to hit him in the nose with a rolled up newspaper like any other animal) (and some adults too stupid) to grasp the responsibility of "Freedom of Speech"). this might apply to you.

I am just encouraged by the player's response to the tweets. Shows how much better of a person he is than the racist kids.

Joel Ward stated it best. "It just going to come with the territory." Was it in bad taste? Certainly. Can any school district or board do anything about it when the students weren't on campus. Hell no! Do Boston fans need to grow up? Hell yes! Can the sport of hockey and the NHL's history of allowing violence to sell tickets be blamed for this? You're damn right! Shouldn't everybody just take a breath and chill? If fans don't want the sport to get worse reviews than what's happened already! Can this be attributed to the bad racial political momentum since Obama was elected POTUS? Damn straight! So again to the fans and those stirring up a mess of trouble because of this incident. You best just let it go!

Just keep turning the other cheek...see how well that's working out for you?

The problem is that Boston's citizens are the worst people in the world, so the parents are not going to discipline the kids...where do you think the kids learned it from?

Go Yanks.

The schools have absolutely no business getting involved in this with the possible exception of the kid who used the name of his school in the post. In that case, and that case only, the students actions had an impact on the school and portrayed the school in a bad light. This should allow them to take some disciplinary action. As for the other students, it is up to their parent to discipline them if they see fit. These other students made their comments as private citizens, not as students at the school. The activity took place away from the school and had nothing to do with any school sponsored activity or event. As reprehensible as these comments may be, the school has no jurisdiction or authority to punish the students for what they said. As for the employer that fired the person for making the comments, they are on shaky ground. They better be able to demonstrate that these comment which were made away from work will somehow impact the persons ability to do their job or impact the business. If the identity of the person is known and it is known that they work at the store, it could be argued that the person's continued employment would cause a loss of customers. Even then, firing someone for exercising their free speech rights away from the workplace is extremely questionable.

I think all of these comments are disgusting, but people have a right to free speech in this country, not just speech that the majority agrees with.

"The problem is that Boston's citizens are the worst people in the world, so the parents are not going to discipline the kids...where do you think the kids learned it from?"

HATE MUCH?

Boston's citizens are not the worst people in the world, and your comment adds nothing to the conversation.

With Obama's election, a vein of quite racism that was unspoken all over the country is now being allowed to be spoken. It is NOT that he's divisive, I think that having a Black President brings those feelings OUT. (plus the tea party and birtherism--Obama's not one of us, don't you know?(sarcasm)--and the Republican primary and race baiting in the south...Those Blacks all are on foodstamps you know) to the surface.

And yes, there are feelings like that in Boston especially amongst the generation that is dying out. But that'd be more working class. Most college kids ...I think more than half...arent' even FROM here...and the towns cited are not working class. So I am Not sure it's a Boston thing.

IT's nice to blame the city and not admit that we've had a problem in the whole country right now. When in the movie the Hunger Games Rue turned out to be played bya Black actress, kids All Over The Country tweeted racist comments of how disappointed they were (even how it was Ruined for them)...and worse.

I don' t think that'd have happened until recently. So, I am not sure it was a Boston thing and IF It was, condemming ALL OF US HERE (born and raised myself...with sojourns in many other cities including Europe) isn't helpful.

if we in Boston hate Black people so much why do we vote for Dems a lot?

Was it from the school? Was it from home? IF there is no connection to the school other than that they are students there, then IF the school chooses to TRY (note the word TRY) to levy "punishment", it will probably cost them a bit of $$ (after the lawsuit).

Yes, they are probably racist. No, it's NOT THE SCHOOL'S ISSUE - unless they are directly involved.

lets forget about the racist part since all republicans do is use excuses cry ppl are playing the race card.

regardless of the issue, even not racism all comments should be checked and negative ones should require action. school is not a right but a privlage. same with sports, same with work. its is thier job to make sure everything is ok. what if someone started arguing and threatning other students on social network? should the school ignore it and let a attack happen or take action?

What's in you is going to come out of you. Racist comments would not come out of these idiots if they were not already in them. People who are not racist can get angry at someone without attacking their race/culture.

As long as we can still make fun of Fat people, Ugly people, Short people, Old people, Rich people and Conservatives...how much more free speech do we really need...

The power of hiding behind the computer, never would said this face to face, cowards, everyone is always ready to justifiy this behavior, don't think there won't be repurcustions for their behavior. It is a new day in america, we won't stand for this any more.

"Freedom of Speech refers to saying things like "Your team is the worst" and not expecting to get arrested in that other team's stadium. It's not for demeaning other humans because you lack the language skills to reasonable debate their skill level."

Is that right?!? When was the First Amendment rescinded?!?

Sorry folks, but free speech includes a racist's right to speak their mind. The school does not have a right to punish the student for what he says on his own time. I am not ok with people saying; "We have free speech, but those people over do not." It is reasonable to be offended by racist speech, it is not reasonable to say that it should carry repercussions. We must be tolerant of intolerance.

@satanick

I agree, but maybe would should get the opinion of "Al-Alawaki", or maybe the Americans who have or may have spoke threatingly about the President, or maybe the Musicians and Actors who have actively encouraged violence against police etc

Very hard ethical questions that require serious thought. Should we punish people who voice potentially violent opinions? Or should they only get in trouble if they start committing violent acts? What of movies/books/video games that allow you to kill police officers? Should those be banned since they could be seen as encouraging violence against police?

As I indicated, I agree with you...and would like to see a world where there was no limit on free speech, or the pursuit of happiness

but we don't live in that world, Most Americans, and probably you and me, would agree, that a line exists between what speech does and doesn't cross the line...and very likely, vew few of us would agree exactly what would go on each side of that line...I don't think it is a valid debate as to where that line should be, but the debate should be whether that line should exist at all

Paul/Rice 2012

Republicans claim there is no more racism, except of course "reverse-racism" against whites. This story just proves you are absolutely wrong. Of course Republicans already know this because most of them are in their party!

I'm disgusted with racism and sexism in this hateful country, but freedom of speech has a cost and these racist morons are the price we pay for it.

@Overlord

If you want to make this about party, I'm pretty sure these racists are Card Carrying Democrats, probably taking a break from the 99 protests to watch a hockey game...

The schools don't have the jurisdiction to punish for anything not on school property, but it doesn't mean they can't pull them aside and let them know that racist behavior IN school won't be tolerated when they are there.... and if the kid's address happens to also get leaked on twitter and their house gets egged or TP'ed, well it's not the school who punished them, right? ;-)

I am so sick and tired of hearing the 'free speech' argument when it comes to issues like these!! There's a line that a person crosses when they are expressing their opinion and being outright offensive. I'm surprised that so many people are saying that they schools should stay out of it, these kids obviously need a little guidance. Ok then, I just have to ask... when is it okay to be a bigot?

236 years ago

It is never ok to be a bigot but you are free to do so if you choose. Being offensive is subjective. What offends one group is allowed in another. So banning speech on the grounds that it is offensive is illogical.

Ok, let's go with the "free speech"....but please, someone tell me WHY are so many folks (even celebs), being pushed into corners about some remark or joke about GAYS? That's considered 'sexual-identity intimidation'...correct? So WHAT'S the darned difference with Ethnic, Racial or 'Sexual-identity' INTIMIDATION? I think many Americans are severely 'dumbed-down' and just cannot think and reason anymore! Sad....

NO!! No school property was used, it was not an "organized activity" and it was not on school property. What people do on their own time is up to them, not for investigation my Government Authorities.

@Satanick,

So why don't folks just use your rationale and declare 'free speech' when GAYS are subjected to name-calling...and then they subsequently scream and complain...because they know there's a rapidly growing double standard relative to their human rights versus everyone else's.

It's the parent's job to teach their child not to be a sh**head. What I'm wondering is why these kids were "tweeting" in school? Perhaps that's where the shools should crack down?

If it didn't happen on or with school property, then what the hell does the school have to do with it?

@Sweetpea... There is a difference between actual discpline and punishment and social punishment. It is entirely appropriate if these tweeters (twits would be more appropriate hehehe) were punished socially. That is what happens with celebs and others with gay issues. They are not legally punished or officially punished, unless they do it in an official capacity. For instance, Rush Limbaugh's "punishment" was not one made by the law. It was not one made by the radio stations or the syndicator he works for (though if her were...that would be appropriate since he did it inthe course of doing his job). The punishments were social actions. So it is not a double standard. As someone said in a previous comment, if thier peers shunned them or something along that vein, that would make him happy. That would be the appropriate punishment. The school has no jurisdiction here as it was not made from school property, or from school equipment. If they were sitting in thier dorm room or in a school computer lab and they made the statement, then the school might have a case. It is a free speech issue. All speech is protected, even the stuff you dislike or disagree with. It's why the Nazi party has been able to hold marches is a mostly Jewish Skokie, IL without legal repercussions as they have a right to think what they do...they have a right to express thier beliefs. As long as they are not attacking anyone physically or violating other laws, they are well within thier rights.

@Woad,

Thanks for insight! So, in essence, the free-speech amendment protects those who practice racial, ethnic, (sexual-identity?), intimidation...as long as it is not accompanied with violence against the victim? So, those attending the hockey game can also sling slurs as long as violence doesn't follow? So, in order to exact relief and retaliation to the intimidaters, the victim would need to either react violently against the perp...or get the perp convicted of causing the victim's own suicide? Of course a smart person would never advocate violence, but that's exactly what happened in the GAY intimidation case, and the perp is going to jail. Do you get it? Double standards do seem to apply in these cases!

1. There are more than a handful of blacks in the NHL now. More than ever before in fact. 2. Racism is a learned behavior. This is how they were raised by their parents "who know what's best for them" and the community they live in. 3. It wasn't done on school equipment or during school time so it is none of their business. What a student says outside of school and off school property falls under the first ammendment.

@Satanick,

So why don't folks just use your rationale and declare 'free speech' when GAYS are subjected to name-calling...and then they subsequently scream and complain...because they know there's a rapidly growing double standard relative to their human rights versus everyone else's.

Because free speech goes both ways. If you make fun of someone, you can expect a backlash. If you call me a name I can retaliate. Gays are well within their rights to complain. It is not a double standard. It is how free speech works.

Shaming has always been an effective reaction. A newspaper input, containing the school's apology and submitted by the school principle might be in order. It should contain the names and pictures of the offending students along with their addresses and the names of their parents.

When a student makes the Dean’s List all such information is listed in the local papers and the parents probably show it to their friend.

Parents who have failed to teach their kids tolerance, however, would then belatedly implement some remedial training.

Unless, the school is also going to punish bullying then they shouldn't do anything. Tweeting racist comments is no different than tweeting homosexual slurs and girls making fake Facebook pages of other girls to bully and ruin their reputation.

To all you people who comment using the first amendment to justify these kinds of actions take note of the fact that it also says you cannot yell fire in a crowded theatre which means you cannot incite others while taking advantage of the amendment. It is wrong to discriminate on the basis of one creed religion etc or the color of their skin. Being as how this was done in a public forum and was a public school involved I agree that only if the ones who did this identified themselves with the school they went to that those schools may have the right to punish those students. The others will be punished by society because they will probably be flipping burgers for the rest of their lives. How can you use deragtory slurs about how inferior another race is who just beat your champions in a hockey game? Duhhhh

It would be nice if the school has the power to show these students faces (side view). Because i would find it disturbing if these suspect students turn out to have big noses & a bit curly hair. Lay it all out there..No more hiding. Let's all be proud of who we really are, not what we are not.

This should be an opportunity to teach not just a reason to punish behavior you disagree with. Teachers be teachers not punisher. "TEACHER, LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE."

This is just an example, of kids having learned how to parrot what they have learned at home while sitting at the feet of the "adults" in their lives...sad really. What should the school do...I'd personally would want to know if any of these sob's have any intention of traveling out of their little environment and maybe see their state, the country and god forbid see some of the world and the different people that inhabit it, speaking different languages, eating different food, hearing different music and practicing different religions...

Punishment is not necessarily the proper term for what needs to be done, discipline is probably the proper term. Kids need to learn that racism is unacceptable and that any stupidity that they put out on the internet will come back to bite them. This is an opportunity for them to learn and both teachers and parents have a responsibility to teach these kids that racism is wrong and that the internet is not a good place to advertise your stupidity.

C'mon! This is the Boston area. Should anybody really be surprised that people reacted to a black guy putting their team out of the playoffs? NOT!!

If you would really like to have a positive impact on the little jerks, assemble them all on an ice rink and have the members of both teams show up to teach them a little lesson. Let Joel step out onto the ice with two teams backing him up and see how the buttheads react--now that's a teachable moment.

No good is done punishing these children. They are not the problem, but we all know that the parents are the childrens first and major teacher. Who do you suppose these children get their information and training. The apple never falls far from it's racist tree. That's one reason my parents insisted on part of my education included reading and understanding the bible. God bless America and the racists too!

Agreed. It's just a slippery slope - clever, too - an attempt to get in early and acclimate children to the idea that what they say at all times is monitored and they can be punished for expressing their opinions.

Insidious, really.

I agree with your comments about the tweeting after hours, and about the parental interventions that are necessary, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere in your statements that makes it inappropriate for student-teacher electronic relationships before, during, and after school hours, and probably for either teachers OR students tweeting during school hours except in life-safety situations. Otherwise, put the cirriculum on-line. Racism has NO place in the public OR private school systems......... unless they're democrats, and then anything goes !!!! (just kidding !!!)

Sad, but true.

Ward had a very classy response. I wish more victims of racist speech could brush it off for the nonsense it is and continue on. By making a big deal of it you place more attention on the idiot making the comments. We need to keep our focus on the important things and pick which hills to die on.

hell, Ward is taking it all the way to the bank!

Allison- How is he taking it all the way to the bank?

What is he gaining financially?

You think he's playing just to play?? Do you see me rubbing my fingers and thumb? He's not playing high school hockey now is he, Ward plays PROFESSIONAL hockey.

I wish more victims of racist speech could brush it off for the nonsense it is and continue on. By making a big deal of it you place more attention on the idiot making the comments. We need to keep our focus on the important things and pick which hills to die on.

Important to whom? My folks grew up under Jim Crow. They were openly harassed and called the N-word by their employers, and had to take it. They couldn't even express disapproval on their faces, let alone in their words or actions.

Instead of wishing for a victim of racism to shut up and take it, how about wishing that parents would teach their kids not to be ignorant and remove racial slurs from their vocabulary -- like my folks did with me and my husband and I, in turn, did with our sons.

Now, that would really be something good for America.

I think you would be surprised how little NHL players make as compared to the other professional sports, and in my opinion they deserve the most.

kat-1015719: Like the guy said, "it comes with the territory." Unfortunate, but this is America.

How sad it is that it comes with territory. Minorities have to put up with a lot of crap in this country and sadly they know it comes with the territory. However, this should not be and those who feel it is their right to treat others badly must have forgotten that what you reap, you will sow.

I meant: What you sow, you will reap.

@lin nil

You do of course understand it happens the other way around as well...IE white rappers, white or asian basketball players...this isn't a one sided argument...The seeds of all racism exists in fact that Humans are in reality just another animal species on this planet...and like another species, there is an instinctual bias against the "others" whether white or black or asian or hispanic...

This is a constitutional legal problem involving the speech rights of students some of whom apparently are minors. The Sup. Ct. allowed some leeway for political speech in Tinker. In Bong Hits for Jesus they found no political content because their right wing myopia can't see the patent medicine sign on the side of the barn. But, that is the law for now. So, the minors can be disciplined in some fashion under Bong Hits and the people of age can be disposed of under the honor code which may have a clause that can be reasonably interpreted to cover this conduct. If the college(s) are public institutions they may challenge the discipline. That would make them better known by the wider public and eventually be more of a penalty than not. Then again if Romney wins and listens to his judicial affairs advisor, Robt. Bork there will be no problem at all since Bork doesn't think that the 1st applies to science, art, or literature. Just core political speech. I guess rascism is a core political right and disceminating it is core protected political speech. Bork now says that while he holds by his conclusion he recognizes the impossibility of untangling the distinctions. I bet the Federalist Society goons he puts on the bench and Sup. Ct. will have no problem trying when its an individual against the gov. or, on other than constitutional issues that arise when a corportation is involved in other the abscense of a violation of a federal statute.

Actually, while it is the parents job to teach their children to accept all races, the atmosphere in the schools don't help. Kids learn at ALL places, not just at home....

When my son was in 2nd grade, we were zoned for a school that served a number of lower income neighborhoods and my son, on his own, and despite all the teachings I have given, told me one day that he "doesn't like black kids, that they are stupid, lazy, dress dumb and are mean to the other kids". I was FLOORED and called the principal immediately to find out what was going on. And she just told me that the "kids will be kids" and that she would look into it.

End of year assembly comes and I am there watching the show. School, 65% Black, new student council members (elected for coming year) 100% white. There was not ONE single black student that even RAN. ??

I felt horrible about it, but the next year we put the kids in a private school because the only thing he was learning in public school was that black people don't care about school - so great that he got to learn that at school - NOT from me!

So don't point the finger at the parents, necessarily - kids have a tendency to make up their own minds based on what evidence they see. Although, these parents SHOULD'VE at least taught them some discretion, if they couldn't control their thoughts...

(BTW; the private school was about 75/25 white to black but every student of every color STRIVED to ACHEIVE - and THAT is what I wanted my kids to see. That skin color means nothing - it's effort that counts....)

In the particular case where student athletes are brought into the picture, where they are supposed to be role-models to their fellow peers, I'm not so sure. I voted No, however, when it concerns a student athlete and they display this sort of negative attitude, what's that say for his ability to be a team player and not be a sore winner/loser?

In a case by case scenario, a student athlete bashing any other athlete due to ethnicity shouldn't be acceptable or tolerated by school officials in my opinion, no matter where it occurs. There is morality behind playing sports, and it is a privilege, not a guarantee. If it were my child, he wouldn't be involved in any more sports until his mentality changed (then again, it may be the parenting that initiated the matter to start).

Wonder if any of them play football, baseball or basketball...they really need to learn a little about self control and filtering. We don't have to verbalize/write everything down that goes on public display. If these boys know anything about watching out for each other they may want to reconsider playing any of the other sports.

Student athletes are far from role models for anyone. Their behavior, as a whole, is reprehensible and only gets worse as they go to college and on to professional athletics.

Nothing surprises me when it comes to their conduct.

*for doing stupid things...

Good point Mikzy... These kids need to learn that their are consequences for acting like a complete idiot. Makes me SICK that people can be so ignorant. Too many of these teenagers hide behind their keyboards and think they are being "cool" by posting this dribble...

Ha, ha...it's not just the kids who "hide" behind their keyboards.

Because they're children. We are supposed to be teaching them and showing them the way we as a society expect them to behave. Throwing the book at them everytime they do something dumb is, well, dumb. All they learn there is that perfection is expected. Moments of youthful stupidity are just that -- why do we now try to criminalize immaturity and ignorance? If you have a job, you are at least close to being an adult. Freedom of speech gives me the right to say anything I choose to without being restricted by the government. If it's false, there are legal consequences. If it is disliked by society, there are social consequences. Unless a child is using school equipment, wearing a school uniform or is on school time I am one of those who believes it simply is not the school's job or business. It's mine as a parent and I will take care of it. Yes, there are ignorant parents out there but I do not want my rights as a parent overstepped by overzealous school administrators because my neighbor is an idiot. Maybe if they worked on lesson plans or graded papers or even just relaxed to deal with the stress of trying to teach instead of streaming through facebook and twitter looking for things they don't like we'd all be a little better of. They belong to the school's rules while they have them -- outside of that my children and their behavior is my responsiblity. I don't tell you how to teach, don't you dare tell me how to parent.

Mikzyspitlik, you wrote:

"If my job can punish me for doing stupid things when I'm not at work then why can't a school punish them for not doing stupid things while not at school? Freedom of speech is important but it doesn't give you the right to say anything you want to say about anyone. Especially if you're calling someone a n****r just because you get angry. I love it when someone says their not racist after using the n-word...it's the funniest thing. Yes, you ARE racist."

The words you wrote are the products of your thoughts. You have the right to express them The words the kids wrote were the products of their thoughts. They have the right to express them. Yet you are calling for them to be punished for essentially what they were "thinking" and put into words.

Are you THE THOUGHT POLICE? You can punish for racist acts ( discrimination, hate crime etc.) but how can you honestly think you can punish someone for thinking something and writing it? It was not a terroristic threat. He called him a name, for crying out loud. A name! So what of the connotations associated with that word, it is still a WORD!

You can't legislate political correctness, you can't legislate for someone to not hold racist views and you certainly can't legislate correct thought. (Thanklfully not yet).

If you can't legislate it, you can't punish it.

Your job can punish you for doing stupid stuff because it's (presumably) a private employer. It can, within the bounds of labor and employment laws, do whatever it wants. A public school is a state agency, and it's bound by the Constitution, including the First Amendment. Schools get a little more leeway because the speakers are children (which is what the Tinker v. Des Moines decision the article discusses is all about), but they can't punish students for speech just because the school administrators disagree with it.

People have no end of trouble remembering that there's a difference between the public and private sector when it comes to their Constitutional rights. It's no different than our "genius" governor here in Florida wanting to test welfare recipients for drugs in order for them to get their benefits. People will rail over and over "how come employers can test for drugs for me to work for money, but the state can't test for people to not work for money?", and the answer is: the private employer can because there's no law against it. The state can't because the Fourth Amendment requires probable cause for a search.

That is the kind of acceptance that allows racism to continue RockDoctor. You have just offered an excuse for these children to be racist and continue to be racist cause "that's how they think, so it's ok. No one can police their thoughts even when they write them into words."

Sadly your logic does not hold true. Not all speech is protected. That has been proven time and again in the court of law. There is a big difference between Protected Speech and Unprotected Speech. You can beat the drum of Freedom of Speech all you want but it means nothing.

A person can think anything they want, at anytime, in anyway, and anyhow. Once they put it to words and SHARE IT on a public forum, then they become responsible for those words. That is how it works, and it works that way for a reason.

That is what this boils down to: personal responsibility.

The Parents in this Country condone this behavior and are CLUELESS as to what there kids are doing.

I don't know if parents condone it, but they have a tendency to be clueless.

Parents, please don't get all upset about the comment. Your little angel has access to things you couldn't dream of at that age, so your parenting must be different than what you received.

Just plug in.

Obviously that was a different context and you know it. Words have different meanings under different situations. It's how they used the word and not just that they used it. Please don't play stupid...

@mikzy...you would be right about any other word than n*gger. Blacks think they have a special right to use the word n*gger, but whites are racist if they use it. I don't buy it...if the word is a bad word, then it's wrong if anyone uses it. If blacks are ok calling each other n*gger, I am ok with white kids calling someone a n*gger.

Women call each b!tch in as a term of endearment but don't want guys addressing them this way. Take a look at comedy rules and you'll see that most comedians don't make fun of people if they aren't in that same category....fat, Jewish, redneck....whatever.

This isn't unique to Black people.

@ the stuffmaker, you are one of those people hiding behind your keyboard. Your comment reminds me of the "black on black" crime hysteria, why is it I never, ever hear the term "white on white" crime? If you don't think it's out there....open up your local newspaper!

Why are you okay with that? Just because blacks say it to themselves, a cultural thing btw, now whites can say it? I think it's a problem when people think they can invade other cultures and stomp all over them and tell them what they can and cannot say to one another. Red necks sometimes refer to one another as Red necks but if a Northerner came down and started doing that they would have a problem. I've been around black people and they generally don't care when someone says n*gger but it's how you say it...CONTEXT. If you're saying it as a put down then it's not okay.

Exactly. The same "Rappers glorified drugs, whores, cars and violence. They all wore "Hoodies". Hence the situation down in Florida with Zimmerman. I hear it all the time.

you would be right about any other word than n*gger. Blacks think they have a special right to use the word n*gger, but whites are racist if they use it. I don't buy it...if the word is a bad word, then it's wrong if anyone uses it. If blacks are ok calling each other n*gger, I am ok with white kids calling someone a n*gger.

People kill me with this stuff. I grew up around a lot of Italians. They accepted me as one of their own, protected me from racist, violent whites and I will forever be in their debt. BUT, when they would refer to each other by certain derrogatory term that started with a "D" it didn't mean I could do it. As a matter of fact, I never even thought to do it. That was between them. Notice how "thestuffmaker" puts his words together: "Blacks (not some black, but Blacks) think they have a special right ..." These kids aren't the only ones hiding behind a keyboard. But racism and ignorance are things that can't be hidden -- they always show themselves.

African Americans have taken rappers to task many times about that "N-word." But if an ignorant white or an ignorant black person (because ignorant people are the only people who use that word or any other racial slur) is comfortable with using that word, it's because you grew up with it, and speaks volumes about the kind of home you grew up in and the kind of parents you had (or didn't have).

@destroyer

I am simply making my opinion known...it's not hiding. There is a double standard regarding the "N" word and that is what this story is about....nothing less and nothing more.

White on white crime? You never hear about it? Do you own a TV? Do you read the internet or simply post dribble? White on white crime happens all the time, is reported all the time and is hardly ever defended by other white people. Most criminals, white, are caught because another white person turned them in...unlike the "code of silence" that is some perverse code of honor with some blacks.

Stuffmaker, put down that Aryan handbook. You're actually starting to believe that crap and you're makig yourself look ridiculous. No one protects criminals, and it's an insult to imply such a thing. But then again, you're showing your true colors -- as much as you can from behind a keyboard.

LOL...sorry. I am not a Aryan. If you don't believe what I wrote, I don't care. I promise you I don't look, or sound, ridiculous.

I don't believe it because I'm black and I know quite a few people in my community who would glad turn in a criminal. By quite a few I mean ALL OF THEM. Get real. Who wants criminals in their neighborhood. The only time you will see people, not just black people but people in general, not report crime is when they either have their own police force within the community due to a weak police presence or when people are afraid of retribution due to weak (or corrupt) police presence. Also most black people hate the N word. Thought I'd reiterate that. Only ignorant people use it and ignorance is not racially biased.

So the things you are saying are fundamentally wrong. I know this won't change your mind, but I still felt you should know that you are in error. Stop looking at statistics so much. They're just numbers and assumptions assigned to those numbers. I can find a stat to counter any stat you bring up. How about actually going out and meeting some of the black people in your community and finding out what they feel.

No one protects criminals? Then what's going on with Trayvon Martin and how the President AND Al Sharpton AND Jesse Jackson AND Spike Lee all going out of their way to promote him and have Zimmerman killed? We found out Trayvon's got a track record that's going to land him in prison or a morgue, and lo and behold look what happened. Is that racism? No; what the "Black Leadership" of this country did is racism. Not only against Whites but Latinos too.

Let's look at Charlie Rangel who is a criminal that holds political office. His tax evasion just on its own would have landed any of us posting on this board a lifetime in prison, but he gets to continue being in government and isn't going to lose his six figure income once he decides to finally retire - Protected Criminal. Eric Holder signed Fast and Furious in collaboration with the President Obama, then when those weapons started killing our border patrol agents, he denied any involvement or knowledge of the operation despite his signature being plain as day on the document. Protected Criminal. Had any of us been accused of gun running on taxpayer money, we'd be in prison awaiting our sentence, not wearing the Captain's Hat over all justice in America. Spike Lee, famous filmmaker and sometimes poet endangers innocent civilians in what he called a pursuit of justice. Immediately an arrest situation by any cop on the beat for disturbing the peace and for endangering the lives of innocent, and elderly, citizens, as well as for provocation of violence based on race. Provocation of violence based on race IS a crime in this country, thanks to Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s crusade for equality. "Because he's black!" and "Because he's white!" are no longer valid reasons and as Spike did not know this kid nor was related to him, that makes him a criminal. He's protected too.

Consider then Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, George Clooney, Bill Gates, and a host of other criminals that are protected. Ben Bernanke, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, the list goes on. The moral of this story is that criminals aren't protected unless they're rich or in our government or our movie industry. Or were porn stars at one point. We exalt the worst of our society, THAT is the problem.

Nah, the country has been moving away from racism for 50 years. Racists are just more isolated now than ever.

You would know, racist.

Racism is surely declining but yet we hear more and more of these stories because of the 24/7 media. A few years ago these things happened in isolation and the story died its own natural death after making the local circuit. But now, every little thing immediately goes national and may make it seem like the racist A**holes are multiplying at an alarming rate.

But the truth is that this very vocal minority has been there for a along time and will be there for a long time. Just give them no press and hope that "natural selection" will thin their ranks in a few generations.

Were they in high school at the time?

Can you give us some quotes with evidence

@Eat Rolos

No they werent in high school. They were all adults that are supposedly racial defenders that represent the downtrodden yet I certainly remember that shining example of racial equality using the term "Himey Town". Can you guess which race-baiter that was?

and for @Destroyer here's your quote with evidence

Apparently my link to the url was rejected so here it is again.... www dot ajr dot org / article dot asp?id=370

@ BAx your link takes me nowhere, but I got your reference to the "Himey town" remark made by Jessie Jackson...but Judaism is not a race it is a religion....I can send you thousands of links to "white" leaders making racist remarks http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/newt-gingrich-and-the-art-of-racial-politics/.....http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/juan-williams/207295-2012-racial-code-words-obscure-real-issue.....still waiting!!!

@destroyer

Yes to many people being a Jew is considererd a race but just to let you have wiggle room on that comment are you stating that it would be ok just to use that same "Himey Town" comment if he were just demeaning a religion?

Seriously your defense is pathetic and I can also send you many links as well just using sharpton and jackson. Want to discuss where they both apoligized to the lacross players that they wrongly accused of raping that black hooker? Oh that's right they didnt. I can go tit for tat with you all night.

Lets try a little Al Sharpton race loving comments shall we?...

Indeed, who could forget the dulcet tones of Sharpton’s 1994 speech at New Jersey’s Kean College, where he lavished an audience of students and professors with pearls of eloquence and sensitivity like this:

“White folks was in the caves while we [blacks] was building empires … We built pyramids before Donald Trump ever knew what architecture was … we taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.”[

More Al maybe?

1987: Sharpton spreads the incendiary Tawana Brawley hoax, insisting heatedly that a 15-year-old black girl was abducted, raped, and smeared with feces by a group of white men. He singles out Steve Pagones, a young prosecutor. Pagones is wholly innocent -- the crime never occurred -- but Sharpton taunts him: "If we're lying, sue us, so we can . . . prove you did it." Pagones does sue, and eventually wins a $345,000 verdict for defamation. To this day, Sharpton refuses to recant his unspeakable slander or to apologize for his role in the odious affair.

1991: A Hasidic Jewish driver in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section accidentally kills Gavin Cato, a 7-year-old black child, and antisemitic riots erupt. Sharpton races to pour gasoline on the fire. At Gavin's funeral he rails against the "diamond merchants" -- code for Jews -- with "the blood of innocent babies" on their hands. He mobilizes hundreds of demonstrators to march through the Jewish neighborhood, chanting, "No justice, no peace." A rabbinical student, Yankel Rosenbaum, is surrounded by a mob shouting "Kill the Jews!" and stabbed to death.

1995: When the United House of Prayer, a large black landlord in Harlem, raises the rent on Freddy's Fashion Mart, Freddy's white Jewish owner is forced to raise the rent on his subtenant, a black-owned music store. A landlord-tenant dispute ensues; Sharpton uses it to incite racial hatred. "We will not stand by," he warns malignantly, "and allow them to move this brother so that some white interloper can expand his business." Sharpton's National Action Network sets up picket lines; customers going into Freddy's are spat on and cursed as "traitors" and "Uncle Toms." Some protesters shout, "Burn down the Jew store!" and simulate striking a match. "We're going to see that this cracker suffers," says Sharpton's colleague Morris Powell. On Dec. 8, one of the protesters bursts into Freddy's, shoots four employees point-blank, then sets the store on fire. Seven employees die in the inferno.

BAX - you should be as well versed in your own history as you seem to be in Al Sharpton's history (not). I don't condone what he does, but Al grew up under Jim Crow -- in the South. Read about it.

@Kat

how do you think you know what my history is ? Are you assuming something there? Do you propose that i am a "white cracker"? I hate to inform you but I am from the Phillipines. I know very well my history. And apparently you just pulled your racist thoughts out on the vine. well done!

Sorry Kat, but growing up under Jim Crow laws doesn't excuse anti-Semitic and racist behavior and speech. How ignorant do you have to be to actually state that? Unbelievable. Are you one of those people who thinks that only white people are capable of racism? Try opening your eyes, looking around and listening a little bit instead of defending racists. Also, see my comment below.

Destroyer--Jewish isn't a race, but it is a defined cultural and ethnic group, and therefore subject to discrimination based upon their status as Jews, whether they're religious Jews or not. Read a little before you spout off about things you seem to not be educated about. The fact that you would defend anti-Semitic actions and speech simply because they aren't a race (although under US anti-discrimination laws, Jewish is a race) is disingenuous. Splitting hairs, much? You seem to think there is a huge difference between being a bigot and being racist. I would laugh my butt of if that weren't so sad.

BAX--you're completely right. There are a lot of worse things that Sharpton has said. Jesse Jackson and his buddy Farrakhan are even worse.

I'm not taking a side in the on going debate about who's more racist. What I will say is, stop bringing up Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Everyone goes on and on about those two. It only makes them stronger when you do -_-.

I am a black male and I have rarely ever condoned, or even deigned to listen to, anything either one of them says. That being said, I'm kind of tired of hearing these same two prominent black people (cause they are only leaders in their own minds) being the only ones quoted for racial insensitivity and exciting racial tensions. Especially when being quoted is what gives them prominence, otherwise they would be bitter old men with no voice. They do it, we know, but if your point is going to be that blacks are just as racist as white people (and they are) then at least find some new examples.

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton being the two always used is old. Especially when, if you look hard enough, for stupid, ignorant, and inflammatory thing they have done, there is a white person (or two) doing the same thing somewhere else at the same time.

I guess my point is, let it go. All around the board. Racism won't die until we stop making it an issue. Until stop arguing which race is more racist than that race. Which race deserves more than that. Cause there is really only one race: the human race. Just like a blue bird is still a bird, a man is still a man no matter what color he is.

@rj2029x

I could also quote farakan if you want someone new. Or maybe MSNBC itself since that guy in Florida is called a "white latino" or even several of the black guys that i go to school with right now at sdsu. Apparently they were upset with the martin thing being a "Racist" issue but guess what they know me as... yep i've been called "chopsticks" or "chan" all semester. Guess the white man doesnt own the title of racist as much as the news puts on anymore.

I hate racism period. But what I hate more are the lying racists that openly are racists but dont get called out in the media. In the last 9 years since i have been in the us the most people who have been racist and degrading to me as an asian have been black people.

rj -- I totally understand what you're saying and I completely agree with your assessment on racism--it won't stop until people stop making it an issue. However, these guys aren't just "leaders in their own minds". There are thousands of people who go to their rallies. They're on national television and in Time magazine saying these things and inciting violence. They are certainly not the only ones quoted for racial insensitivity and exciting racial tensions. They are however, the loudest most of the time. The people on this thread who say that these guys are racist bigots (Destroyer being an example, or people like Kat who excuse the behavior) apparently need to see the writing (or speech, in this case) on the wall. And furthermore, there are people of all races making disgusting comments denigrating other races and cultures, not just the blacks and whites, as you seem to assert.

10000 Farrakan + 5000 Sharptons + 1000 Jacksons are still MUCH LESS THAN even 1 black that was strung up on the trees for sport by the white mobs.

So white people - just STFU with your cries of racism and think about your past. And be very very embarrassed about making any comment accusing others of racism.

I mean i am sure glad that there was this huge racial awakening among you which ushered in the current (for the most part) post racial era in United states but there are still pockets of entrenched racism in this country and they need to be stomped upon by as much force as one can muster.

Where did it say anyone was trying to control thoughts or speech? Oh that's right, it didn't.

I respect your right to speech, doesn't mean I have to respect your speech.

It's pretty obvious they're trying to control his thoughts and speech. It may not be socially acceptable but it IS his speech and his thoughts.

We pay huge amount in taxes to make sure that school turn ignorant jerks into something resembling a productive citizen.

Schools have every right to enforce discipline and decency among its pupils.

Free speech has become a catch all for all kind of despicable behavior. I am sorry but free speech was not put into the constitution to promote racist hate speech.

I would say that Hockey ranks up there with the Catholic Chruch and Jesus in New England. Unfortunatly it IS a big deal. I would like to think that these opinions (about the player) are the minority and because the sport is so revered, the players can (at least to a certain extent) be granted that same respect.

No doubt they learned their racism from their parents. But calling someone a "N" word, away from, and after school hours, the school has no right to put their nose into it. If threats were made against someone in that school by a fellow student, then yes the school should step in.

If I was a parent of one of those students, and if I was or wasn't racist in my thinking, which does not come into play here, expel my child, a law suit is coming your way.

While I think those students are idiots, and yes somehow they need to learn what consquiences can happen from their name calling. But it's not up to the schools to be the political correct police, when students are away from the school.

And to expel racists from school, hell the schools would be empty. If you don't like a certain food, you are prejudices against that food. Prejudices also means racist. So what's a person to do?

See, your wrong on the law there. A public school cannot simply expel someone for being a racist. It is perfectly legal to hate someone for what ever reason you want. You might not like that, but its one of the founding principles of this country... its called Freedom of Speech, perhaps you've heard of it?

If the students had made these comments on school ground and directed them at another student? Then sure, they could be punished (they wouldn't be expelled for such comments btw)... but the school has no authority to punish a student for comments they posted on the internet from their house, on their own phone/computer.

I wish that were true, but schools do not have the power to expel racists unless that behavior occurs on school grounds and/or at a school related function off school property.

Actually....depending upon the state, at least in Washington State, schools can act. Although of couse it won't paste to this box-RCW 28A.300.285 (state of WA) does speak to 'elecronic' forms of communication. It does not specifiy home or at school, but I can tell you that it is used to suspend and yes, expell studetns for making threats and an type of bullying or harassing comments towards their peers. Racist remarks potentially could be considered harassment.



Freedom of speech ends where it begins to infringe on another law abiding citizens Ninth Amendment rights. Besides the fact it is common for racist and other bully type comments to be laced with threats of assault and harassment.

It is about time the U.S. begin modernizing human rights laws. We are lagging behind tens of other countries, mainly due to right wingers who at the same time claim the Bible as the moral compass for this country. Some moral compass I say...keeping us trailing in the dark ages.

RONG!!!!!!

Great day for hockey. Boston is out of the playoffs and their true colors emerge. This is why all Boston teams should not even win at all. Worst fans in sports history. They just prove it time and time again. Not even Philly comes close.

This goal scoring kid will encourage other races to play. It's not jus t the whites that are heroes. Anyone can be.

This is not 'sad day for hockey' and there certainly are no barriers - There are plenty of kids with the talent needed to play at the NHL level. And now you're starting to see kids come out of places like Texas to play hockey. That was not the case 5-10 years ago. And the reason for this? The NHL has done a great job promoting it's sport. There is no race issue with the NHL just a few fans and for the most part, the media!