[Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during graduation

[Paul Rumelhart]

Well, grab a torch and go after her.  I've said my piece.  No more words
from me will have any affect on this, apparently.

Paul

On Tue, May 12, 2015 at 8:40 AM, Sunil <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Paul,
>
> The problem is that she is a person with racist views in a position of
> authority, where she has power over other people. I think it's wrong, but
> easy, to say 'They did decide to run her name through the online gauntlet,
> though, all in the name of political correctness.  I object to this.  Is
> that OK with you?'
>
> I disagree with your characterization: She's not going through this
> gauntlet in the name of political correctness. I think racists in positions
> of authority have the ability to harm other people. I think that's
> objectively bad. So I think it's okay, in fact good, to expose this, and to
> either take away her power or to watch her carefully. That's not political
> correctness: that's making sure she can't harm people. I don't think we
> should use that term here at all.
>
> When you're playing with your rubik's cube, you're not in a position to
> wield authority over others, and you're not a racist, far as I can see (I
> know, you're heaving a huge sigh of relief, right?) I don't think there's
> any valid comparison.
>
> Sunil
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 20:54:36 -0700
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during
> graduation
> From: paul.rumelhart at gmail.com
> To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com
> CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>
>
> It's the public shaming aspect that I really don't like.  When I was
> talking about free speech I was just reiterating my feelings on the topic.
> You are right that no one has tried to stop her from exercising her free
> speech rights.  They did decide to run her name through the online
> gauntlet, though, all in the name of political correctness.  I object to
> this.  Is that OK with you?
>
> I really, really, dislike witch-hunts. Why, you ask?  Because I'm usually
> the guy that is into the strange stuff, or the one sitting alone at a table
> or the one sitting in class playing with his rubik's cube, or the guy
> hiding his interests in perfectly legal but still frowned-upon subjects.
> I'm very familiar with the idea that the problem with witch hunts is that
> someday, you'll be the witch.
>
> The Tolerant, who I used to idolize, have become the new Puritans.
>
> Paul
>
> On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 8:39 PM, Sunil <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Paul,,
>
> Once again you have set up your bizarre straw man argument in which you
> pretend that everyone else is attacking the right to free speech and you
> are its sole defender. You consistently misunderstand the idea that no one
> is saying that this racist twit should not be allowed to speak freely.
> Rather other people are using their ability to freely speak to judge her.
> Your paragraph about limits to free speech makes no sense to me as I don't
> see anyone calling to restrict her speech.
>
> I do think people are saying something that boils down to 'People should
> be smarter and not racist.' I think those are good goals.
>
> Sunil
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 18:27:13 -0700
> From: paul.rumelhart at gmail.com
> To: thansen at moscow.com
> CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during
> graduation
>
>
> You mean to tell me, seriously, that there is at least one person in the
> deep south that is at least mildly racist?  I'm shocked.  Nay, stunned!  Of
> course we should create a "firestorm" and make her life a living hell.
>
> Nobody cares, but I'm going to yet again reiterate my thoughts on this.  I
> believe in free speech.  As in the inalienable right we have to speak our
> minds.  I value that higher than the wish to live in a world where nobody
> will say anything bad against anyone else for fear of being the next viral
> victim.  She said something stupid, she apologized, she claimed she said
> something because of her emotional state that she shouldn't have.  Isn't
> that where it should end?  Hell, I wouldn't care if she said "screw you
> all, I stand by what I said!".  I don't know her, but if I did it would be
> one piece of information about her that I would never have known if she had
> cow-towed to the common group-think.  Isn't it better to make this known
> rather than hide it from everyone?
>
> And yes, I do think that there should be limits to free speech - but the
> bar should be much higher than suggesting that members of one racial group
> might want to leave a graduation ceremony earlier than another racial
> group.  Much, much higher.  Like, badgering someone relentlessly to commit
> suicide or telling them that their brakes are fine when they know they are
> about to fail higher.
>
> I want the world to be a better place where everyone loves everyone else,
> too.  I'll be overjoyed if it ever ends up that way.  Publicly shaming
> behaviour as trivial as this is not the way to get there, and it's
> definitely not worth the chilling effect it might produce.
>
> The really ironic thing is that I think she was wrong to try to remove the
> person who was filming with their tablet in the first place.
>
> Just my opinion.  Mr. Hansen, please feel free to skip your reflexive
> personal, combative response.  If you want to, of course.
>
> Paul
>
> On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 5:53 PM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>
> Courtesy of *11-Alive* (Atlanta, Georgia) at:
>
>
> http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/stone-mountain/2015/05/10/tnt-academy-director-racial-comments/27079341/#
>
> -------------------------------------
> School director makes racial comments during graduation
>
> STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. – A small Atlanta-area private school is at the center
> of a national firestorm after the school's director made a racially charged
> statement.
>
> During the graduation ceremony for TNT Academy Friday night, Nancy
> Gordeuk, the founder and director of the school, said, "Look who's leaving,
> all the black people!"
>
> One of the graduates, Donte Lambert, said it all started when Gordeuk
> dismissed everyone early.
>
> "She forgot the final speech, so she dismissed us all at first. Then she
> told everyone to come back. One parent got mad and he told his child to
> come on," Lambert said.
>
> Gordeuk later apologized to the parents via email, saying she let her
> emotions get the best of her.
>
> "A terrible mistake on my part of the graduation ceremony on Friday
> night," Gordeuk wrote. "The devil was in the house and came out from my
> mouth. I deeply apologize for my racist comment and hope that forgiveness
> is in your hearts." (READ HER FULL STATEMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STORY)
>
> "She needs to get out of that field of being a teacher or a motivator. She
> doesn't need to be in that field at all," said Shakel Forman, Donte's
> mother.
>
> The school is a private, non-traditional school founded for home-schoolers
> hoping to get an accredited degree.
>
> The Georgia Accreditation Commission said in a statement that a teacher,
> parent or student must file a complaint in order for an investigation to
> begin.
>
> 11Alive stopped by Gordeuk's house on Saturday, but her husband said she
> was too emotionally drained to speak with us.
>
> Gordeuk says she was frustrated in part because an unknown person walked
> to the front of the auditorium and began recording the graduation ceremony.
> After asking him to sit down, she later called security. She says she let
> her emotions get the best of her.
>
> Many people in the audience recorded the video, which has since gone viral.
>
> Lambert tells us he doesn't harbor any resentment. He's looking forward to
> moving on.
>
> "I just want to think the positive side of it," Lambert said. "My family
> came out to support me and we made the best of the situation."
>
> Gordeuk's full statement read:
>
> A terrible mistake on my part was part of the graduation ceremony on
> Friday night. The devil was in the house and came out from my mouth. I
> deeply apologize for my racist comment and hope that forgiveness in in your
> hearts. We all make mistakes and anyone who knows me realizes that I try my
> hardest to work with the students for them to obtain their goal of a high
> school diploma.
>
> I do not think I have discriminated against any family in the school. I
> just pray you will realize I am a human and make mistakes just like
> everyone else does and be willing to forgive and move forward instead of
> concentrating on the bad of the situation.
>
> To address the incident at the graduation ceremony of May 8. Please keep
> the facts in perspective. An unknown man at the beginning of a speech
> decided to walk up to the front of the audience with his tablet,
> videotaping the audience and the students causing disruption to the
> audience and disrespect to the ceremony and its participants. When
> disregarding the request o please sit down, the security was asked to
> remove the man. At that point, booing of the request commenced. Frustrated
> with the prospect of ruining the once-in-a-lifetime ceremony the graduates
> have worked so hard for, my emotions got the best of me and that is when I
> blurted out "you people are being so rude to not listen to this speech
> (valedictorian). It was my fault that we missed the speech in the program."
> I look to the left where the man was and all I saw was a mass of people
> leaving and I said Look who's leaving, all the black people. At that point,
> members of the audience began to leave.
>
> The facts are the rude booing from my perspective facing the audience
> condoning the actions of this man, are coming from the younger people in
> the audience. What if ten or twenty persons came and started videotaping
> the audience in the middle of a speech. Is that disrespect to the person
> trying to make his speech? Or does that mean everyone can just do as they
> please?
>
> I sincerely apologize to all the persons in attendance at the ceremony for
> the actions of the few causing the disturbance and for my emotional,
> un-called generalization of the black persons in attendance. I deeply
> apologize for my actions made in the emotional state of trying to let this
> last student finish his speech.
>
> I take a personal interest in the success of every student that comes
> through our doors without regard to their race, religion or ethnicity. My
> main concern for each is to provide them with an education and high school
> diploma to be able to continue on the pathway toward adulthood to become a
> successful member of society.
>
> You will find many, many parents of all races, religions and ethnic groups
> that have been serviced by our school and are very appreciative of our
> efforts on the behalf of their students. This same group of students had
> the same support we have given to every other graduating class. It is very
> easy to judge someone, however, we all make mistakes, as we are only human.
>
> Again, I deeply apologize for my offensive comment in the heat of my
> emotional state in trying to achieve respect for a student to be able to
> speak.
>
>
> --------------------
>
> Video
> http://youtu.be/EwHuQxBDGfU
>
> -------------------------------------
>
> Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .
>
> "Moscow Cares"
> http://www.MoscowCares.com <http://www.moscowcares.com/>
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
>
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