BEVS

I know.

I came from an Irish mum with an English Dad. They worked in the posh hotels . Chef, silver service that sort of thing. So their friends were from all sorts of nationalities. It was probably also a bit of a haven away from those that had no time for the Irish. Among their good friends were some Germans ( one a Prussian) and they were all lifelong pals .

I was routinely spat on & kicked by other kids for my Mother being Irish and their friends German, Italian, Portuguese. Different. English folk mixing with the likes of us ? Pah ! Yet my Dad and us kids were English.

One of my parents German friends ( the Prussian ) once told me that you do not know you have nothing until you eat dirt for worms. It was in response to an observation I had made about how poor we were ahad been as a family. I never ,ever forgot what he said nor the way he said it. A leveller .

Shard

TBF to Bemsee, she did say "nativity play" not "Christmassy celebration". There is a difference. Even as a non-believer, I would prefer that the nativity play be re-enacted.

dbd33

Still, it's not likely that any such ban exists, I'd say it's even less likely that there's a ban than that there was a nativity.

koalabear1

Let's go back to the original question for a sec.

Instead of being a black child (and therefore according to that idiotic teacher not allowed to dress up as Santa) imagine for a moment that a boy in a wheelchair dressed up as Santa.

Would the teacher say he couldn't be Santa because Santa isn't disabled in a wheelchair, but can walk around?

I find it so difficult to understand how anyone can accept that teacher's behaviour, and claim it's like walking on eggshells. All it is is showing basic respect and not be racist - all teachers should do that. Yes, kids can drive you crazy, but there were no reports of the boy in the article behaving badly; the poor kid just wanted to dress up as Santa for goodness sake.

montreal mike

there is a likelihood that santa and the nativity fall into the same category

montreal mike

has anyone here figured the comment by the teacher was made tongue in cheek

after all there are no eye witnesses from posters here

poor taste yes

racist no

it is the sort of thing i myself could very well have said, given my sarcastic nature and desire to be humorous

montreal mike

this thread reminds me of the mumbo jumbo thread

i found that one hilarious

not racist

why are so many preoccupied by skin colour, race, matters racial, and racism?

Shard

Perhaps you are confusing discrimination and racism. Unfortunately, in this case the teacher is guilty of both.

People are preoccupied by such matters because those at the receiving end are, through no fault of their own, subject to unequal treatment. In the West, we have decided during your lifetime, that we are no longer going to dwell on these artificial distinctions. It is as simple as that. I don't have a problem with the terminology (calling black kid black for example) but I have a problem when there is an issue of inequality.

ultrarunner

Well....That is how I read it too, and as you put it "there is a difference".

AMEN to the nativity play...it's happening at my son's school today

ultrarunner

Anything to do with colour is never funny, same goes for the Holocaust, slavery and ethnic cleansing

I'll say both poor taste and racist.....

Racist people always feel the need to bring "colour" into the mix. Am sure you ahve seen this before over the years where someone usually Caucasian has beef with someone of colour, and instead of just saying...you fool/idiot/etc, they throw colour into by saying you Black/ Asian/Oriental so so and so

Why the need to add the colour, would they have added colour if the person was White?

Oh....then there is the old classic, "I can't be racist because some of my friends are Black/Asian/ etc"

Am sure that won't have been the case if the person in the wheel chair was White. The teacher only problem here is the COLOUR (it will seem)?

koalabear1

How can it be hilarious or even vaguely funny that a teacher stopped a child from dressing up as Santa purely because he was a black child and not white?

I am disgusted and horrified by the teacher's behaviour; I would be equally shocked if a black teacher did it to a white child: Santa is a non-existent entity who is supposed to be jolly and bring presents to children across the world. Who cares what colour his skin is supposed to be? Or if he is disabled, or gay or whatever.

I'm not preoccupied by skin colour, race etc etc but I feel strongly against discrimination. Be it against skin colour, gender, disability etc

Anyone laughing at discrimination against a school child is pretty disappointing to see.

dbd33

How then do you account for the career of Chris Rock?

Or, for CanCon, Shaun Majunder; his whole act depends on being the Newfie-Paki?

orly

Ignoring that it's a fictional character, Santa is certainly white. In much the same way that Tintin is white.

Shard

But that's not the point. The fact that the teacher chose to remark on the kid's suitability based on the kid's skin colour is the point.

koalabear1

Are you saying that because a lot (possibly most) people picture Santa as white, it is acceptable for a teacher to stop a black child from dressing up as Santa purely because he is black? <--- please note I have asked, not put words in your mouth

Saying Santa is certainly white comes across to me as a very "black and white" way of thinking (excuse the dreadful pun, but I couldn't think of a good alternative LOL)

Hey, I am white myself, and indeed do picture Santa as an old white male, but it's fine by me if people who don't match those criteria want to dress up as him. Especially when they are children!!! But even when they're not.

SANTA IS FICTIONAL