This is the kind of reporting that goes under the media radar, because, guess what? These boys were just having what they would label as “innocent fun.” And yet this is the very kind of behavior that breeds the Zimmermans and Dunns to hunt down and shoot black boys, because you know they didn’t think they were doing anything wrong. It was their right as white males living in America.
They received 3 days suspension from school and the meet, and then it’s back to school and business as usual!
SERIOUSLY? This photo was an attempt at showing school spirit
Philipsburg High School wrestlers, seated from left, Tyler Agans, Tylor Petchonka, Andrew Horun, Broderick Bupivi, Jimmy Schuitema, Tim Hinkle, Garrett Wolfinger, and Daniel Wissing, who were scratched from a state tournament days after a photo surfaced of team members apparently simulating a lynching, look on as their attorney, Scott Wilhelm, not shown, reads a statement on their behalf at a news conference on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014 in Philipsburg, N.J. The photo features seven wrestlers apparently simulating a lynching of a black wrestling dummy in a rival team’s shirt. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
Scott Wilhelm, attorney for eight New Jersey high school wrestlers scratched from a state tournament days after a photo surfaced of team members apparently simulating a lynching, reads a statement on behalf of his clients at a news conference on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014 in Philipsburg , N.J. The photo features seven Philipsburg High School wrestlers apparently simulating a lynching of a black wrestling dummy in a rival team’s shirt. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
Suspended? Should these boys’ Hideous, racist, behavior be charged a HATE CRIME?
“…this is the very kind of behavior that breeds the Zimmermans and Dunns to hunt down and shoot black boys…”
Without question. And every time this kind of behavior is ignored, excused, denied, or described as “just a joke,” we take another step backwards and increase the likelihood that some black person or other non-white person will be hurt or killed.
How could something so evil have become so ingrained in our culture that generation after generation cannot seem to flush it out?
Paulsboro is very close to us and the kids in my sons band & I were talking about this very topic just a few hours ago.
The short of it is that this is a despicable act and the minimum was pulling these kids from the rest of the tournament. I believe there should be much more severe punishment that just that however.
This shit sets race relations back immeasurably because it creates that “It was only an innocent photo” vs “Gee, where did they scrounge up a black mannequin and a Trayvon Martin hoodie all pointed just like Trayvon” mode.
Lets cut through all the BS…..this was not a spontaneous event. Phillipsburg is in North Jersey and Paulsboro is across the Delaware River and just south of Phila. PA. As if they just found a sweatshirt from Paulsboro HS at the Walmart up the street.
Mo……this was planned and why aren’t there any black kids in the picture……those racist bastards lynch them all ??
On BB7 last year she had a thread where she asked some of us to post pictures from our youth and invited us to talk about ourselves. Blushedbrown, MMP and a few others had some great history.
I told of the racist household I had to overcome and a major part of it was from HS football. I caught an 86 yard pass against Paulsboro and one of their safeties caught me from behind about their 10 yard line. We rolled over and he popped up and then straddled me and offered me a hand up. He then jokingly said, and this will be with me until I die, “Damn man, you’re pretty fast for a white boy” then pointed a finger at me like “You the man” and jogged to his huddle.
He was an all star at everything and a NJ sprint champion on the track team. During the remainder of the game (we blew them out) I thought nothing of that comment other than as a compliment. This was in 72. After the game he sought me out while we walked across the field with the “…good game…good game…nice job…” handshakes and stuff. I kept him from making any significant plays on offense and caught quite a few passes on him. We talked football and a few days later the Athletic Dir. in our school told me that he contacted our school and wanted to know if I was interested in being his pen pal.
We became good friends and as he had a drivers lic. we went on double dates. When he came to our house, my dad was pissed. He hated the fact that I was friends with him. I can say with 0 trepidations that his comment said jokingly gave me a 180 degree outlook on this. We he asked to be friends, I was stunned, not by that, but how it was diametrically opposed as to what I had been told (brainwashed) to that point.
We drifted apart after a few years when he went to college, but I love him to this day. He may have been the best teacher I ever had at anything.
My point ?? Why can’t we all just get along ? I post my story again because that one football player from Paulsboro, who elected to talk to this lily white split end / corner back about how I, of all people, kept him from doing anything in that game, then felt some inner bond, despite my color…..he initiated this…. eventually overwhelmed what I was taught to be “normal”
So when I first saw this a week or so ago, my blood boiled over. I’m glad you found this and started a talk on it.
I’m pissed !! There is no other way for me to express myself. I don’t care what their lawyer says, their parents say or what they say. Freaking Zidiots and those race baiting hate mongers repeatedly say “…wanna be thug…” about every black male kid to the point of nausea.
Once again, the actual thugs turn out to be the other party. How blind do they actually think we are ??????? Can you imagine if the black wrestlers did this with a white mannequin??
What were they thinking….actually, they are incapable of intelligent thought.
When he came to our house, my dad was pissed. He hated the fact that I was friends with him.
Racer, I hear you! I know a guy whose parents hated black people to no end. Guess what? Their son ended up falling in love with a black girl. Of course they disowned/disinherited him. Oh well!
My family disowned me. My mom passed away Jan 5th and I found out through a friend. None of my brothers or sister had the character to call and tell us anything. That’s just the short of it.
I’m so sorry racer! Mad props that you rejected the hate. You have a good heart! No one can go wrong in doing the right thing.
racer, your story proves that racism is taught and can be rejected.
MADIBA! He knew, spoke, and LIVED TRUTH.
My dad was a cop and was very opinionated, that is, he was never wrong, no matter how you could prove it. My paternal grandfather is the one who kept teaching the parts of life that matter…..mostly love, tolerance and forgiveness.
It can be rejected. I have to say it takes a strong will as there was no safety in it in my household.
You did good, racer! So grateful for your grandfather to show you the way. Mad props to you for standing for what is good & right!
This was nothing but racial hate masking as an innocent photo prank. See how these white boys are made out to be the innocents,when they direct their racial animus towards their black wrestling opponents?
Dressing them up in ties and button down shirts won’t change the fact that their behavior is RACIST, HURTFUL, HATEFUL, BIGOTED & UNACCEPTABLE!
“When we spontaneously set the scene and posed for the photograph, our sole purpose was to promote school spirit and portray our wrestling team as victor over two of our archrivals – Paulsboro High School and Kittatinny High School, and not for any other purpose,” attorney Scott Wilhelm said on behalf of the students — Andrew B. Horun, Tyler Agans, Jimmy Schuitema, Tim Hinkle, Broderick Bupivi, Tyler Petchonka, Daniel Wissing, and Garrett Wolfinger.
Taught at home.
The boys were taught that wearing a POINTED HOOD and posing with a rope around a black dummy’s neck is harmless.
Where do they find out how to be this stupid?
Taught at home.
Precisely!
Yes, which means whomever taught them this wickedness, either don’t know the barbaric, racist history of lynching blacks. Oh wait… they do and find it perfectly normal/acceptable!
WAH WAH WAH! We want to wrestle in the tournament! These white boys don’t think they did anything wrong. Ready to move on and wrestle with those black boys on the other team. No harm done.
Even at that age they should be more socially astute.