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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: egj13 on May 04, 2007, 01:01:46 PM
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LEWISTON, ME - One student has been suspended and more disciplinary action could follow a possible hate crime at Lewiston Middle School, Superintendent Leon Levesque said Wednesday.
On April 11, a white student placed a ham steak in a bag on a lunch table where Somali students were eating. Muslims consider pork unclean and offensive.
The school incident is being treated seriously as "a hate incident," Levesque said. Lewiston police are investigating, and the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence is working with the school to create a response plan.
"We've got some work to do to turn this around and bring the school community back together again," Levesque said.
Placing ham where Muslim students were eating was "an awful thing," said Stephen Wessler, executive director of the Center for Prevention of Hate Violence. "It's extraordinarily hurtful and degrading" to Muslims, whose religion prohibits them from being around ham. It's important to respond swiftly, Wessler said.
"Incidents like this that involve degrading language or conduct are often said by the perpetrator as a joke. I know that conduct is never static," he said. "It's part of a process of escalation."
If people think insulting Muslims with ham is OK, "More degrading acts will follow, until at some point we'll end up having violence," Wessler said.
The incident does not reflect the moral values of the school staff and students, Levesque said. "We need to take a look at this and review how a careless act is degrading and causes hurt to other people. All our students should feel welcome and safe in our schools."
He said a letter would be sent home to parents explaining what happened and outlining the school's response. Wessler will meet with students to address the school's climate, and staff will talk about how to respond to and prevent future hate incidents
'I didn't feel safe'
A 14-year-old Somali boy, whose mother asked that his name not be published, said he was eating lunch with four other Somali students on April 11. He noticed many others in the cafeteria "standing up, looking at us."
One boy came near, began laughing and threw a bag on the table while other students laughed and said, 'Good job.'"
"We didn't know what was in this bag," the boy said. "One of my friends reached inside it. It was a big ham steak. There were five of us at the table, all Somali. It was intended for us."
The boy said he looked up at students he thought were his friends. "I felt angered, offended."
He suddenly felt like he was alone. "At the school the next day, I didn't feel safe. I felt like everybody was against me. Before I felt like I fit in, and everything was normal."
He began to think white students didn't like him, and the act was their way of letting him know.
On Thursday, several students came up to him and said, "Those guys who did it were jerks. I apologize for them, and I hope you feel better."
The boy said they did make him feel better. "But for the rest of my life when I remember middle school, this will pop up right away."
He spoke out because he wants the community to know what happened, "that there is something like this going on in our schools."
Wessler and Levesque said the act happened the day before April vacation began, which prevented educators from gathering information.
"This is not done," Wessler said.
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what next schools can't serve ham? Bingo
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what next schools can't serve ham? Bingo
This is the apathetic mentality that America is taking on that I was refering to in the other thread.
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This is the apathetic mentality that America is taking on that I was refering to in the other thread.
This is of no real big concern, boo fucing hoo, some kids bullied another kid turned out he was muslim, 90% of kids are bullied in their lifetime of schooling, 14 years old {play Justin Timberlake "Cry me a River" remix}
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He didn't put the sandwich there because he hates anyone.
He just happened to watch "Black Hawk Down" last night.
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The somali's settled up there for no good reason several years ago. Somebody invited them or something. Maine is not exactly warm. Anyway the folks there are not very happy.
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In truth, it's the Blacks - not the Whites - who should be most disturbed by the Somali invasion.
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In truth, it's the Blacks - not the Whites - who should be most disturbed by the Somali invasion.
There are no black people in Maine, well not literally of course but there aren't many. I grew up there and didn't have one in my highschool.
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Hey....fellow New Englander..yeah anyway Lewiston isn't the best but if your from small town Maine..or smaller..Lewiston isn't that small, and a huge group of Somali's decend on you..u'd be pissed.
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Do you know why the Somalis moved there?
So that they could avoid having to live near Black Americans.
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Hey....fellow New Englander..yeah anyway Lewiston isn't the best but if your from small town Maine..or smaller..Lewiston isn't that small, and a huge group of Somali's decend on you..u'd be pissed.
And fellow Red Sox fan, not Pats though sorry! I don't know much about the somali/black relationship
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Not sure about all that but there is a story..they were invited by some religious group and the folks up there went nuts. Why because they're muslim?
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Not sure about all that but there is a story..they were invited by some religious group and the folks up there went nuts. Why because they're muslim?
I'm not sure. I haven't been back home since '02
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There are no black people in Maine, well not literally of course but there aren't many. I grew up there and didn't have one in my highschool.
We had three in my high school (Presque Isle High).
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Who cares about Maine?
My sis lives in NE and it's full of hippies.. If you can't get along with these hippies then you must be retarded, which is what most somalis are. ;)
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Ever been to Maine..they had the KKK up there for years..mainly against Catholics as there just were'nt alot of Blacks....Presque Isle is up there...I guess it depends on when u went to school. I'm talking about 80- and early 90's.
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Ever been to Maine..they had the KKK up there for years..mainly against Catholics as there just were'nt alot of Blacks....Presque Isle is up there...I guess it depends on when u went to school. I'm talking about 80- and early 90's.
I was there from 1980-86.
The only minorities were those from Loring, AFB.
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the only hate crime is against the delicious pig
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I was there from 1980-86.
The only minorities were those from Loring, AFB.
There is a black guy at my church who was born and raised in Maine. That makes one. :)
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i hate these fuckers
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the only hate crime is against the delicious pig
hahahahaha lmao
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What makes Muslims think that they're better than a pig?
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What makes Muslims think that they're better than a pig?
cuz muhammad said so.
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In truth, it's the Blacks - not the Whites - who should be most disturbed by the Somali invasion.
Why is that?
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We had three in my high school (Presque Isle High).
My first wife went to Presque Isle. Class of 94. I went to UMPI
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Hey....fellow New Englander..yeah anyway Lewiston isn't the best but if your from small town Maine..or smaller..Lewiston isn't that small, and a huge group of Somali's decend on you..u'd be pissed.
You're from New England? ??? I never would have guessed. ;)
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LMFAO @ "HATE CRIME"
::)
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Hahaha... Anger at a ham steak.
You couldn't make this shit up.
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Even me with my "liberal leftist" leanings have to say this really is a storm in a tea cup. Ham sandwich - get over it.
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He wasted a perfectly good ham sandwich.
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Every juvenile "lockup" I was at had not one thing with ham in it because of Muslims. What's next no more talking because a budhast monk is coming to a school. Fuck who cares, people feel offended by something or another everyday, suck it up and have some pride in yourself for Christ sake... Oh No!!!! I said Christ and someone reading this may not be Christian :o ::)
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... as long as they don't take my alcohol.
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We should be using peer pressure to make their kids eat ham.
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Every juvenile "lockup" I was at had not one thing with ham in it because of Muslims. What's next no more talking because a budhast monk is coming to a school. Fuck who cares, people feel offended by something or another everyday, suck it up and have some pride in yourself for Christ sake... Oh No!!!! I said Christ and someone reading this may not be Christian :o ::)
I'm not a Christian and I'm not offended... Say Christ all you like.
:D
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I'm not a Christian and I'm not offended... Say Christ all you like.
:D
I am a christian, but I'm not offended. Wish other groups could learn to let stuff roll off of their backs
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My first wife went to Presque Isle. Class of 94. I went to UMPI
UMPI... lol
Back when PIHS had a wrestling team I used to train there.
Interesting university. Bull dykes and flannel shirts. It was like a man hating lumberjack convention.
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UMPI... lol
Back when PIHS had a wrestling team I used to train there.
Interesting university. Bull dykes and flannel shirts. It was like a man hating lumberjack convention.
Yeah it was interesting, but they have a real good PE program. I only finished a year there. Things are completely different without Loring
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i think the next time you see one of these bastards you should walk up and kick him in the nuts!