Stay classy, Reno

[sperry]

I saw the headline and *knew* the comments section would be chock full of redneck, racist, ignorant comments.

"Washoe County School District will pay $400,000 to settle suit over Muslim head scarf"

http://www.rgj.com/article/20090408/NEWS18/90408006

Way to prove me right, Reno.

[100_Percent_Juice]

The one post about school uniforms makes the most sense. I think all Washoe County is going to school Uniforms next year.

[MattR]

The comments sections at RGJ.com are unbelievable. I secretly wish people were just joking or being funny, but they are for real... Every single post is like..." Well, looks like another (insert racial term here) screwed it up for the rest of us". It's painful to read. Occasionally there are some bits of good commentary, but rare.

[Dewey]

It's rediculous to think someone would have to resort to filing a lawsuit against a school district over other students behavior. If this would actually solve a problem, so-be-it. But, this will never stop happening in public schools. It is terrible to think about students getting away this kind of behavior, but yes, it does exist, and there really isn't much anyone can do except raise their children to be perfectly accepting of their surroundings. In my honest opinion, I think that this is a just a copout. Everyone deals with some bullying. While this may seem like a more serious matter, nobody should be capable of recieving a settlement over something like this. If she wanted to take a more mature way of dealing with this, she would have contacted the administration to resolve her problems, instead of taking away knowledge from others. Especially if its money from an already low budget in a school district that needs every penny.

[JonnydaJibba]

Our society panders to crybabies. So we have political correctness and bullshit like this happens. Yes, poor girl, we all got picked on for something. Or a good chunk of us. But there shouldn't be monetary compesation. I agree with bringing light to her situation and showing people what the administators apparently ignored, perhaps even bring some kind of retrobution since the bullying was so bad she that she dropped out. But to sue for money?

[sperry]

I don't have an opinion on the $400k (or $350k depending on what part of the article you read, nice reporting RGJ! ).

My point was that the article was sure to drag out well written responses from the retarded rightwingers here in Reno like this jem:

Give me a break, when is all this BS about the poor Muslims going to stop, If they don't like it here then go to some muslim country and see what it is really like....I am sick and tired of hearing about the muslims here in this country, there are no nice muslims all are out to overthrow our country and way of life, the Koran is a book of hate and preaches to kill all non muslims....time to say there is the door now leave....or conform to our way of life while you are in public, don't give a damn about what you do in your home or in a muslim country...again this is not a muslim country, unlike osama obama says we are not a nation of christians anymore....but that is not what history and the founding fathers had in mind.......the kiss ass of the mulims has to stop....I for one will not and will fight anyone that wants to take over this country.

I can't believe these are potentially my neighbors that are so close minded, and so confused about the whole point of the Constitution and what our founding fathers envisioned. The whole idea that the country is founded on Christian morals and traditions is a recent idea not upheld by history.

"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God." --Thomas Jefferson

[100_Percent_Juice]

$350k to her and $50k for her friend that was bullied for being her friend.

[SteveM]

Well, I have to work with people that spout off things like the quote below randomly thruout the day, so I know people like this exist, and are definately not joking!

Edit: stupid iPhone didn't do the quote right. He quote that Scott quoted, not what Scott posted.

[WRX06TR]

I want to know what school this took place at. I think location and the demographic of the school plays a huge role in how students are treated.

I just remember at Douglas there were 3 or 4 "Middle Eastern" students who choose to wore the scarf or headdress. I never heard anything about them having trouble and they were actually quite popular around the school. IDK I think once you mix a "lower class" school with a reason to start bullying, problems start...

[100_Percent_Juice]

Don't any of you know how to read. It says she dropped out of North Valleys High.

[TrueNative]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

The one post about school uniforms makes the most sense. I think all Washoe County is going to school Uniforms next year.

This could create more problems as certain religions require a certain dress code....future lawsuits for religious discrimination.

My daughter will be going to this school next year. I just showed her the story. Her reply was...."So, if I get picked on, I could get close to a half million??"

[WRX06TR]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

Don't any of you know how to read. It says she dropped out of North Valleys High.

Thanx... reading comprehension>me

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by Dewey

It's rediculous to think someone would have to resort to filing a lawsuit against a school district over other students behavior. If this would actually solve a problem, so-be-it. But, this will never stop happening in public schools. It is terrible to think about students getting away this kind of behavior, but yes, it does exist, and there really isn't much anyone can do except raise their children to be perfectly accepting of their surroundings. In my honest opinion, I think that this is a just a copout. Everyone deals with some bullying. While this may seem like a more serious matter, nobody should be capable of recieving a settlement over something like this. If she wanted to take a more mature way of dealing with this, she would have contacted the administration to resolve her problems, instead of taking away knowledge from others. Especially if its money from an already low budget in a school district that needs every penny.

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

Our society panders to crybabies. So we have political correctness and bullshit like this happens. Yes, poor girl, we all got picked on for something. Or a good chunk of us. But there shouldn't be monetary compesation. I agree with bringing light to her situation and showing people what the administators apparently ignored, perhaps even bring some kind of retrobution since the bullying was so bad she that she dropped out. But to sue for money?

I don't think you guys fully grasp what was actually happening. This girl wasn't getting "picked on." She was getting harassed for her religion and treated like a non-person. and the priciple's comments are what really got her the settlement, not the students' actions.

Basically, what happened to her is exactly like black students getting harassed during desegregation. she and her family deserve it IMO. Hopefully the district and its administrators take a lesson from this.

[JonnydaJibba]

So why then do we need to give her money? Why not punish and ignant principle instead?

[Kevin M]

That's where the "punitive" in punitive damages comes from.

[ScottyS]

Originally Posted by sperry

The whole idea that the country is founded on Christian morals and traditions is a recent idea not upheld by history.

Hmmm, I don't think this is the case. Setting founding documents aside, which are full of references associated with western Christianity, literature written early in the country's history points to a population that, while they did not all participate in a single tradition, were largely governed and influenced by a social and legal system that was directly derived from centuries of European Christianity.

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by MattR

The comments sections at RGJ.com are unbelievable. I secretly wish people were just joking or being funny, but they are for real... Every single post is like..." Well, looks like another (insert racial term here) screwed it up for the rest of us". It's painful to read. Occasionally there are some bits of good commentary, but rare.

RGJ comments always seem to border on the crazy.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by ScottyS

Hmmm, I don't think this is the case. Setting founding documents aside, which are full of references associated with western Christianity, literature written early in the country's history points to a population that, while they did not all participate in a single tradition, were largely governed and influenced by a social and legal system that was directly derived from centuries of European Christianity.

The bottom line was that the US was not founded on some "general understanding" that Christianity should be the de facto religion of the citizens of the US. The design of the Constitution was purposely crafted such that as the base morality of the majority evolved, the Constitution itself would be modifiable via amendments to reflect the new morality of the people. The founding fathers, while basing the initial laws on their own (decidedly Christian) moral background, were very cognizant that people's belief structures would change over time, and that religious beliefs should not be the basis of government. The fundamentals of the Constitution are not specific to Christianity, and are intended to be more general and more fundamental than the rules of most Christian religions.

When people argue against gay marriage for example, they make the patently false argument that "even though the founders didn't explicitly say gay marriage is wrong in the Constitution, they were Christians, and therefore that's what they meant." When in fact, the founding fathers explicitly didn't put that stuff in the Constitution because they explicitly intended for those sorts of religion based morals to be sorted out external to the government. It's not the government's place to dictate the personal choices of people as long as they don't affect the freedom of others, and that is one of the basic fundamentals of the Constitution.

It's really frustrating to hear crap like "this country was founded on Jesus" when it's not, and that people of other religions should "just go somewhere else" because they're "not welcome here". The US was founded on exactly the opposite principals... the country was founded on the idea that no matter your race, color, creed, background, etc you have the same exact inalienable rights as everyone else, and that people from everywhere are welcome since we're a nation of immigrants with mailable laws that are designed to change over time to reflect the belief of the greater majority.

The Constitution is a completely different document than the Bible. When was the last time an amendment to the Bible was ratified by all the Christian sects that believe in it?

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by sperry

When was the last time an amendment to the Bible was ratified by all the Christian sects that believe in it?

It was arguably in the late 8th century AD, at Nicaea.

Oh, and ignorant e-tards FTL.

[knucklesplitter]

Originally Posted by sperry

The Constitution is a completely different document than the Bible...

It's always worth noting that the US Constitution never mentions the words God, Jesus, or Christ, or even the generic-for-its-time word "Creator". Not even once. You suppose they did that on accident?

[100_Percent_Juice]

However, you do have to believe in Jesus to win any type of sporting event.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

However, you do have to believe in Jesus to win any type of sporting event.

No, you just have to thank him later during the interviews.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MikeK

No, you just have to thank him later during the interviews.

I just blame him for my losses. "Well, we were in the game until Jesus made me fumble."

[MPREZIV]

Originally Posted by sperry

I just blame him for my losses. "Well, we were in the game until Jesus made me fumble."

Win.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

I just blame him for my losses. "Well, we were in the game until Jesus made me fumble."

Scott would be the Kathy Griffin of Sports with something like that. I can support that.

Suck it Jesus!