Posted on 09/15/2005 10:46:04 AM PDT by conserv13
"What's up with your shirt?"
Those are the words a former senior at Fleming Island High School remembers hearing as he walked from his fifth-period algebra class toward the gym. The 18-year-old, who is not being identified due to his family's concerns of safety, had just taken off his Dixie Outfitter T-shirt, exposing a highly offensive shirt.
"What about it?" replied the 18-year-old, skinny and white.
"Well, you know it's racial," said a black student, now in a group confronting the 18-year-old.
"Yeah. So?"
The undershirt the white student wore had a confederate flag on the front with the words "Keep it flying." On the back, a cartoon depicted a group of hooded Klansmen standing outside a church, waving to two others who had just pulled away in a car reading "Just married."
Two black men in nooses were being dragged behind.
Upset by the shirt, a 17-year-old black student hit the white student in the head. A crowd of about 100 students gathered to watch the Aug. 29 fight before authorities intervened.
(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonville.com ...
Disagree. Them there were fightin' words the *sshole was wearing. The black guy was within his rights, IMO.
A shirt with the flag should be no problem. That is history. But the rest of it is despicable.
It's despicable, and yes, them's fightin words but to justify violence based on a T-Shirt slogan or picture, well that's not acceptable either.
Well, fightin' words do not JUSTIFY physical violence. I don't argue with the motivation, and can't say how I would have acted in the same situation, but I am not going to condone the violent response. It's still assault. Question back to you... do you think there are situations where someone's words or expressions are a legitimate incitement to violence? Interested to hear them.
Well, yeah. If someone calls me a Jew b*stard to my face, that qualifies; if someone uses the n word to an African American, that qualifies. And, the shirt, IMO, also qualifies.
Hopefully he learned the lesson. If you're going to wear a shirt like that, you better be ready for a fight.
Violence sometimes IS the answer.
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