halfback20

:lol2: You seem angry. You don't know their intent, as much as you might think you do. These kids see the chop at sporting events around the world all year...but you know that they are informed enough to know it is offensive to some people?

I really don't know what point you are trying to make? You are making assumptions on the second part.

Do you know if the kids knew that? Did you when you were 16?

That's funny, when did I say that? I've had a long discussion here with several people with no issues. What are you talking about?

Certainly wasn't innocent? They were racist and homphobic and they harassed kids for no reason. They were the furthest thing from innocent.

I do not need your permission to start a thread, but thanks. I just said this thread is for discussing the entire situation. I still believe that. Some seem to want to only focus on the kids.

So we aren't allowed to discuss the other groups to provide context? I disagree.

The thread is about the entire situation.

They did the tomahawk and a chant. How do you know their intentions? Some have said they thought originally he was playing along with them because they started chanting in response to the racist homophobic men harrassing them. The African American men also made threats and one even picked up a staff to hit someone with if they got too close. You don't seem to mind that though... Did you know that the tomahawk chop was offensive when you were a kid? I didn't. I'm a Braves fan, they still do it at every game.

It provides context as to why they were chanting and dancing. They were doing that before Phillips approached them. They were doing it because a group of racist, homophobic idiots were harassing them. Phillips walked into it and they looked confused about what exactly was happening. All while people in Phillips' group made comments about white people needing to go back to Europe. When did we start holding kids to higher standards than adults?

We know who walked up to who. It's on video.

Did you watch the longer video?

I actually just got to watch most of the longer video. Wow. The small group taunting the kids are very racist and hateful. Mr. Phillips clearly approached the kids looking for a confrontation. The kids were responding to the hate from the other group with a chant (acceptable imo). They look confused when Phillips walks up to them. This story got so twisted and out of control, its insane. There are several issues here. *Where are the chaperones? *why is the African American group harrassing/threatening kids? *why did Phillips and his group approach the kids looking to start something? *still not a fan of the tomahawk but the group seemed confused about what was going on... I don't think anyone should be expelled based on what I have seen.

It's pretty obvious based on his interviews after, why he went towards the group. But thats just my opinion. I'm out for a bit. Appreciate the mostly constructive debate from you and everyone else. Compared to twitter, we have been extremely civil. :lol2:

I didn't say it did. I just feel like we were fed a lot of lies in the beginning. I think some kids got riled up and did some stupid things. They'll probably be punished. The guy who instigated it with a group of KIDS...what's his excuse? How would you feel if a group of men were harrassing your kids on one side, making racial and homophobic slurs, and then from the other side, someone else instigates a situation with them? With one in the second group telling the white kids to go back to Europe? Everyone was wrong here most likely. Then, Mr. Phillips said they were chanting "build that wall". In all the videos Ive seen, I haven't heard that chant. Was that a lie?

Some people are stupid. Trash talk is awesome.

I think the man playing the drum instigated the situation for a reason. I'm basing that on comments from some in the group with him. I never said anyone was a victim.

Your mind was made up early in this thread, that much is obvious. This was initially reported that these mean kids surrounded this poor guy for no reason. That is not true. He clearly approached them. Why do you think a grown man and his group did that? Why did they approach a group of kids who, at the time, had done nothing to them?

They started doing school chants to drown out the homophobic, racist African American group. They weren't scared. They literally stood there and talked to them. So... no.

I think we have gone past calling them out. Should we judge every kid because 3 did a tomahawk chop? The whole school is racist now? Should we expell kids for doing it?

You made your mind up based on one 30 second clip. You were fine believing theories about them harrassing African Americans, and surrounding him, with no video evidence of such. But you need to see a video of him walking into the group, because the one of him approaching them isn't good enough?

A lot of people don't want that full video out there. Why in the world does it keep getting pulled? I'm not a conspiracy theorist but it's odd that short clips with no context are fine, but the full video isn't?

Wasnt it you throwing out theories that Mr. Phillips got in between the kids and the African American men because the kids were being jerks? That's not true, so why did Mr. Phillips walk into the middle of the group of kids? What did the kids do wrong, other than a few of them doing the tomahawk?

Why did some one dislike your post?

So I watched a longer video. The kids literally just walk away at one point. A guy in the group with the man drumming appears to start saying "we won" and they start celebrating. Same guy said something like "white people go back to Europe where you came from". The worst thing I saw from a few students was the tomahawk chop. It was stupid, but doesn't reflect the entire group.