WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — The authorities in southern New Jersey said Saturday that they had arrested a 16-year-old boy for activating a public-address system at a Wal-Mart store last week and ordering “all black people” to leave.
The boy, from Atlantic County, was charged by Gloucester County authorities with bias and intimidation and harassment in connection with the episode last Sunday. If convicted, he could face up to a year in a juvenile detention center, officials said. His name was not released because he is a minor.
According to the police, the boy picked up a public-address telephone in the Wal-Mart in Washington Township, one of two dozen accessible to the store’s customers, and said, “All black people, leave the store now.”
A store manager quickly apologized over the public-address system, witnesses said, and the police and the store opened separate investigations that included a review of images captured by the store’s security cameras.
Rafael Muñiz, the Washington Township police chief, said that while the cameras did not record anyone speaking on the public-address system, images showed three people — the suspect, a young man and a woman — standing near the phone just before the announcement, and rushing from the store just after it.
Investigators also scoured Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, and found postings, including some that the police chief said involved “kids bragging” about what happened.
With the help of anonymous tipsters, he added, investigators were led to the suspect, who was arrested Friday.
“We got lucky,” Chief Muñiz said Saturday at a news conference.
The suspect had been accompanied to the store by a friend and the friend’s mother, the authorities said. Neither the friend nor his mother had been charged, though Chief Muñiz left open the possibility that they could face prosecution for failing to report a crime.
The police would not disclose any details about the suspect, including his race.
In the course of their inquiry, officials said, investigators discovered at least two similar occurrences at the store in recent months.
The store’s parent company, Wal-Mart Stores, issued a statement saying it had modified its intercom system at the store to prevent such breaches.
“We’re pleased this matter is resolved,” the statement said. “We again apologize to all of our customers and associates who had to listen to something so offensive.”
In a statement on Friday, the company said: “We’re appalled by this incident and are amazed that anyone could be so backward and mean-spirited in this day and age.”
Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, has a history of discrimination and labor complaints involving minorities and women, though in recent years it has redoubled its efforts to promote diversity at its stores.
Last year, the company agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused it of discriminating against blacks applying for jobs as truck drivers.
News of the arrest circulated among the customers at the Washington Township store on Saturday afternoon.
Paulette Duckrey, 43, who is black, said that when she heard about the episode, she guessed that it was a prank by a customer.
“I assumed it couldn’t have been an employee,” she said.
Kirk Semple reported from New York, and Nate Schweber from Washington Township, N.J.
"One of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people." Alvin Ailey
In your blog response answer these questions:
- Do you think this was only a prank?
- Even if the youth says, "I was only kidding" should he be charged with a crime?
- Why would someone do something like this?
- The youth has been arrested and charged and is facing one year in a juvenile detention center if convicted. Do you think that is just punishment?
- What if he said " All white people must leave the store"?
- Why would other kids brag about this on Facebook or YouTube?
- Do you think this incident will hurt WalMart's reputation?
- Explain what you think the quote from Alvin Ailey means.
78 comments:
if you're that intensley racist to do that then i dont know what to say because that is beyond racisim thats pretty much rediclous and almost the worst thing you could say espically over the intercom at walmart.Also there are a lot of black people who are better thea whites out there so get over it
Yes, I think this was only a prank. The youth said "I was only kidding" and if he means it, he should not be charged with crime. Someone would do this, because it happens all the time. Racism is bad, but it happens alot and people don't change. I do not think his punishment is just, because he was after all, only kidding. He just made a bad choice, and will have to learn from his mistake. If he said "all white people must leave the store", and he was white, it wouldn't really be racist, but it would still be stupid. Kids would brag aboutt this because it's funny, and they want other people the hear about it. I do not think it will hurt Wal-Mart's reputation. It was just a joke, and people will just have to get over it, and accept the fact that stuff happens, and people do stupid things.
I think it is a terrible thing that this kid has done.Saying that is such a bold statment which i think it is saying is that blacks arnt welcome here.If he said it was only a joke then he still should be punished becuase this is not a joke at all.i dont think this will hurt wallmarts reputation but i think they will change theres store so customers do have acesss to the phones.
i think it was not a prank because who would bring a parent to do somthing like that. i think he should get punished. you dont just go and say that in a store. if he said all white people leave the store it would not be as bad.
i feel that it is absoulutly horrible that that dumb kid said this. it is just down right wrong! i don't really care if he was only kidding he should still be charged with a crime because that is a terrible thing to say. if he said all white people must leave then people probably would not have bragged about it because i dont think that people are racist towards whites and if so then not that many are.
I don't think that it was a prank because why would he do that.. Pranks aren't anything close to what that kid did. He singled out a bunch of people just because of their skin color. He also did it in a public place so yes he definitely deserves it. That's also a issue that you don't kid about. If he said "all white people leave the store" its still stupid. Why would anyone be so stupid to do that. Kids who brag on facebook for screaming stupid things in Walmart are obviously idiots. They obviously just wanted to get attention. Which they did except in a bad way. However i don't think its Walmart's fault because its really the people who did it. hope that idiot learns a lesson.
No, I do not think this was only a prank, I think he was trying to get a point across that there are still racist people in the world. Yes, he should still be charged with a crime because he commited a crime and just saying "I was only kidding" will not set him free. Someone would do something like this because they are racist and they hate people who are not of their race, so they discriminate them and say bad things. Yes, it is just punishment and it will teach him a lesson. If he said that then he should get the same punishment because all people and races should be treated equally. Other kids would brag about it because they think that since they did something that is not appropirate or something that is illegal it will make them "cool". Yes, it will hurt Walmarts reputation because the kid could just walk in and use the speaker. It means that young people hear something about another race and they beleive it, and it is true, which most of the time it is not.
I for one think that what he did is OUT OF HIS MINED. It is not close to a prank it is definatly racist even if he was only joking that is NOTHING to joke about and also if its a joke...that is a terrible thing to say. he probely hates the black people(i dont know why) but black people are a great thing to our world (i dont want to call them black people) and they created many,many things and like obama a great leader to our world.so after all i said that is a worthy punishmint to him if he sead all white people leave the store it is just as racist no mater what color we are still the same on the out side.i ges if people brag i geas they are racist to. i dont think it will hert walmarts bisness as i sead befor abought the braging lots of racists and lastly if young people hang out with racist people they wall be racist to.
I for one think that what he did is OUT OF HIS MINED. It is not close to a prank it is definatly racist even if he was only joking that is NOTHING to joke about and also if its a joke...that is a terrible thing to say. he probely hates the black people(i dont know why) but black people are a great thing to our world (i dont want to call them black people) and they created many,many things and like obama a great leader to our world.so after all i said that is a worthy punishmint to him if he sead all white people leave the store it is just as racist no mater what color we are still the same on the out side.i ges if people brag i geas they are racist to. i dont think it will hert walmarts bisness as i sead befor abought the braging lots of racists and lastly if young people hang out with racist people they wall be racist to.
i do not think that this was a joke. If you wanted to pull of a joke than you wouldn't hav to go to walmart just to do that. The boy must of had something seriously against black people. i think he got what he deserved he should never of done someting this efensive to people. He doesn't understand that black peopel are the smae as white people the only differnecce is their skin coloer and that shoudln't mean anything people are people and that is that. the boy was very naive and most likely was not thining staright when he was doing this. ihope that mean person ;earned his lesoon
i do not think that this was a joke. If you wanted to pull of a joke than you wouldn't hav to go to walmart just to do that. The boy must of had something seriously against black people. i think he got what he deserved he should never of done someting this efensive to people. He doesn't understand that black peopel are the smae as white people the only differnecce is their skin coloer and that shoudln't mean anything people are people and that is that. the boy was very naive and most likely was not thining staright when he was doing this. ihope that mean person ;earned his lesoon
I feel that if this was a prank it was lousy and immature. To think that saying this would be funny is just completely and utterly appalling. It’s almost inhuman to think that after we have come so far that others would just throw a piece of that back into the sea of racism. The thought makes me sick. Yes he should most definitely be charged. I feel that saying you were only kidding after a crime like this it is almost as bad a being serious. To think that saying a race is lesser than you is bullying, it’s wrong, it’s a lie. No person is lesser than you just because they have a different skin color. All your skin is a pigment, it’s just a color. Do you think it is fair to say someone should a store because God decided to color them black, brown, or white? The only reason I can give you for someone wanting to do this is that the person is either A: cruel, B: they don’t have a good sense of humor, or C: they have something wrong with their brain. I feel that one year would be a perfect punishment because not only will it send a message to the kid that committed the crime but also to any kids who might in the future commit this. For a teen to see that they will lose a whole year because they got a good 5 minute laugh would most likely stop most of them from doing something this stupid. I would also like to add that if this kid gets charged so should his friend and the friend’s mom because they were obviously involved and guilty. If he said that all whit people must leave the store I don’t feel anything would have unfolded that differently. I feel that things would be handled professionally just like they were in this situation. This was unfair there for they would see every situation like this unfairly. Kids might brag about this on Facebook or something to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Kids are so hung up on being popular and cool that they would do something this irresponsible just to get someone to think that they were cool. I do believe that Wal-Mart will be affected by this. If people feel that they might be discriminated then chances are they will not be shopping at the popular store in a while. The quote is sadly very true since we grow up in a very undecided world we often have no idea which path is correct. If we hear about people discriminating against other races we will think that it is cool and acceptable. If we do this everything will stay the same and we will never see anyone as our equals. Everyone says that world peace is the goal when really the only way we will ever achieve this is if we first achieve equality.
I don't think this incident was a prank. When you pull a prank, you don't normally get in a ton of trouble. I think this guy was trying to get the message across to the black people, but failed. If the kid says he was only kidding, it doesn't matter because his words don't mean anything since he was the on broadcasting racism over the PA system. He probably did this because he his racist against black people and doesn't like them. I think a just punishment for the youth is 200 hours of community service. If he was putting down his community, then he should help raise it back up again by helping out. If the kid said all white people must leave the store, then it would just be a prank because white people are the majority, not the minority, and are not usually discriminated against, so it wouldn't be that much of a big deal. Kids would brag on Facebook or Youtube because they think that they're so cool to have been a part of something like this. I don't think that this incident will harm Walmart's reputation because it's really not their fault. It's not as if one of their employees did it. I think the quote from Alvin Ailey means that young people's minds are being easily affected by what they see adults doing. If an adult is racist, then they will be racist too. Also the youth are the future, so if this current dominant generation brainwashes children to do bad things, then the future will be bad.
I do not think this was a prank because why would he do it who would think it was funny. Yes because he is being resist it’s not like u can’t be resist but you don’t need to do it over the speaker. They would do this only if they were jealous. Yes I do think it’s just punishment. Yes he wouldn’t get in as much trouble if he said all white people must leave the store. Because they think they’re better than other people. Well it wasn’t Wal-Mart’s fault but maybe. Means that he’s racist.
I think it was not a prank because at 16 years old you should mature enough to not say, and know everyone is a free citizen no matter what race or color. I think the youth should be charged with a crime because his incident was completely bias. I think this boy did this for attention, and to make him look big. Yes that is a perfect punishment because then he will be in a room with all races and they'll teach the youth not to be bias. If he said all white people should leave the store then he is stupid! People would brag about this because it's a huge deal, and mean people would think its funny. I don't think it will hurt Wal-Mart’s because it was a random youth that said that not a worker at Wal-Mart. I think the quote that Alvin Ailey said meant that it's terrible for kids to be racist growing up because racism will sink into kid’s heads causing them to believe people are bad and not worth living.
WHITE POWER! 卐卐卐卐卐
WHITE POWER! 卐卐卐卐卐
I thinkt that while he did make a statement that was rascist and could be taken offensively, I still beleive it was only a prank and that everyone is taki ng this way too seriously. sure it was a rascist statement and yes he said it over the wal-mart loudspeaker, but i know people who have done much worse pranks. also what happened to freedom of speech this minor has the right to think, and say what he want, though i do beleive that saying this over the loudspeaker was harsh.This is definately a crime but i feel peopel are taking this petty crime way too seriously because a year in juvy is ridiculouse. i feel a crime like this deserves maybe 200 hours of community service or maybe even less. i feel that if kid said that all white people should get out of the store then people wouldn't find it as rascist as they do now.I think the quote means that rascism as a youth can give kids a different perspective on people and not find out for their own that not everyone of that group is like that.
I think this wasnt only a prank to make him look "cool". When he said "I was only kidding" that doesnt change my poinion. I still think he should be charged because this is serious. He may have thought it was a joke, but he took it too far, ecspecially because he said it over the intercom at Wal-mart. It wasn't funny in anyway, and it was very immature. It's wrong to single out people because of their skin color. Even if he said "All white people leave the store." he was still singling them out. It still wouldnt be wrong, and definetly not funny.
I know for a fact that this kid definitely has some kind of disliking for non-whites. I also think that some people might be dittered from Wal-Mart,but the situation is also mostly at fault with the kid. If he said all white people must leave the store I don't think it would be as bad not to mention he was white himself. It would probably also have made even bigger news. Most of America is made of whites anyway; so that would be a even bigger disgrace to America.
In my opinion this reached a new low in racism. I belieave that this was not a prank because for somebody to go through all that trouble just to prank someone is unheard of. If this youth was only kidding I still would do something about it. I belieave that kids to this is because they want attention. If this is a punishment it is reasonable or maybe a liitle over the edge. I would feel just as offended as the people in the store did.Kids would brag about this on facebook or youtube because they might think it is cool or they want attention. I belieave it will have little to no effect to their reputation because now everybody knows that it wasnt coming from walmart but from a kid.
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To answer the first question, I must say the fact that the kid is only sixteen. If the police won’t say anything about the young man, the public must assume the details. The boy could have been drunk. He could have mental disabilities. He could have even been bullied into saying it. I can’t tell for sure, but before you say that he did it on purpose, you must consider both sides. Well, it’s not really possible to say it “by accident”, but what if he was autistic or mentally challenged and didn’t know what he was saying? I’m trying not to give the impression that I’m on the boy’s side – I’m definitely not – but no one really knows for sure about whether or not it was a prank.
Again, if the child says that he was kidding, you must ask yourself the same questions. Did the child really do it of his own “free will” with a clear mind, or was he drunk? The article doesn’t say the time of day, only that it was a Saturday. One must assume the situation. Either way, I suggest looking into the minor’s mental status in order to determine his punishment. If the child is autistic, the parents should possibly bring him to a special school. If he is either drunk or sober, the punishment should, in fact, be sent to juvenile detention. In either situation, you can’t help but also point a finger at the parents or guardians in the store. They had control over the student, and they should have definitely intervened.
There are many reasons why someone would, in their right mind, say something as insulting as this. For one, the person could be mentally disabled or drunk, as I have said many times. If the person was clear-headed, they could have done it out of hatred. For example, if a black person was bullying the suspect, he could have used his anger to commit the crime. Yet another excuse could be that he thought that it was a joke. Too many times, we hear problems in school that include the phrase, “It was only a joke.” Everyone has different points of view, and the boy was, apparently, the only person who thought that this was funny. No matter what the reason was, we must agree that it was the wrong thing to do.
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One year in juvenile detention isn’t as harsh as I’ve heard in the past, so therefore, I think that it is just. Say, for arguing sake, that the boy didn’t commit the crime. One year is kind of like a happy medium. It is a short time for someone who didn’t commit the crime. I once read an article about a man who was falsely accused, and he was sentenced to prison for life. The truth was only revealed after he died. On the other hand, what if the juvenile did commit the crime? One year would appear easy, as well. After the year has expired, the person may go back and do the same thing again. Plus, he may get away. Yet another thing to consider would be the number of black people who actually believed the announcement and left the store. If a lot of people believed it, the crime should be more severe.
Despite how sad this is to say, the child’s punishment wouldn’t have been as severe if white people had been “ordered” to leave the store. I think that the change in situation would have allowed the kid to get away with only a few months in juvenile detention. But, it should still be punished.
Other kids would brag on YouTube or Facebook because they would think that it’s cool to break the law. Pardon the stereotype, but teenagers these days are still getting used to what’s right and wrong. Some kids may think that this crime is “cool” since it’s breaking the law, and it would be worth talking about. You must also look deeper into the situation. Were the kids really “bragging”? Some of them could simply be stating the situation as something to talk about. Therefore, there is a lot to infer about this case. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Wal-Mart’s reputation is already popular, whether we like it or not. It’s just as popular as Ford (although some could beg to differ). Everyone has heard the catch phrase “Save money… live better… Wal-Mart.” Therefore, this situation will not affect Wal-Mart’s reputation. It might hurt the self-esteem and courage of blacks, though.
"One of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people." Alvin Ailey. First of all, this quote should be recommended for Mrs. Maher’s Quote of the Day. I shall once again say that teenagers these days don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Well, some of them anyway. Everyone depends on what their parents tell them to do. Don’t deny it. It’s true. We tell people what our parents want us to say. Also, if a person’s parents are racist, it will probably rub onto the child’s personality. The child’s environment is key, so try not to let your children be exposed to racism! This quote unquestionably means that a child’s personality is inherited from parents.
Okay, I think I’ve wasted enough of the computer memory now with the LONGEST BLOG POST IN HISTORY. *bows* Try reading through THIS, fan club!
i do not think that this was only a prank becuase there is so mutch recicisum between kids. so whe the boy said "all blacks leave the store please" i think that this a form or an act of being racis, because there are so many forms of racisim that you really cant tell if someone is racist or not
I think that this was only a prank. I don’t think he should be charged with a crime if he hasn’t done anything like this before. He should have to apologize to all the people in the store and the owners. I think this was just a joke that’s why they ran away after they said it. They probably thought they were being funny. I think that maybe there should be a fine to Wal-Mart but that is all if it was just a joke. If it was not a joke then I think he should be punished. I wouldn’t be offended be causes if I don’t really care because we are all the same. I would think that someone was just trying to be funny. Because they were most likely his friends and they thought that it was funny or they could be white and they could really hate black people. If it was me I wouldn’t not shop at Wal-Mart because of this but black people might not want to. I think that that quote means that young black kids growing p might think that they are better of worse then someone else because of their skin color.
I think that this was only a prank. I don’t think he should be charged with a crime if he hasn’t done anything like this before. He should have to apologize to all the people in the store and the owners. I think this was just a joke that’s why they ran away after they said it. They probably thought they were being funny. I think that maybe there should be a fine to Wal-Mart but that is all if it was just a joke. If it was not a joke then I think he should be punished. I wouldn’t be offended be causes if I don’t really care because we are all the same. I would think that someone was just trying to be funny. Because they were most likely his friends and they thought that it was funny or they could be white and they could really hate black people. If it was me I wouldn’t not shop at Wal-Mart because of this but black people might not want to. I think that that quote means that young black kids growing p might think that they are better of worse then someone else because of their skin color.
I think this was a prank. I think it is the worst, racist prank someone could do but it seems like something a sixteen year old would do because he or she thinks it was cool. He also could have wanted attention, because it says the police found post of kids bragging on Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube. I think the youth should be punished. If he said white people must leave the store he should be punished just the same as saying black people must leave the store. A teenager might brag about it because he wants to look cool in front of his friends and get attention. I think this quote means racism may hurt young people, while others take it as a joke. They may think racism is funny because of a tv show they watched or something. I think this is a very racist prank that someone did for attention.
I think what this kid did was very stupid and idiotic. This was a prank because he meant to do it, it wasn't by accident. He also thought he wouldn't get caught.
Even if he says he was just kidding he should definitely be charged with a crime because what he did was racist and unfair to blacks. I think the kid just wanted to get attention and thought people would think its cool that he did that. I think this is a just punishment because if they just let him go he would think what he did wasn't that bead and he probably would try it again. Even if he said all whit people leave the store there still wouldn't be any point in doing it because he would just end up in trouble either way. Other kids would brag about this on facebook and youtube because they want attention from other kids. I don't think this will hurt walmarts reputation because its a very popular store and stuff like this usually never happens. The quote is true because our country is very undecided about the decision it makes. People think discrimination is cool because they don't get arrested for it. If this continues to happen we will never treat every race as equal.
I think that by doing this prank the boy was extremley racist. He apperently didnt know how severe the consequences would be and thought of it as a joke. But even though he and his friend may have got a few good laughs, he is being charged and what he did was wrong. Someone on the street could say that and they could take it as a joke, but when it is put into that perspective it is no longer funny. It is the worst prank ever attempted.
I don't think this was a prank because there was a older person around. Usually you don't prank someone with your parent by your side. This is why I think this kid is just plain racist. He knew what he was getting into yet he still went along with it because of his or the groups beliefs. I don't think that if he said "I was only kidding" the crime should be taken off. What he said not only affected the people in the store yet all the people who found out about it. He wasn't kidding and that's the main point he knew what he was getting into and he meant what he said. I think he was raised to treat blacks differently. He was raised to think that he was superior to black people. Although if it was as black kid that was convicted I think that it would be completely different. If it was a black kid then I would view the whole situation as a joke. Finally I don't think this is something that just popped into his head one day; he/she had had these feelings for a long time. It depends if it was a white or black kid who committed the crime. If it was a black kid then it was obviously just a prank but if it was a white I think that the punishment was just. If he said all white people to leave the store I think it would be a big deal because usually black people aren't racist. It is usually white discriminating black not the other way around. I'm not sure what kids would brag about. Maybe if they were part of the crime and got away maybe you could brag about that. Some kids might think that braking laws are cool. Even if it does sound like a stereotype its true some kids don't know how to draw the line between right and wrong. I don't think that this will affect Wal-Mart's reputation. Maybe if this happened to a smaller company it would be different yet Wal-Mart is just too big and international to be affected. It might hurt the blacks that something like this could happen but it's not going to stop them from shopping there. It might even edge them on to keep shopping there. Lastly I think that Alvin Ailey's quote means that kids get there information from their parents. You can't deny them, you can't argue, you just have to accept that what they say is true. Their parents, home, environment is key to what the kid is going to grow up thinking.
I believe this was a racist inappropriate prank. I think this was completely wrong and the people should be charged. The youth should have been arrested but, I think the punishment is bit overkill. Maybe a better punishment would have been community service. If the youth said "All white people leave the store" it wouldn’t of been as serious which is wrong. This incident won’t ruin Wal-Marts reputation because it wasn’t Wal-Marts staff who said that comment. Also, after this incident happened the manager got on the public address system and apologized. I believe the quote means that young people is most affected by racism. That is sad.
I feel that if this was a prank it was lousy and childish. Thinking that someone would be saying this would be completely stupid. When you pull a prank, you don't normally get in a ton of trouble. I think this guy was trying to get the message across to the black people, but failed. If the kid says he was only kidding, it doesn't matter because his words don't mean anything since he was the on broadcasting racism over the PA system.I think a just punishment for the youth is 200 hours of community service. If he was putting down his community, then he should help raise it back up again by helping out. If the kid said all white people must leave the store, then it would just be a prank because white people are the majority, not the minority, and are not usually discriminated against, so it wouldn't be that much of a big deal.
I dont think this was a prank because his mom drove him to the store. What kind of parent would drive their kid to Walmart so he can say that on the PA system. The person who did this probably wanted to just get attention by people on facebook, myspace, and youtube. I dont think that the crime should be takening off because it wasnt a prank and he really meant it so why should he get away with it. I am sure that this parents and friends at school always talk about how black people are so much different then we are making him to think that this was ok and everyone was just going to laugh about it, which didnt happen. If he said "All whites leave the store" it will still be the ssame case no one is better then another. I dont think that what this person said will hurt Walmarts reputation because Walmart wasnt apart of what he said and had nothing to do with it. They even came back on the PA system and said that everyone was welcome there. I think that Alvin Ailey means that kids get all this stuff from thier parents and grandparents so it makes them think that we shouldnt like black people which isnt true.
This is extremely rascist! I think that it probably was a prank but i was still mean. I don't care that eh said that he was kidding because I'm sure he wasn't. He should still be charged with a crime, what h did was extremely wrong and he should be punished for it. Someone would do something like this if they are rascist and if they are raised to treat blacks differently than whites. I think that it is perfectly fair for him to be facing a 1 year in juvenile detention center conviction. I think he kind of deserves it so yes it is punishment. Sadly, i think that if he had told all white people to leave the store, then his punishment wouldn't be as bad and to most people it would be an entirley different story. Maybe kids wouldd brag about this because he was breaking the law, again, i don't really know. I don't think that this will hurt WalMarts reputation because it already has a fairly good reputuion. I think that the quote means that alot of young people follow their parents opinions. Like if a child's parent is rascist, the kid will probably be raised to be rascist too. It really is sad how alot a rascists became that way because of what they were taught and are now teaching other young people to be rascsit.
I do not think this was a Wal-Mart Prank. Just like Mackenzie said, why would a mom drive him to the store? I believe that his mother and his friend were all in this together. If the mother really didn’t know, she would have stopped and yelled at him for what he did. Did she? NO!!!!!!! Even if he was, “just kidding” it was still a very hurtful comment for African Americans. Someone would do this if they believed that whites are superior to black people. They might also do this because a lot of racist jokes are funny to younger people, so I think they would also do this for the joke or maybe to show off for their friends. I think that his one year in juvenile detention is not enough. I think he should take classes with African Americans about all of their struggles. I think this 16 year old kid should be very embarrassed that he did this. I think that if someone said, “All white people leave the store.” It would not be as hurtful. This is for the reason that African Americans are a minority. Also because African Americans have been treated badly even after slavery was abolished. Finally, many whites make fun of blacks. If a black person did this, I think the punishment would be more severe. I don’t think that a white person would get in as much trouble. I think kids brag on Facebook and other websites, like he did, because they want everyone else to know what they accomplished and also for people to think he is cool. Although all of this drama happened in Wal-Mart, I believe that this will not damage the store’s reputation because it is not their fault there was a racist person that said inappropriate things on the PA system. Wal-Mart is also stepping up the security in order for this to never happen again. I think this quote is true. It means that all the discrimination in our world is getting passed down to younger ones. Many kids think making fun of Blacks, Jews, or Asian people are funny because many shows like Family Guy and South Park make it sound okay. Basically, our world needs to get over our differences and treat others the way we all want to be treated.
After hearing about this incident
I was very disgusted that someone would actually think that this "prank" would be funny or a good thing to do. I do not think that this was only a prank. First because the kid wouldn't have taken his parent along with him. Also, I don't think that a parent would let their kid do something like that just as a prank. I think that no matter what the kid says, that he shouild be charged with a crime. What he did went against the U.S Constitution and technically he was breaking a law. I think that the reason that he did this was because he learned no different. Kids pick up things from the people they are surrounded by. Maybe his parents or other members of the family don't like African Americans. I think that this is true because his mom accompanied him on his "prank." I think that one year in a juvenile detention center is a pretty just punishment. I think that he definatly has to serve at least one year in a juvenile detention center, maybe more. If he said that all white people leave the store and he is a white person then no one would have taken him seriously. What kind of a person would order out the people who are just like him?
People would ahve probably taken this as a joke or a prank. I think that people would brag about this because they also agree with the idea that whites are superior to balcks. I think that they probably took it as a joke. I dont really think that this will hurt Wal Marts reputation tha badly. Many people think that this was very stupid of Wal Mart to leave access to the PA system unblocked. While others disagree and think that it was mostly the kids fault and that maybe the Wal Mart staff had no idea what was going on. I think that Alvin Ailey's quote means that kids are so exposed to racist behavior on TV or in their home enviroments. He's saying that many kids believe what they hear on TV way too much.
I think that what the boy did could have been considered a prank by a 16 year old, but is most defiantly not. No one will ever know if it was a joke, or he really meant it. Maybe it was a stupid dare between two boys, or maybe it was a teen voicing his opinion. Even if it was a joke, he needs to know that it is not! I think that he should be charged with a crime, but not be subject to having his life ruined by one stupid adolescent mistake. I think that he could have done this for two reasons. One, he thought it was funny, cool to break the law and that the police would never catch him. On the side, he was exposed to racism in an early age, and never really saw the problem with it, or was pressured in to it by a friend, family member or acquaintance. I am not sure if I agree or disagree with one year in the juvenile detention center. It could have been a stupid joke, were spending a year in the JDC will be with him forever, and no matter what, people will see him as a racist person. If it really was for real, and he truly meant it, I’m not sure what punishment would work. Even if he spends a year in prison, he will still be racist when he gets out and most probably angry as well. If he had said “All white people, leave the store”, off course everyone would think that it was a joke. White people are rarely “racist” against each other. If a black person had said “All white people must leave the store”, it would probably be a whole lot worse. Kids probably brag about this on the internet because they think it’s cool. Their parents and teachers have told them not to joke around with those things, so they do. They want to be funny and accepted by other “cooler” kids so they act different and make stupid jokes. I don’t think that this will affect Wal-mart’s reputation, everyone will forget about it. Once it fades from the headline, the only people who will remember will be the ones who were involved. The younger you are, the more affected you are about things that you see and hear. I think Alvin Ailey’s quote means that younger kids see teens joking about this sort of stuff, and copy it. Just like when you copy you parents, you copy the people that you look up to, and start to do what they do. Another meaning from this quote is that younger people feel the need to be recognized and seen, so they do crazy things, like making stupid jokes.
I can't imagine this was honestly a joke, there was an adult with the two kids. Even if they thought it was funny, it sure wasn't to everyone else in the store. The teen said "I was only kidding," but people will say that, meaning it was a joke. But this shouldn't have been done, it is so incredibly racist. He displayed his racism to the public and that isn't respectful, nor is it a smart thing to do. I think someone would do something like this because he must like a good old joke, and wanted to take it to the next level, maybe to see if he would even get caught (which is stupid because of course he would)! Yes, facing a year in a juvenile detention center is a just punishment, considering this teen was a minor.
If he said "All white people must leave the store," it would've been probably the same deal. Either way saying "All whites/blacks/asians/mexicans must leave the store" is absurd and no matter what it would be upsetting to certain people despite who one is prejudice against.
It seems typical that kids would brag about this on a social networking sight because they feel whites are better than blacks and have a right to make fun of them.
I don't think WalMart's reputation will be damaged, but maybe new store rules will be established like locking the PA system where only employees can get access to it.
Alvin Ailey's quote means that the new generations will continue to be exposed to racism and might never fade away. Many of the youth will fall into what they are constantly hearing, especially if thoughts like these are provoked daily.
I do not think this is a prank. Even if the yougn man had said "I was only kidding" I think he should still be punished. You cant go on an intercom in the middle of a store and except to get away with it. I think somebody would do this simply because they are racist. Also i think he should've been arrest but not thrown in juvenile detention center. I know somebody that robbed a store got 6 charges, and didn't go to a juvenile detention center, for that would just be ridiculous. If the young man had said "All white people must leave the store" i dont think their would be a big argument over it. I do not see why other kid's would brag about this, too me it was just a sick thing for a person to do. I do not thinks this will hurt Wal-Marts reputation, and just cause some stupid person said that comment, but i do not know how he got the intercom in the first place though. The quote from Alvin Ailey means that racism hurt young people the most out of anybody.
No i dont think that this was a prank that is serious what that kid did. Yes he should still be charged even if it was a prnak it was highly insulting. I think that someone would do something like this to be cool for braging rights and probely thought it was funny to do it in front of his friends. No i dont think that this is jsut a punishment i think that this is also to teach him a leason and for him to no that what he did was not ok at all. If he said that all white people should leave the store that is just as bad he is still discriminating on a race of people witch is still insulting. I think that other kids would brag about it cuz they think that they are cool for being apart of it or just thinking it was funny so they think that they are better for making fun of different skin color which means nothing we are all the same. I dont think that this incident will hurt walmarts reputation because everyone nos that the kid did it to be cool and then the maniger came on the loud speaker and quickly apoligized to everyone in the store. I think it means that if someone is made fun of when they are a kid over and over again for there skin color of anything it makes they hurt inside and that carrys with them for the rest of their lives.
This is incredibly racist! Even though it was a prank its absolutely ridiculous! I mean seriously this really does tell you whats wrong with our societies just by this disgusting incident. He definitely should be charged with bias and intimidation and harassment. I strongly believe in the justice system and I think he deserves much more time instead of one year. I'm pretty sure he did this because he was obviously being totally racist as well as immature. But of course you would expect him to be immature because of the incident he just made. As i've said before he should be have more of a harder punishment. I mean seriously something as serious as this deserves a large punishment from our justice system. If he said "All white people must leave the store." he should still be punished for his pathetic actions. The kids who bragged about this horrific incident on Facebook or YouTube are incredibly pathetic as the teenager who created the prank. I am assuming they would brag about this because they must of thought it was "cool" or "omg lets brag about this on facebook." It tells you how pathetic people are. I don't think this incident will hurt WalMart's reputation at all. They still offer great deals aswell as a wide selection of items. If you have ever seen peopleofwalmart.com it tells you how popular WalMart is. So I definitely agree there will be 0 changes in the reputation of WalMart. I don't know who Alvin Ailey is but im pretty sure he is a smart guy. I couldnt agree with him more about his quote "One of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people." Young people are basically influenced by the people around them. Like if a child see's someone that they stand up to like there parents they will basically "copy" there parents and generate there parents communication skills in a way. Once again this incident really tells you how pathetic our society is.
If this is a joke, then the kid is messed up. He should have not said this over an intercom thing in Wal0Mart, it's just not something you do. Yes he should be charged with crrime. First, he didn't even work at the store and second, he can'tt just go up and pick up and intercom thing, it's not his property. Yaeh, I think his punishment is fair because any less wouldn't be enough and any more would be a little too much. It's not like he murdered someone. If he said that all whites should leave the store, it would be differnt maybe. I don't think it should be that bad because whites aren't discriminated against. We went through a lot of things to give blacks right but there's still this kind of hate directed toward them. But whites have always been liked. There's a lot of racism directed toward blacks, but not whites so it's sort of different. Yes, I think this incident did hurt Wal-Marts reputition because now people may think that there isn't enought security and anyone can do anything they want. Also, blakcs may feel they're not welcomed to Wal-Marts. I think the guy's quote means that young teens/people are treating blacks badly. It's like the new thing. They think it's cool and so everyone does it because they don't feel blacks are as equal as them maybe. More and more young people are becoming recist against other races that aren't there kinds, not just blacks. Who knows, mexicans and Saudi Arabian people could be making fun of us, white people. But his quote is saying that racist is the new, "cool" thing for teens.
I think it most likely was a prank, but if it wasn't he was only telling people that he is racist and doesn't care about others. I think it's also crazy that a 16 year old boy would do something that stupid. Even if he was only "kidding" charges should be pressed against him because he still did it. Someone would do something like this because they are racist and probably only care about themselves and their friends and family, and probably not even their family. I think that one year in juvenile detention is just a punishment because he might just end up doing something similar or even worse than what he had already did. If he said that all white people left the store, he is probably black and still racist, but of course we don't know what race he is because he is a minor. Other kids would brag about this on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube because they probably tell other people that they are lucky or unlucky that they know the guy who did it. I think that if the store manager hadn't gone on the public speaking device that it would hurt WalMart's reputation because of what the kid had said, other people might think that some employee had done it. I think Alvin Ailey's quote means that, racism is bad, even for young people; it can hurt younger people more than older people.
I think it most likely was a prank, but if it wasn't he was only telling people that he is racist and doesn't care about others. I think it's also crazy that a 16 year old boy would do something that stupid. Even if he was only "kidding" charges should be pressed against him because he still did it. Someone would do something like this because they are racist and probably only care about themselves and their friends and family, and probably not even their family. I think that one year in juvenile detention is just a punishment because he might just end up doing something similar or even worse than what he had already did. If he said that all white people left the store, he is probably black and still racist, but of course we don't know what race he is because he is a minor. Other kids would brag about this on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube because they probably tell other people that they are lucky or unlucky that they know the guy who did it. I think that if the store manager hadn't gone on the public speaking device that it would hurt WalMart's reputation because of what the kid had said, other people might think that some employee had done it. I think Alvin Ailey's quote means that, racism is bad, even for young people; it can hurt younger people more than older people.
I think it most likely was a prank, but if it wasn't he was only telling people that he is racist and doesn't care about others. I think it's also crazy that a 16 year old boy would do something that stupid. Even if he was only "kidding" charges should be pressed against him because he still did it. Someone would do something like this because they are racist and probably only care about themselves and their friends and family, and probably not even their family. I think that one year in juvenile detention is just a punishment because he might just end up doing something similar or even worse than what he had already did. If he said that all white people left the store, he is probably black and still racist, but of course we don't know what race he is because he is a minor. Other kids would brag about this on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube because they probably tell other people that they are lucky or unlucky that they know the guy who did it. I think that if the store manager hadn't gone on the public speaking device that it would hurt WalMart's reputation because of what the kid had said, other people might think that some employee had done it. I think Alvin Ailey's quote means that, racism is bad, even for young people; it can hurt younger people more than older people.
I think it was a prank because the kids that did it were very young and immature. I also think this because no one in there right mind would do something like that, I say this because I agree with the company when they say they are appalled that someone would so such a thing in this day and age. I think that he should be charged with some crime but not something to major because he is a kid and its a lesson learned, even though it is something serious that needs to be made clear that its not ok for him to do that. I think that someone would do something like that because they are again immature and don't realize how much people can be offended by that. I think that being in juvenile detention for one year is a good punishment because what he did was a very bad thing and needs to be punished for it, and that's a fair and reasonable punishment. I think that if he said it with white people it would still be just as big a deal because its being racist. I think that kids would say stuff like that because they think its cool to say stuff that normally people wouldn't say or do. I don't think that this will hurt Walmarts reputation too much but defiantly some because the phones shouldn't be open to the public like that. I think that the quote means that the company is truly very sorry and wants people to realize they couldn't have done anything and they are making sure that something like that doesn't happen again.
1. No, I do not think this was only a prank. I think this kid was serious when he said that "all black people leave the building now" even if it was just a prank the fact that he said that in Walmart was horrible and a bad influence to young white people.
2. I think that the kid that said this should still be charged for bias and discrimation because he was serious when he said it. If he was kidding he wouldin't say that in front of all of them and he would say sorry to who ever was there in the Walmart.
3. I think he did this becasue he wanted to brag to all his friends about how crazy it was. Also I think he did this because he did want to make a statement to black people.
4. I don't think that it was a punishment because what he did was a serious matter. To say that in Walmart on speakers to all black people is just horrible. I think they arrested him becasue of the bias and discrimination not just to punish him.
5. I think if he said all white people leave the store he would get beaten by the white people or they would question and nobody would be friends with him again. He wouldin't get arrested though.
6. They would brag about it because if they were the ones that did it. White kids would feel proud and express it to all the white kids by saying what they said about the black people.
7. I think this will not hurt there reputation because they probally new that it wasin't a person working there but a customer that got in there some how. Also, they apoligized any way for what happened for all the black people that were there that day.
8. I think it means that young black kids get affected by white people about what they say about them in horrible ways. She said in her quote that people can be so mean-spirited.
i think that this was probaly a prank and his freinds might have told him to do it or somthing. but no even if he was "just kidding" he should be charged with crime, racisum hurts people and a comment like that should not be made, and it isn't funny, even if he was just kidding. i think somone would do somthing like this if there friends told them to, or to get there point of veiw across to a lot of people like a busy walmart store, or just for fun, even thought the cmment was not funny and was very offensive. i personally think that the punishment the youth recieved is a little harsh, to serve a whole year for one comment i think is alot and i dont think is that fair even thought the comment was very offensive and rasist. i think if he said all white people should leave the store that the same punishment and comments of other people would have happend, just the same as when he said "all black people leave the store". i think other kids would brag about this on facebook or youtube because they probaly think that its funny and is just a joke, even thought most people find that offensive and rasist. i do not think that the stores reputation will be affected becuase everyone knows that it was a kid and that the store didnt put him up to it and that he did get a seriose punishment so no i dont think that it will hurt the store in any way. i think Alvins quote means that rasisum affects kids are age and they feel the most affected by this kind of rasisum and hurt the most by it.
According to the dictionary, a prank is a trick of amusing, playful, or malicious nature. Depending on how you interpret what a prank is, the answer to the first question could be yes or no. What the boy did was not amusing or playful. It was however, malicious. In my opinion, it was a malicious prank.
Even if the youth said that he was only kidding, he should be charged with the crime. He could be lying just to get himself out of trouble. Also, even if he was kidding, why would he do something so insulting and racist? He chose to say what he did even if he was kidding and should still be punished for it.
I think different people would do this for many different reasons. I think that a 16 year old boy would do this because he thought it was cool or to show that he didn’t really care about other people or what happened to him as a result. I’m still not sure why the other two people accompanying him would let him get away with this. Maybe they were all truly racist and really believed that people of different races didn’t deserve to shop at that store. Either way, it was incredibly racist and I think that all three should be punished in some way even if it is very small.
I think that some time at a juvenile detention center is a just punishment. I think that one year is a little too much time for just saying one sentence. If he said that all white people needed to leave the store, I think the reaction would be pretty much the same. I think that people would just think it was a kid being immature and be insulted but not think too much about it.
I think that kids would brag about something like this to show that they are better than everyone else because they did this and no one else did. They are also trying to get other people to notice them. I do think this will hurt Wal-Mart’s reputation because they have a history of racism in their stores. I think people will realize it was a prank but won’t want to shop there anymore if they are going to be discriminated against because of their race.
I think the quote means that racism is bad but it is even worse when children have to hear it and live with it. It affects both the children who are being discriminated against and the children who grow up with racism. Obviously the children who are victims of racism are going to be scarred for life, but the kids who have been taught to be racist grow up thinking it’s the right thing. These people are racist because it is what they learned from their parents and are not going to have as many friends as a result.
This was not only a prank. It was a stupid racist kid being an idiot. Of course he was not only kidding and even if he said that he should definitely be charged with a crime. He sent a message to many children that blacks are different than anyone else. e would do this to try to send a message that blacks don't belong with whites. I think he should be in jail longer. No one should have to be discriminated against. If he had said all white people leave he probably wouldn't be in as much trouble. Whites are a majority and he would have been making fun of himself. Kids would brag about this because they're racist and thought it was cool. So they're showing their friends so nobody will like blacks. This will probably not hurt Wal-Mart's reputation. Most people will probably ignore this. Just because it's a stupid kid. Alvin is saying that racism is making kids see the world the wrong way and it's making them grow up wrong. He's saying that kids are supposed to think of everyone as equal but they're not because of this.
In my opinion it doesn’t matter if this statement was real or just a prank. No matter how it was intended to come out it came out and it was taken as racist, biased, unfair, disrespectful and embarrassing. I can go on and on. Even if the youth said, “ I was just kidding” I think he should still be punished but not necessarily by going to a juvenile detention center. He won’t learn anything if he is just sent behind bars for a year or two. He will just sit in the cell and feel bad for himself and not think or feel guilty about what he did. He won’t even know how what he said can affect someone. This kid should be punished in a different way; a way that might actually change him and make him think about how what he did could cause distress to someone on the other side. He needs to discover what it feels like to be discriminated against. No matter who you are you can’t change your race so why should people laugh and make fun of that. If he had said all white people should leave the store then it might be a different situation. If you think about it, whites have never really been discriminated against. What does that tell you? I assume that other kids have been bragging about this on Facebook, Myspace, or You-tube because they think it’s funny and they don’t get how this could upset someone. I don’t know if this incident will hurt Wal-Mart. I think it was good that they apologized right away and took action to change the store policy with the intercoms. I think that the quote by Alvin Ailey means two things. First, I think he means that racism obviously hurts the children who are discriminated against. But I think he also means that racism hurts the children who exhibit racist behaviors because those children are being taught to be racist by the grown-ups in their lives. If those children don’t learn a different way of thinking, they will pass that racism on to their children, and their children’s children and on and on.
I think that this was meant to be a tiny prank that lead to a big disaster; this kid probably meant it as a joke. But of course he took it onto another level, saying that blacks should leave the store. Then running out, even though he knew he was already caught. Even if he said " I was only kidding" he should be charged with crime, because he meant it in a way that hurt black people. He should go to jail, becuase he did mean what he said- no kid jokes around like that when he has a friend thats a different race. Someone might do this to feel superior or just becuase his friends told him to as a joke. No, I think is more than just punishment, it'll teach this kid some manners and a lesson for sure. If he said all white people leave the store he should be charged for the same thing, it's a serious matter when kids joke around like this. People would brag about this becuase agreeing with a person who thinks they're superior could make other people feel superior too. This incident won't hurt Walmart that much because they have caught the guy so he won't do it again and they said their sorry's right after that person told all blacks to get out. The quote means that when races feel superior, they don't talk to anyone but their "gang" and they think they're cool to rule out other people. Or make fun of them becuase of what they're wearing or their color of their skin is. We are all equal in every way.
In my opinion it doesn’t matter if this statement was real or just a prank. No matter how it was intended to come out it came out and it was taken as racist, biased, unfair, disrespectful and embarrassing. I can go on and on. Even if the youth said, “ I was just kidding” I think he should still be punished but not necessarily by going to a juvenile detention center. He won’t learn anything if he is just sent behind bars for a year or two. He will just sit in the cell and feel bad for himself and not think or feel guilty about what he did. He won’t even know how what he said can affect someone. This kid should be punished in a different way; a way that might actually change him and make him think about how what he did could cause distress to someone on the other side. He needs to discover what it feels like to be discriminated against. No matter who you are you can’t change your race so why should people laugh and make fun of that. If he had said all white people should leave the store then it might be a different situation. If you think about it, whites have never really been discriminated against. What does that tell you? I assume that other kids have been bragging about this on Facebook, Myspace, or You-tube because they think it’s funny and they don’t get how this could upset someone. I don’t know if this incident will hurt Wal-Mart. I think it was good that they apologized right away and took action to change the store policy with the intercoms. I think that the quote by Alvin Ailey means two things. First, I think he means that racism obviously hurts the children who are discriminated against. But I think he also means that racism hurts the children who exhibit racist behaviors because those children are being taught to be racist by the grown-ups in their lives. If those children don’t learn a different way of thinking, they will pass that racism on to their children, and their children’s children and on and on.
What happened at this Wal-Mart is unacceptable and rude. I do think this is only a prank, but that doesn't make it any less mean or hurtful. Even if the suspect had claimed to be joking, that doesn't make up for his actions. He was racist and did not think about what he was doing and who he might be hurting. Someone might do something like this for attention or under peer pressure. Kids do stupid things when they feel they need to be cool and fit in. I think that a year in a juvenile detention center will set this boy straight and make him realize that he needs to think through his plans before taking action. I think that if he said "All white people must leave the store" it would not be as big of a deal because black people are that people who are unfairly discriminated against, not white people. Kids may brag about things like this on Facebook or YouTube because they feel cool and on top of the world for "getting away" with such a big prank. I do think this will hurt Wal-Mart’s reputation because this is not the first time something like this has happened in one of their stores. When Alvin Ailey said "One of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people" he means is that racism so easily affects opinions of young people because a lot of times we don't have the experience to think otherwise. Racism is everywhere, some less obvious then others.
I don't think that it was a joke because that is not something you can joke about.I think that he should be charged because its racism and as i said before it is not a joke. I think someone would do something like this because they are a complete idiot and don't have respect for the other people around them. I don't now what the penalties are for racism but it sound like a good decision for them to give him a year in juve.I think that it would be treated the same way as it is being treated right now. They probably the same kind of person as he is who think that something like that is funny.
I don't think that this incident will hurt WalMart's reputation because the person was found and the WalMart's president even said that it wasn't the store who said it.She new that it couldn't possibly be the store clurks and it was probably a person playing a joke because why would a store clurk say something that would get them fired. These are my thoughts on what happened at the WalMart.
What happened at this Wal-Mart is unacceptable and rude. I do think this is only a prank, but that doesn't make it any less mean or hurtful. Even if the suspect had claimed to be joking, that doesn't make up for his actions. He was racist and did not think about what he was doing and who he might be hurting. Someone might do something like this for attention or under peer pressure. Kids do stupid things when they feel they need to be cool and fit in. I think that a year in a juvenile detention center will set this boy straight and make him realize that he needs to think through his plans before taking action. I think that if he said "All white people must leave the store" it would not be as big of a deal because black people are that people who are unfairly discriminated against, not white people. Kids may brag about things like this on Facebook or YouTube because they feel cool and on top of the world for "getting away" with such a big prank. I do think this will hurt Wal-Mart’s reputation because this is not the first time something like this has happened in one of their stores. When Alvin Ailey said "One of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people" he means is that racism so easily affects opinions of young people because a lot of times we don't have the experience to think otherwise. Racism is everywhere, some less obvious then others.
Yes, I think that this was only a prank, but a pretty bad one at most, I mean, how low do you have to be to say something like that over a public address system?! It’s just not right. Just THINK before you do something like that. What if you were one of the black persons in the store? And, was it really worth it? Was it worth it to be arrested and maybe charged with a year of juvenile detention? I think that if the youth says “I was only kidding” that he should still be charged with the crime. What if someone murdered somebody and then said, “I was only kidding”, and does that make it any better? No. It shouldn’t be that easy to get out of being charged with a crime. I think that someone would do something like this because they have something against black people. Maybe they have someone that they know and don’t like who is black. Maybe someone who was black did something hurtful to them. These are all things that could lead to this behavior. I think that a year of juvenile detention is a fair punishment. Some may think it is unfair because it’s a YEAR. But when you think about it, it’s not jail. The kid’s not going to be away from home and in jail for a year. He’s in juvenile DETENTION, not JAIL. I think that if someone said “All white people should leave the store”, it would pretty much be the same. There was probably almost the same amount of white people in the store as black. I think that kids were bragging about this because maybe they had the same beliefs and the kid who did this. They may have even been friends with the kid. Maybe it was there idea or they dared the kid to do it. These are all possibilities of why kids might brag about this on the internet. I think that this will DEFFINATELY hurt Wal-Mart’s reputation. Think about it, if you were a black person, would you want to go to Wal-Mart, where you’re just going to get told to get out by some stupid white person. No. I certainly wouldn’t want to. Lastly, I think that Alvin Ailey’s quote means most racism come from more young kids than. Some kids think it’s cool to be racist. It what all of their friends are doing, so they have to do it.
No, I don't believe this was a prank, people just don't joke around with things like that. He should be punished but not to severely due to the fact that he is a minor. If convicted he shouldn’t be in juvenile for one but two, that should straighten him out a bit. Also if he does get convicted the one year in juvenile will only be warning not a punishment. Honestly I don’t think this incident will affect Wal-Mart’s reputation, people might remember it for a few days, but since it’s a major shopping center people will forget about it in no time at all.
what i think is that they should becharded whith rasism. and those people who rushed out should have staned there ground. but if they were jest kidding they could jest apolojised to the people and be banned from walmart for a short time.and they should put a lock on the intercom.
i dont think it matters if it was a prank; it was completely uncalled for and could offend many people. I dont think it should have been done even if it was just a prank. Yes, the youth should be charged with a crime even if he said he was just kidding. The reason why i say this is because that one little mistake could be huge. A black person shopping at that time could have gotten very offended and suied Wal Mart for thousands of dollars just for one little mistake. If i was the owner of the Wal Mart company i would be very upset that that happened. I think someone would do something like this just to prove that their 'cool' with their friends by making a public racist comment. It did say that on facebook or myspace their was some bragging going on so i do think it must have had something to do with popularity. I do think what the juvenille is facing is fair punishment. I think one year will do the trick in the juvenile detention center. Even though he offended people he didnt actiually physically hurt them. One year will probibly be enough to teach him not to do those types of things ever again. I think if he said that all white people must leave the store it would have been kinda the same thing. Hes splitting up the people of different races so he is kinda still offending blacks. Nobody would have known what was meant when that was said though because maybe someone wanted to protect the white people and blow up the store or something. So it still could be offending to black people because they werent included in the evacuation which is horrible. I think other kids brag about this to be considered "cool" or popular. WHo knows, maybe he has racist friends and when that happened they were all proud of him or something which is really sad. I dont think people should ever do that. Offending a person of another race isnt something to be proud of. I do think this will hurt Wal Marts reputation. If they get sued then they'll have a huge problem. But on the other hand it wasnt the stores fault at all. It was the boy who made that remark on the intercoms faul. I think Alvin's quote meant that racism can really hurt young people. If their is a little boy or girl whos only like 8 or 9 years old and she has to put up with racism that could really hurt her self esteem. Not only that but if young people are tought to be racist then the United States would completely change and what we've worked so hard to accomplish would crumble. We've worked so hard to get rid of racism and weve gotten so far!! Now we have a black president even. Young people are so valnurable and their tought to obey their elders, if they are tought to be racist when their little then chances are they'll probibly end up being racist when they grow up. And that can really hurt this contry.
Yes I think this was only a prank but that doesn’t change the severity of what that kid did. It was probably only to get attention and feel power for once. Yes even if the kid says he was only kidding he should absolutely be charged with a crime because it was racist and probably bothered a lot of people in the store. He probably did this out of need for attention or to get noticed by someone. It could also have been a dare that one of his friends made him do and he did it only to look cool. Either way it was rude and inacceptable it was very immature too. Yes I do think that one year in juvenile dentition center is a just punishment because yes what he did was wrong but it wasn’t horribly bad I mean he didn’t physically hurt anyone or anything on that scale of bad. On the other hand if he had said “all white people must leave the store” I think it would have been taken much more seriously because sadly that’s just the way our race is. Most people still think that being white is above all and are not used to racism against whites so I think the guy would have gotten a heftier punishment. I think other kids would brag about this online because it makes them feel superior to others and maybe they think that it makes them cool for some odd reason. There are a lot of dumb reasons that kids do anything. Yes I do think that this incident will hurt Wal-Mart’s reputation because knowing that someone a teen nonetheless was able to go into where they make the announcements and say something like that without anyone catching them shows that they aren’t responsible with their stores. Also, some people might still not believe that this was a teen saying this and might think it was one of the employees and not come back because they think that Wal-Mart is racist. His quote means that the worst thing that racism does is affect kids minds and makes them act this way. If kids grow up thinking racist thoughts when they get older they might end up doing things like this or something’s much worse.
Well, this kid was obviously an idiot. I think this was a prank, but it was still very wrong. I do not find it funny at all. He said he was just kidding but he needed to learn a lesson. I think he should have gotten punished. Rasisim is a serious thing and nobody should joke around about it. I think the kid might of done it to get attention, or try to be funny. If he said all white people leave the store i might have felt scared or maybe even offended. I do not think this will affect wal mart because it was really only one thing and wal mart didnt know what was happening, it wasn't their fault. I think that the quote means that whatever happens now will affect the younger people and make rasisim worse.
I do think that this was meant to be a prank, not someone trying to spread racism, but I don't think it should have been taken as a prank and should be tried as a crime. Just because the guy just said it was joke, doesn't make it okay. If after World War Two Hitler said, "Wait a minute guys, I was just kidding." That would get him no where. Someone saying that it was a joke doesn't just make anything okay. Someone would do this because it was a daring, risky thing to do ant that's what some people live for. One year seems pretty steep. I would let up a little, but not much. If he told all white people to leave, of course it would still be racism because being that's still a race. But it would just be taken less seriously, so the youth would have no motivation to do so. Kids would brag about it because kids are terrible, terrible people. This will not hurt WalMart's reputation, WalMart has never been viewed as exactly high class, and it could have happened at any store. Alvin was trying to explain that if you're raised with racism it stays with you.
I think that it was deefinetely intended as a prank, but the "prankster" did not realize the seriouslness of his actions. as for question #2, there is no question that he should be charged. "I was only kidding" is no excuse in most situations, especially on as serious as this. Question #3 can be answered in a various number of ways. It could have been out of stupidity, comedy, racism, or simply attention. A year in a juvinile detention center is a little bit much, but definetely time in there. the question "what if he had said all white people must leave the store?" is pretty obvious. The same exact thing would have happened, and if it didn't, it would completely go against americas foundation of "all people are created equal". If racism against whites and racism against blacks was different, than THAT would be racist. Kids bragging about this on Facebook is just stupid. if they had any sense at all, (judging by the situation, ive come to the conclusion that they dont) they would know the risk of making your racism public. They may have thought that people would applaud their prank simply because they think it is funny, but it is probably out of stupidity only. If the accused is an employee than yes I would say Walmarts rep. is in trouble, but if it is a customer, than no. They cannot control the minds of their customers but they can control what kind of people they hire. I do, however, applaud Walmarts reaction to this situation. They handled it very well. Alvin Aileys quote means simply that if young people are raised in a racist environment, then they themselves may beleive it to be alright, and will grow up a racist person.
I feel that this was just a stupid prank. I think it was a 16 year old boy just desperate for attention. It is unfortunate that he had to get attention this way though. Whether he said he was kidding or not, it was extremely rude. Although he is a minor and obviously immature, low charges should be filed. It should be considered a crime, and should be looked at as an example that if anything liek this happens, there will be problems. Someone might do something like this simply to get attention or make a statement or point. I don't feel it was a good statement or point, but apparently he felt he had to say it. He is young and probably wasn't thinking about it, only trying to impress some friends. If it said all white people leave the store then I think that it would still be taken pretty harshly because it's still racist. No matter the race, if someone said this to anyone, it is considered rude. Other kids might brag about this on facebook or youtube because they want attention. Whether it is good attention or bad attention, people are looking at them and noticing them. They want to be noticed. I do not think this incident will heurt walMart's reputaion because it was not WalMart's fault. It was some stupid kid's fault. WalMart appologized and no one really came out and said that they were too offended by it yet. I think the quote means that the worst thing about racism is that the adults pass it on to children and so on and so on and eventually someone will come along immature and stupid enough to do something like this. It is unfortunate, but has still happened.
I just think the kid was being mean and racist. So no I don't think it was a prank because you don't want to pull a prank on a thing like that, its just stupid and more serious than pulling a prank on a friend. Its mean and NOT right and yes he/she should be charged with a crime for saying "he/she was only kidding" because it was racist.The kid might have been dared by his/her friends which is bad or he just did it because the kid wasn't thinking and being stupid. I do think it just a punishment. If the kid said "all white people must leave the store" that would be the same mean and racist. I'm not totally sure why other people braged about it on facebook and youtube maybe some of those people were the kids friends. It might hurt WalMart's reputation because it may also happen again so they should try to let it not happen.I thonk what Alvin Ailey said means that racisim is starting to hurt kids and make them do bad things like that, its a bad influence. Kids need to grow up with a career or job. Not being a racist person. Racisim is WRONG and MEAN.
Obviously this was not a prank because the boy was old enough to know that saying that statement was bad! Even if this was a prank, it was very rude and he should have known he would get in trouble for it. First of all, the broke the rules by touching the boy picked up a public-address telephone in the Wal-Mart in Washington Township which you cant do unless you work there. Secondly, to make his matters worse he said “All black people, leave the store now.” Yes, the youth should be charged with a crime even if he said he was just kidding. I think this young msn did this because he was taught to dicriminate from his parents and he wanted to show people that he hated colored people. he was showing what he believed even thought he knew it was wrong.
The youth had been arrested and charged and is facing one year in a juvenile detention center if convicted. I think this is great because it gives the boy a chance to think about what he did and how it ws wrong. He now knows that doing things like that are wrong. Hopefully he learned his lesson! If he said the opposite, "All whites must leave the store," it would be just as discriminating and rude as before. This is because all people have rights and they shouldnt be discriminated because of what they look like and their different races types. Also other kids would brag about this on Facebook and Myspace because they know him,racist, and or agree with what he said like they would have done that if he didnt. Finally, WalMarts repuatation probally wont be hurt. This is because it wasnt there fault. The boy was the one that said that on the intercom so he is the one who will be looked badly apon for doing such a horrible fiasco. Lastly,I think that Alvin's quote meant that racism can really hurt young people. I agree with Zoe that young people are so valnurable and their tought to obey their elders, if they are tought to be racist when their little then chances are they'll probibly end up being racist when they grow up and that can really hurt this country.
After reading an article like posted, it could be very possible that the young man thought it’d be funny to do a prank that insulted African Americans over the intercom. Also, it is a common excuse that teenagers used nowadays, that they thought what they did (that was wrong) would be funny, or it was just a prank. Like Quinn mentioned, usually kids don’t do a prank with their parent, or let alone their friend’s parent, but their side. If it was just a prank, why would the authority figure (being the kid’s parent) not put a stop to it before it even started? I believe that this kid is racist, unless it is a black teenager. Then, this puts it in a whole other perspective, a completely twisted one at that. If the kid was black, it might have been just a prank, but it was a cruel prank no matter the race of the person who did it.
Even if the youth said he was “only kidding”, I wouldn’t take his word for it. As young as sixteen, I think any teenager (who wasn’t foolish enough to make the so-called prank in the first place) would say just about anything to make himself look innocent, or at least climb out of that hole they dug in the first place. What he did was morally and legally wrong, and just because he says he was “kidding” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily true. This kid is a minor; of course he doesn’t want to go to juvenile detention and I’ll bet he’ll say anything to get himself out of it.
I don’t know why anyone would do this unless they were crooked or messed up in their head. Maybe he thought it’d be funny, but I don’t see how this joke is anything on a laughable matter. Possibly the kid and his family/friends don’t particularly care for African Americans, as Melissa mentioned. That doesn’t give him the right to act upon such a racist, rude and extremely harsh act.
Again, as Melissa mentioned, I believe that spending up to one year in juvenile detention is just punishment. I definitely agree with her again on the subject that he should spend at least one year in juvenile detention, if not more. Was he really that naïve to order all black people to get out of the Wal-Mart store (considering the huge possibility he’s white) and expect to run off with clean hands? I don’t think so. Even if he said all white people must leave the store, I still think that police would take action because either way, it’s extremely racist. What kind of person would only punish someone for telling only blacks to leave or vice versa?
People could have taken it as a joke, and that’s why they were bragging. Obviously they were well, stupid enough, to think that they’d get away with something like this. With immature teenage boys (and possibly girls), it might’ve seemed like a funny prank. One that was so huge that it was “cool” to get away with. I don’t know how they didn’t see it coming, see the police coming after them. These kids are such goons.
This incident might hurt Wal-Mart’s reputation, because people might assume that it is stupid of Wal-Mart to have an intercom that is accessible to costumers, even to anyone who doesn’t work there. Although, you have to think, it isn’t really their fault because they didn’t put the young man up to it. They didn’t even see it coming. I think Wal-Mart is even upping their security so an incident like the one that occurred in the news won’t happen again.
The quote means that once racism is planted in a young person’s mind that seed grows in their brain as they become older. When those racist children become young adults, they make awful choices, doing the worst thing and discriminating those around them. When those racist young adults become adults and have children of their own, that seed had grown from a plant into a tree. When their children pick up on the terrible antics of racism from their parents, those apples won’t fall far from the tree. Racism will continue on for generations, but I believe that the percentage of racist Americans will decrease over the decades.
PS.
Sorry I wrote so much… :D
In my mind I beleve that the 16 year ol should be cahaged becaus ethere was a parent at the scene watching it. Also people might be sencitive to that comment. So people could cause a fight over the comments
I don't think this was a prank. The 16 year old kid was serious even if he claims he was only kidding. Something like this is very serious he he was just kidding he wouldn't have said anything. I think he should be charged with a crime because he was bias. He should learn from what he thinks will be a big joke. Someone would do something like this for either two reasons: attention like Amy D said or because he is truly racist and thought if he said sosmeting that it would be funny. I do think that serving a year in juvy is a just punishment because if the youth got away with this what would stop him or someother kid from doing it again? Nothing unless these kids know that if they do something like this that there are serious concequences for your actions. If he had said all white people must leave the store, to be honest I don't think anything would happen. Our law is all about don't be racist but when an African- American person is racist towards someone who is white, not a lot really happens. I don't think soimething would've happened at all. Kids would brag about this on Facebook or Myspace because a lot of their friends would probably think this was a really funny prank. Even though nothing would probably happen if it was brodcasted on Facebook or Myspace I'm possitive it wouldn't go unnoticed. I don't think this incident will hurt WalMart's reputaion because it was a kid who doesn't even work there. It was also a stupid prank that no one would really worry about unless it was a serious threat. I don't think it at all will hurt WalMart's reputaion. I think that the quote form Alvin Ailey means that because of the way our older generations were raised that it harshly is passed down to younger generations having an affect on how younger children view their piers.
I donte think it was just a prank. Just like tia sed if he didnt mean it then why would he have sed it and those exact werds. If he had enty brains then he should know that if you do somthing like that these days you are obviusly going to get into alot of trouble. ofcourse I think it should be charged as a crime because some peaple could take it as a threat. and he was verry bias. It obviusly shose that this man is rasist becuase those were the words he dacided to choose. And because he wasnt charged then other people will see this and might do the same thing or wors.
I am going to go with saying that this didn't seem to be a prank. This boy obviously has racist feeling toward blacks. If he says "I as only kidding", then why would he do such a thing. He could easily of said that he was kidding just to get out of trouble. Someone would do something like this to express their feeling towards something they don't like. He wanted to use a public place where everyone could hear him. Even if he thought it was a joke, it was still on purpose and obviously made people mad. I think a year of juvenile detention is a little harsh but I can understand. I would hope he can fix how he feels about blacks. Other kids would brag about this incident because some would think its cool that someone would do that. I do not think that this will hurt WalMart's reputation because I think that people can understand that it's not their fault that someone would do this. I think Alvin Ailey's quote means that kids will believe things they hear pretty easily. When they hear racist comments from friends and families, they begin to develop their own ideas on things.
I think that in the child’s mind, this was really only a joke or a prank. But, to most other people, it probably comes off as cruel. However, I don’t think he should spend his 1 year in jail. I think that while the prank was wrong, stupid, and immature, the child should not be punished. I think that the scare of almost going to jail is enough to stop him or any of his friends from ever doing anything like this. I think that he either did this for attention, and/or because he honestly thought that it would be funny. I think that if he had said “all white people must leave the store,” it would have been equally as racist, and would have (SHOULD have) been handled the exact same way. Obviously, someone would brag about this on Facebook or Youtube because they want attention for what they did. I don’t think that this incident should hurt Wal-mart’s reputation because people need to realize that he made a stupid mistake, and that they shouldn’t stop shopping there because one on ridiculous mistake that one person made. I think that the quote by Alvin Ailey means that children are greatly affected by racism because it is what they grew up hearing about so often. And, I think it’s true. I think that, even if he was “only kidding,” he grew up hearing things that caused him to do what he did.
I think that in the person's mind, it may have been a prank, but it wasn't funny at all. I also think that, yes, this person should be charged with a crime even if he said,”I was only kidding”. People just don't joke around about things like that. They are definitely breaking the law and if it was a joke in his mind, he has no common sense. I think that someone might do this to get attention. Or maybe, like Dana said, he could have been drunk or have mental problems. It’s horrible to think, but some people really do still believe that whites are superior to blacks. He could have thought that and was speaking his mind. People like that are sick and should be put in jail for bias, intimidation, and harassment. I think that this is a good punishment and will maybe teach him to respect everyone and hold his tongue. I think that people would make just as big of a deal if they said,”all white people must leave the store”. Everyone has the right to be treated equally. Other kids might brag about this on Facebook and YouTube simply because they’re jerks trying to get attention. I don’t think that this will hurt WalMart’s reputation because the article said that things like this had happened before. It will also help their reputation that the manager immediately apologized for the incident. I think that this quote means that people who are racist tend to share their beliefs with other people and if they share it with their children, they grow up knowing nothing different.
I think it is awful what that kid said.Especially in a store like Walmart. I mean really! Who in their right mind would do something like that? Racism is a hideous thing that should not even be joked around about.
well i think that he was joking around.even if he was its not right and he should be punished and not only with detention, he should have to do community service. i think someone would do this to feel better about them selves or they are just racist. if he said the white people comment he would be just looking for attention thinking he is funny. this was a wrong thing to do and he should of never done it. do it shouldn't hurt walmart if the manger apologized. the qoute means that people are very racist and its spreading down to younger people. you people are starting to judge others by color of what they look like. this is not right and needs to stop.
I think even if the youth said "I was only kidding" he should still be charged with a crime. I feel this way because it's not only racist, it's basically going against the constitution by saying not all men are equal. I don't think this was just a prank,I think it was an open act of racism against black people. To have gone so far as to show his racism in public is no joke. I beleive if someone is going to be racist they should just keep it to themselves. Someone might actually do this though to make themselves look cool, like he "showed them" who's better in his opinion. If you think about it one of the things you have to wonder about is what our world has come to if youths are stating it in public. We all know that America has a kind of reputation to be the land of the free, we say it in our pledge but thiis show of racism is going against that. I feel the one year in juvenile detention is a perfectly just punishment. This incedent could possibly encourage more teens/young adults to be racist is it goes without punishment. If he isn't punished others will get the idea that its fine to be racist because they won't get in trouble. If he said "all white people must leave the store" it would have been no different. It still would have been racist, he could have said a number of different things and 90% of the time it would still be racist.
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