Blacks drown at 5 times the rate of white people.

[HenryBHough]

I don't believe you.

That's entirely up to you.

All of the others, boys, lived to adulthood. One turned out OK. He finished high school, apprenticed as a stone mason, ran a successful business and recently retired. I lost track of most of the others entirely. The one exception was the oldest, Jimmy, who had a facial deformity that wasn't extreme but impacted his speech. He was known as "Limmy" because that's how he could say his own name.

Limmy tried to join the U.S. Marines but he was rejected. He and another from the neighborhood, Harry, were hired as mercenaries and took part in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs Invasion. Harry returned unhurt but Limmy didn't come back. According to Harry he drowned in the landing. I once made the mistake of signing up for one of those "classmates" websites and actually did hear from Harry a couple of years back. He had put his adventures behind him and settled down back in the old home town but was not listed among those attending a class reunion a couple of years ago, one which I also did not attend.

Believe or not as you choose.

 

[koshergrl]

Seriously, that exact same scenario in Call the Midwife.

Anyway, the point is that blacks are at a lot higher risk of drowning. There's no doubt that whites drown as well..just not at the same rate. Because we promote swim lessons amongst our poor people.

My incredulity isn't based on my thinking that white kids don't drown... my incredulity is that there are morons who don't think black parents should be told to teach their kids to swim.

 

[HenryBHough]

Seriously, that exact same scenario in Call the Midwife.

Anyway, the point is that blacks are at a lot higher risk of drowning. There's no doubt that whites drown as well..just not at the same rate. Because we promote swim lessons amongst our poor people.

My incredulity isn't based on my thinking that white kids don't drown... my incredulity is that there are morons who don't think black parents should be told to teach their kids to swim.

I do enjoy "Midwife" but didn't see the episode you noted. Anyway, your point is a valid one though stupidity is not exclusive to any one race or ethnic group. BTW, PM and VM wouldn't work.

In the instance from my younger years - and things are popping back to memory which hadn't in many decades - this was a case of a mother (who happened to be white) keeping her kids away from what I might call "socializing" activity. I think it was a class-related thing. First off, there wasn't anything in the way of racial tension in that small town. There was only one black family and they were well regarded, having developed a business raising turkeys. Their one son died just a week ago, still in the old home town, leaving several grand and great-grand children, all of whom are doing very well.

The non-swim issue seemed related to the fact that the women who ran the free swimming lessons program were of a different economic class. Not wealthy; just having time to devote, suggesting (as was traditional) that they didn't work outside the home. That relatively small economic difference translated into something cultural that kept the particular woman's children from having a lot of opportunity they might have had.

You got me thinking about their father - her husband. No "single mom" situation. He was a physically small, mousy individual - not a drunk or layabout. He worked in a manufacturing job that paid decently but he never advanced, always stayed at the bottom of the ladder. Did he have the ability? Dunno. He was what he was - she dominated.

So how much of the swim/no-swim is not actual stupidity, rather some kind of class or cultural thing?

On another extreme, I have done a little work (not recent) with a northern ethnic group which until recently would not allow anyone to learn to swim. Their logic was that given how they subsisted they had a strong chance of finding themselves in extremely cold water with nobody else around to help. So to swim was to deny themselves a quick death. Not putting you on - it was something that had to be overcome because the overall situation had changed but a whole lot of folks were unwilling to accept that.

 

[koshergrl]

Class/cultural things where kids are dying when the information and the CURE is there is stupidity.

We KNOW that children who don't learn to swim are at risk of DROWNING.

We KNOW that there are free swimming lessons widely available.

That's really all we need to know. Take your kids in and teach them to fucking swim, morons.

 

[flacaltenn]

Sorry I ever suggested we should look into fixing this.. I'd put a smiley face on that, but
it's not really humorous..

It was a great idea. I'm just wondering what would you say to someone that will look at you like you are crazy and say my "kids don't swim."

Thats IS an option. And I would never suggest that you become the posterboy for parents prioritizing water safety too low. I could make the same generalization about self defense ans situational awareness since Hillbilly Hollywood is safer than Mayberry. But on the chance there is a school/scout/church field trip, I'd rather schedule the training...

 

[katsteve2012]

What puzzles me is that the one who started this silly ass thread could not care less about "black children drowning", and most likely would celebrate the news of any black child drowning, getting shot, or even experiencing sudden death in a cradle as an infant.

 

[koshergrl]

I get the exact same impression from aschlep, who insists there's no reason to teach black kids to swim.

 

[katsteve2012]

I get the exact same impression from aschlep, who insists there's no reason to teach black kids to swim.

Honestly, it really matter to you? Or do you just want to argue with Asclepias?

 

[Asclepias]

If you're a black child you're 5x as likely to have imbecilic parents.

Thats what you call a false conclusion. You don't know if the parent of the child dying was an imbecile or not. Do you see that variable in the study? if you dont see it you cannot assume thats the reason. Typically statistics do a number on uneducated peoples brains.

 

[Asclepias]

I get the exact same impression from aschlep, who insists there's no reason to teach black kids to swim.

Again please point out where I said there was no reason. I said what is the motivation for the parents.

 

[koshergrl]

I get the exact same impression from aschlep, who insists there's no reason to teach black kids to swimquote]

Honestly, it really matter to you? Or do you just want to argue with Asclepias?

I object to the continued war against poor and minority children, in the form of institutionalized/legalized racism, stupidity, and murder.

 

[koshergrl]

Wow, you're really going to the mat with this, Aschlep.

What did black kids ever do to you?

 

[Asclepias]

I get the exact same impression from aschlep, who insists there's no reason to teach black kids to swimquote]

Honestly, it really matter to you? Or do you just want to argue with Asclepias?

I object to the continued war against poor and minority children, in the form of institutionalized/legalized racism, stupidity, and murder.

BS. You object to black people. What happened to you that you hate black people so much?

 

[Asclepias]

Wow, you're really going to the mat with this, Aschlep.

What did black kids ever do to you?

You should be asking yourself that question. I love Black kids. I have 4 of them. How many do you have?

 

[katsteve2012]

I get the exact same impression from aschlep, who insists there's no reason to teach black kids to swimquote]

Honestly, it really matter to you? Or do you just want to argue with Asclepias?

I object to the continued war against poor and minority children, in the form of institutionalized/legalized racism, stupidity, and murder.

Ok. I respect that. Thanks for answering.

 

[koshergrl]

Wow, you're really going to the mat with this, Aschlep.

What did black kids ever do to you?

You should be asking yourself that question. I love Black kids. I have 4 of them. How many do you have?

And you believe they're too stupid to understand the concept of swim lessons, and so narrow that they'll never move or be invited to a place that has water more than an inch deep?

Like I said, you are the problem.

My children are native. I taught them to swim when they were toddlers, even though we lived in the desert (a real desert, not the so-called desert of the inner city). So fuck yourself.

 

[Asclepias]

Wow, you're really going to the mat with this, Aschlep.

What did black kids ever do to you?

You should be asking yourself that question. I love Black kids. I have 4 of them. How many do you have?

And you believe they're too stupid to understand the concept of swim lessons, and so narrow that they'll never move or be invited to a place that has water more than an inch deep?

Like I said, you are the problem.

My children are native. I taught them to swim when they were toddlers, even though we lived in the desert (a real desert, not the so-called desert of the inner city). So fuck yourself.

You continue to tell me what I think but you are wrong. No one is too stupid to understand the concept of swim lessons. Your blanket comment that they are imbeciles is precisely the type of interpersonal skills that cause problems. The issue is convincing someone that is not around water to consider it a valuable skill. If you dont understand how that can happen learn how to step outside of yourself and put yourself in someone elses place. Until you can do that you will continue to be nothing but a blowhard.

 

[koshergrl]

You are arguing that there is no reason why the parents of black children would consider getting swim lessons for them. This supposes that these parents are stupidly unaware that their children may at some time be exposed to water, and that the ability to swim might just save their lives.

So you are arguing that black parents are stupid. BESIDES the fact that you're trying to promote the lie that the black people in the inner cities are NEVER around water deep enough to swim in.

That is so remarkably stupid that I don't even know what to do with it, except point and laugh. You are actually proving your own point. Apparently the parents of black children really ARE too stupid to know any better.

 

[koshergrl]

And what is really sad is that you don't give them any credit at all for being forward thinking.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Asclepias]

You are arguing that there is no reason why the parents of black children would consider getting swim lessons for them. This supposes that these parents are stupidly unaware that their children may at some time be exposed to water, and that the ability to swim might just save their lives.

So you are arguing that black parents are stupid. BESIDES the fact that you're trying to promote the lie that the black people in the inner cities are NEVER around water deep enough to swim in.

That is so remarkably stupid that I don't even know what to do with it, except point and laugh. You are actually proving your own point. Apparently the parents of black children really ARE too stupid to know any better.

Not at all. You are arguing the parents are stupid because you yourself are too stupid to understand people have different motivations. Everyone does not think like you (thank god) and you calling that stupid is moronic. I think its stupid you live out in the desert and you are white. Dont you know white people get skin cancer at a higher rate than Blacks?