Racial Remarks Chanted at Football Game in Amsterdam
I really wonder what in the world goes through people's minds sometimes. After reading about this story, I can't help but think: would my kids have done this? I really want to believe they wouldn't.
If you have not heard the story, I can give you an idea of what happened, though keep in mind, I was not there. According to various news outlets including the Times Union, some Burnt Hills students began chanting "Amster-ico" during the football game against Amsterdam on Saturday night. Clearly a racially-motivated sneer aimed at the Hispanic population from the Amsterdam area.
Now, let's be fair, I don't think any of us haven't heard this comment said about Amsterdam before, maybe some of you have said it yourselves. OK, I get that, but chanting it AT the football team during a homecoming game? I just cannot for the life of me wrap my head around the idea that these "kids" somehow thought that was OK to do.
I wonder what my kids would do if they were at that game or in a similar situation. Would they join in? Would they leave? Would they say something to the kids doing it? I just don't know, but I do hope that I have raised them with a whole lot better sense than to do something so hurtful and mean-spirited.
Fortunately, there was someone at the game who took action to stop the insensitivity: Matt Shell, the head coach of the Burnt Hills football team stopped the game and went on the public address system to tell the crowd that if the chanting didn't stop, he would end the game. They stopped.
I still wonder though, how in the world did it even start?