Thread: 'Hate incident' in city

some one sent this to me on my space i thought maybe you guys could make heads or tails of it.

'Hate incident' in city

By Bonnie Washuk , Staff Writer
Thursday, April 19, 2007
LEWISTON - One student has been suspended and more disciplinary action could follow a possible hate crime at Lewiston Middle School, Superintendent Leon Levesque said Wednesday.

On April 11, a white student placed a ham steak in a bag on a lunch table where Somali students were eating. Muslims consider pork unclean and offensive.

The act reminded students of a man who threw a pig's head into a Lewiston mosque last summer.

The school incident is being treated seriously as "a hate incident," Levesque said. Lewiston police are investigating, and the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence is working with the school to create a response plan.

"We've got some work to do to turn this around and bring the school community back together again," Levesque said.

Placing ham where Muslim students were eating was "an awful thing," said Stephen Wessler, executive director of the Center for Prevention of Hate Violence. "It's extraordinarily hurtful and degrading" to Muslims, whose religion prohibits them from being around ham. It's important to respond swiftly, Wessler said.

"Incidents like this that involve degrading language or conduct are often said by the perpetrator as a joke. I know that conduct is never static," he said. "It's part of a process of escalation."

If people think insulting Muslims with ham is OK, "More degrading acts will follow, until at some point we'll end up having violence," Wessler said.

The incident does not reflect the moral values of the school staff and students, Levesque said. "We need to take a look at this and review how a careless act is degrading and causes hurt to other people. All our students should feel welcome and safe in our schools."

He said a letter would be sent home to parents explaining what happened and outlining the school's response. Wessler will meet with students to address the school's climate, and staff will talk about how to respond to and prevent future hate incidents

'I didn't feel safe'

A 14-year-old Somali boy, whose mother asked that his name not be published, said he was eating lunch with four other Somali students on April 11. He noticed many others in the cafeteria "standing up, looking at us."

One boy came near, began laughing and threw a bag on the table while other students laughed and said, 'Good job.'"


The boy said he looked up at students he thought were his friends. "I felt angered, offended."

He suddenly felt like he was alone. "At the school the next day, I didn't feel safe. I felt like everybody was against me. Before I felt like I fit in, and everything was normal."

He began to think white students didn't like him, and the act was their way of letting him know.

On Thursday, several students came up to him and said, "Those guys who did it were jerks. I apologize for them, and I hope you feel better."

The boy said they did make him feel better. "But for the rest of my life when I remember middle school, this will pop up right away."

He spoke out because he wants the community to know what happened, "that there is something like this going on in our schools."

Wessler and Levesque said the act happened the day before April vacation began, which prevented educators from gathering information.

"This is not done," Wessler said.


http://www.sunjournal.com/story/208385- ... t_in_city/



SO THIS SCHOOL DOESNT SERVE HAM ???
I dont know if these kids did this just to be mean. If thats the case it wrong and should be a relgion crime
the story doesnt say
But some things in this country the new people are just going to have to put up with. I mean How can these musulums walk in store in this country.

I going to say this
if my kids want to eat ham at school then no one going to change that

They took prayer out
they want to take the pledge out
now they are going to start saying what food can be or not
cause some one will get offended.


Wake up america. before we losse our pork chops.

GREGAGREATAMERICAN wrote:

Wake up america. before we losse our pork chops.

Amen! Hey, my North Carolina barbecue could be in jeopardy.

I may be wrong but Jewish people don't eat pork either do they? This PC business of everybody being offended....offends me. Boy I tell ya....I wonder how we ever made it through school without being mentally scared for life

Originally Posted by crazybird

I may be wrong but Jewish people don't eat pork either do they? This PC business of everybody being offended....offends me. Boy I tell ya....I wonder how we ever made it through school without being mentally scared for life

I don't worry about being PC. If I offend someone for being honest, it's their problem for being hypersensative. I have respect for others, and know not to stupid about things. But I also have an education like everyone else here does. What I often wonder about, is what ever happenned to common courtesy, and common sense? Why are they not so common anymore? I like the way gramma used to put it, "God gave you a brain, now use it".

Btw, you are correct, pork is also shunned by the Jewish People. For reasons of being considered unclean, by God's standard.

Placing ham where Muslim students were eating was "an awful thing,"

What next, placing a vegetarian burger next to a hunter? When will the madness ever end!!

'I didn't feel safe'

I know, ham does the same thing to me, whenever I am in the grocery store, near the pork section I get those uneasy feelings of hams following me, plotting to get me!

Now we have our children taunting one another in school over religion? Great example we're setting, eh? I hope before we rush to post negative comments here about the Muslims (or any other group) we remember tolerance in faith and love for one another. Hatred for others should not be a part of this or any other forum....it truly diminishes what I hope we all are here to achieve. I have noticed in various posts the animosity that is growing as we all face frustration in the challenge to renew and restore our rights as citizens. Please keep your focus on the ones deserving of our discontent and outrage, otherwise we risk becoming self-defeating and little better than those we struggle against!

And no I didn't miss the humor...nor am I pointing a finger at ANYONE....just feeling a little troubled with all the hate flying around in society today I guess!
God Bless America!

I dont know if these kids did this just to be mean. If thats the case it wrong and should be a relgion crime
the story doesnt say

When I was in school it would have been considered horseplay, at worst worthy of an afternoon or two of detention. {Edit: I graduated early 90's so I'm not talking ancient times here, amazing how things have changed} If an incident like this upsets these Somali Muslim students that greatly, I'd guess there's larger societal issues lying underneath that aren't being dealt with. Whatever the issues are(Muslims cultural differences, press/hollywood portrayals, etc.,), go to the sources of it and not scapegoat these kids.

Originally Posted by Hylander_1314

Btw, you are correct, pork is also shunned by the Jewish People. For reasons of being considered unclean, by God's standard.

Yet they'll eat carp, I've never been able to figure that one out..

ok ok,,ok,
so what’s next we don’t drink water cause the fish make babies in it.

Or we don’t eat wheat or oats because a bird my have a nest in it, or better yet just maybe....

And (I’m not saying this happens) but chances are it has today, about a billion times, but could a bird have just maybe took a crap whilst flying over the oats or over the bean vines.

I’m not being blasphemous here but we don’t live under OLD testament Laws any more, and America, especially cincy is the pork capital of the world.

Guess what Guys The ACLU wont take our pork and I predicting the wont Get in God we trust either.


This might be going a little far but three cheers for Wilber the amazing pig

PORK! PORK! PORK!