Gingervitus

SCHOOL HOLDS TOLERANCE SEMINAR AS 3 BOYS ARE ARRESTED IN 'GINGER' ATTACKS
(LA Times)

It's as trite as trite can be -- back in the good ol' days, kids used to use "Kick Me!" signs. Now we've upgraded to Facebook and holidays such as "Kick A Ginger Day" can cause nationwide peril to Weasleys everywhere. The Calabasas Middle School boys, ages 12 and 13, were influenced by the show South Park in attacking gingers in their normally-peaceful campus.

The "South Park" episode, first shown in 2005, was itself supposed to be a lesson in tolerance but misfired, with harassment of red-haired students taking place at schools across the U.S. and Canada over the last few years.

However, for something that has been occuring in schools for decades, it seems a little harsh to label these young lads on battery charges or anything of that sort. I mean, nothing more than a couple bruises and scraped knees occured and things like that are bound to happen. Of course, that's not to say such behavior is encouraged, especially on the grounds of their hair color, but if the crime is relatively harmless, the punishment should fit the offense.

Likewise, to blame the producers of South Park for the misbehavior of middle school children is a cop out because they cannot control their own kids.

The annual kick-a-ginger event has brought angry criticism from people who feel the show's producers should have known better. A judge in Calgary, Canada, where 13 high school students swarmed a red-haired boy in a locker room, called the show "a vulgar, socially irreverent program that contributes nothing to society."

It's a television program intended for an adult audience -- monitor what your childen watch and you won't have a problem. It is a high-brow show (yes, it is, don't give me that look) and if your children are not at the level at which they can understand satire, they shouldn't be watching Comedy Central. You cannot demand that adult programming be eradicated for the "sake of the children" simply so you don't have to do your job as a parent because the telly can babysit them for you.

Link to story at latimes.com:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ginger-attacks1-2009dec01,0,7737967.story?track=rss


This post is dedicated to my ex-husband and faithful ginger, Max Solomon. Keep on keepin' on, Rojo.