Request: local info on John Duesler and the Philadelphia racism story
Do any TPMers live in Philly & know the players in the recent racism story?
Here's why I'm asking:
There's been a spirited discussion regarding MJ's post about a group of black kids in Philadelphia being kicked out of a private club because of the color of their skin.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pool-Boots-Kids-Who-Might-Change-the-Complexion.html
John Duesler, President of Valley Swim Club, wrote in a letter to the group that a lot of kids might change the "complexion" and atmosphere of the club. (A questionable choice of words if there ever was one.) So this looks like a pretty clear racism story.
But here's the thing--if it's the same John Duesler, this guy is an Obama supporter and peace activist. He was on the team that set up a blood drive (Opositive) to celebrate Obama's inauguration, and here's a link to a peace seminar in which he participated.
http://peaceactionpa.org/Ethnic_Peace_Fest_20Jan08.html
Any locals who can provide info? Because this seems a little odd.
The explanation would probably be that some Obama supporters are racist.
July 9, 2009 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Erica - I notice you haven't seen any comments yet from Philly residents, so I'll mention what I've found via the Web. First, web sites with information about Valley Swim Club, and most with relevant information about John G. Duesler Jr. have been shut down. It does appear, however, that the same Duesler is Swim Club president and the Opositive sponsor and peace activist; in fact, he's involved in a multitude of community projects.
In fairness to him (although it doesn't exonerate him much), he doesn't seem to have been the one who turned away the black kids or made the offensive remarks when the kids arrived. In that sense, he appears to have trying to explain away what happened rather than claiming it was the right thing to do.
His remark regarding members' concern about changing "the complexion...and atmosphere" of the club may have been transmitted verbally to a reporter rather than written, and perhaps, therefore, mistranscribed. At the site where I read the description, the three dots ... between "complexion" and "atmosphere" implied that Duesler had first used one term, thought better of it, and then substituted another.
Did he really say that? I'm guessing he really did. He may be one of those caricature liberals whose principles are unflinching until they are actually put to a test. My further guess is that he was trying to excuse the discrimination on the basis of a change in "atmosphere" but "complexion" came out of his mouth instead, in a Freudian sort of way. As film maker Errol Morris once pointed out, explaining why his widely acclaimed documentaries included almost no probing questions asked of the people they filmed, "if you simply let people talk long enough, they'll tell you everything you wanted to know."
I'm gratified at the wide coverage and near universal condemnation this incident has received. I'm not sure who is to be admired less - the racist who's proud of it, or the racist who's sure he isn't one.
July 9, 2009 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
After posting my comment, I noticed that fname had commented that maybe Duesler was a racist Obama supporter. My own thought had been that Duesler probably did harbor racist attitudes, but not ones he consciously endorsed. There are, however, many whites who are unashamed to advertise their prejudice against blacks. Their politics became a subject of speculation during the election campaign.
I recall, specifically, an article that I believe appeared in Salon, on the subject of "racists for Obama". The idea was that many blue collar whites with racist attitudes were so worried about their own economic survival in a growing recession that economics rather than racism would prevail in their voting preferences.
The principle was epitomized by an incident reported by a campaign volunteer who was canvassing in a blue collar district in western Pennsylvania. When she rang the doorbell, the door was opened by the woman of the house, and the canvasser asked, "Do you know who you're going to vote for in the election for president?" The woman called back to her husband in the other room - "Honey, who are we going to vote for?"
From the other room, a loud voice answered back, "We're voting for the nigger."
July 9, 2009 3:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Talk about the frontier of racial progress!
July 9, 2009 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it may be a case of him going along with the racist views of most of his members, and refusing to stand up for the young black students being discriminated against.
He should have stood up for the students or resigned in protest.
July 9, 2009 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can be racist and liberal last I checked. Take a look at the comments over here http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/cjames/2009/07/why-guilty-white-liberals-feel.php#comment-3523129
Racist indeed and they in fact defended the guy. Even if he wasn't racist, he pacified racism, and no one made him say the kids changed the complexion and atmosphere of the pool.
July 11, 2009 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink