Racism Still Rampant in Philly?

I am still so shocked by the story of the black and Hispanic day campers who were kicked out (after paying a fee) of the Valley Swim Club in Huntingdon Valley, PA simply because they were–shocker!–not white. I am even more shocked that despite the story getting some play on Facebook and Twitter, it hasn’t really hit the mainstream media outlets yet.

It should be a front page story. Club president John Duesler’s best explanation was that the campers “changed the complexion” of the club…if that was seriously the best explanation he can think of, then he has no problems being racist and deserves to endure all the consequences of his actions, which so far have included a flooded voicemail box, a flooded email inbox, and a website that as of this writing has gone out of commission.

On the off-chance any current members of the Valley Swim Club are reading this, I urge you to resign your membership in protest (and insist on getting your money back as well). If you don’t, you are just as racist as Duesler. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good people do nothing.

UPDATE: Many updates are here on a blog at Daily Kos. Protest Today at the club at 5:30 pm!

Technology, Twitter and the Iran election

Take a look at Nicholas Kristof’s article in the NY Times about dissident use of the Internet, starting in China and continuing in Iran and other areas where freedoms are limited.

From the Mr. Tweet blog, here is a look at how and why Twitter is being used to effect change in Iran. I don’t know about you, but I find what is happening over there to be terrifying yet amazing. The courage of the people who are attempting to peacefully protest, when it could cost them their lives and livelihoods, is inspiring.

I wonder where we would be if we had had these methods of communications in other historical eras–just imagine what could have been prevented had we had these tools during the Holocaust, the slavery years, the Russian revolution, etc.