Florida schoolbus racism scandal

[Resistance]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0A3D3E55-E513-4BE1-B8E0-729B44723787.htm

A school bus service in Florida has refused to carry Iraqi and Afghani refugee students for a second time in a week.

Some 27 students aged between 10 and 14 were abandoned outside Jacksonville last Wednesday, over eight miles away from home.

A substitute Duval County school bus driver – “Mrs Boston” – singled out hijab-wearing girls and “foreign-looking” boys, ordering them to get out.

Ali al-Hamad said his children, along with as many others from Fort Caroline Middle School students, were kicked off their bus because they were Muslim.

[La_Serpiente]

1. What the HElll!!!!???

I hope the bus driver get fired and persecuted on hate crimes legislation.

[fishnfla]

2. In Jacksonville?

she'll be mayor in 2 years. Not too many sober folks with drivers' privelages up in the redneck of the woods.

[XanaDUer]

4. LOL!

You know Jax?

what a town, huh?

Lots of Stars and Bars stuff 'round here.

[coralrf]

15. I know Jax..I live here...

This incident took place in Ft. Caroline, a working class neighborhood on the St. Johns River. The major district, Arlington, is blue collar, religious and very red-neck.

Nothing will happen here. Our new super pug mayor will let it go. The good thing is: the local yokel team , the Jaguars suck and lost again. Fuck ‘em.

The southern conservative is rather cowardly so I doubt this will happen again.

[ktranz]

7. Jacksonville

know some hardcore conservatives down there, freaky town

[WindRavenX]

9. I second this

Reading this shit made my blood boil :argh:
*sigh* and we're supposed to be better off now..

[PsychoDad]

12. we're supposed to be better off now..

Depends on who "we" are...

Friends of Bush are better off, that's for sure

[XanaDUer]

3. This happened where I live

Supposedly, the students were rowdy. Then they showed a bunch of girls and boys with tons of school books, quietly explaining what happened to them being dumped 5 miles' from their homes.

The driver allegedly said "Bye!" and waved as she drove off.

Just so those not in the area know: the bus drivers are from a company that PRIVATIZED from the city's own unionized bus drivers.

The company is called First Student. There have been many problems since the privitization of the bus drivers.

Nice.

[coralrf]

16. They cannot dump them...

They have to call the cops. First Student sucks but they do have rules. They broke them.

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. I'm surprised there are still 27 in one town left in public schools

Most people in the "at-risk" groups who were able made other education arrangements for their kids shortly after 9-11.

Now that it is in the press, maybe the local mosque can help the families get their kids into a safer situation.

[jiacinto]

6. That's messed up

nt

[Judi Lynn]

8. Very interesting scripture from the very Bible they love to whip out

and wave in your face:

"Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto me."

This is something they would have heard in church, that is, if they weren't too busy with their snake-handling, rolling in the aisles, waving their arms around, and "praising Jeezus."

[kayell]

10. WTF

"Concerned parents contacted the school, which informed them that nothing could be done other than to make sure the driver was not given responsibility for these particular students again."

How about canning and then prosecuting the racist pig for endangering minors???!!!!

:grr:

[PsychoDad]

13. You're right

Isn't this an act of child endangerment?

Think I'll call the County Department of Family and Children, child protection department and file a complaint. Child endangerment is a criminal act.

[TahitiNut]

11. kick

[MasonJar]

14. Welcome to Jeb world

Welcome to Jeb world/kicks children off buses, lets them disappear, refuses to let them graduate, etc. What else is new in Florida?

[AP]

17. Fertile ground for Dean votes?

Wonder if that bus had a confederate flag in the window.

[sweetladybug]

18. I just recently moved back to TN from FL, I own a home near

Panama City (Mexico Beach) and there are some of the most sickening people I have ever met in my life. If you are of the right color, don't have money and don't think the way they do, you are treated like crap. AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN FLORIDA IS A TOTAL DISGRACE. The people running that state should be ashamed of themself, but then again we have to remember a Bush is in charge of FL so what can we expect.
RE-ELECT A DEMOCRAT IN 2004!!!!

[TahitiNut]

19. Not LBN - 3 days old

Middle Eastern Children Allegedly Kicked Off Bus

Driver Accused Of Leaving Students Miles From Home

POSTED: 6:31 p.m. EST October 30, 2003
UPDATED: 7:02 p.m. EST October 30, 2003

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Angry parents claimed a bus driver forced their children off a school bus Wednesday five miles from home because they were Middle Eastern.

Ali Alhamad said his children, along with 10-20 others, were kicked off their bus because they were Muslim. He said many of the children were wearing Muslim religious attire.
<more...>

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Press Release_________________________________________ Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations

FL Muslim Students Kicked Off Bus 5 Miles From Home; Islamic Civil Rights Group Demands Full Investigation

Friday October 31, 3:46 pm ET

DAVIE, Fla., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) is calling for an investigation of two incidents in which some 20 Muslim middle school students were either removed from or kept from boarding school buses in Jacksonville, Fla.
<more...>

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I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to discuss this in an appropriate forum.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator