Nazi phrase gets football coach benched

[deadparrot]

After posting a message on players' lockers last week that was worded the same as a Nazi slogan, Maine South High School's top football coach was suspended for a game, officials said Wednesday.

Dave Inserra, 39, will sit out Maine South's homecoming game against New Trier this Saturday, Principal David Claypool said. The one-game suspension comes after Inserra put up signs saying, "Work will set you free," on the lockers of the varsity team. The German version of that phrase -- "Arbeit macht frei" -- became infamous when used by the Nazis, who posted it at the entrance to Auschwitz and at other concentration camps.

"I regret it ever happening. It was a completely honest mistake," Inserra said. "Ignorance is not an excuse. I should have checked the origin."

Claypool agreed the incident was "an honest mistake."

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/84658,CST-NWS-slogan05.article

[Gabi Hayes]

1. holy LORD!

''This entrance gate to Auschwitz reads 'Work will make you free.' "

from a high school that apparently taught the class this guy missed:

http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webquests/holocaust/main.html

[Bonobo]

2. I went to High School in the next town over from there.

I went to HS in Skokie, the town that became famous when the Nazi's tried to march there in 1980.

They never actually showed up because of the threats of violence against them.

You see, Skokie was home to many, many Holocaust survivors, especially 26 years ago.

[MindPilot]

3. OK, who wouldn't know the origin of that phrase? nt

[Gabi Hayes]

5. this is a FANTASTIC living history lesson, though, isn't it?

guy probably didn't know the origin...and I'll bet ninety percent of Americans don't, either, if that, but he sure does now!

I like the fact he didn't get fired, though. Hope he's learned a lesson, and you can be certain that those kids got a real life lesson. I just hope their teachers took advantage

I live less than ten miles from Maine South, and have seen/heard not one thing on TV/radio/newspapers about this

thanks for mentioning it, OPer

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. to be honest...

I didn't until I read it on DU a few months ago.

[pretzel4gore]

8. plus it aint true...

millions of us work like bush's brain, everyday grinding out produce, for what! a fukking pittance, that's what!
:hide:

[cool user name]

17. I didn't and I'm Jewish ...

:shrug:

[Phredicles]

4. How stupid would you have to be...

:wow: :wow: :wow:

[DefenseLawyer]

6. I'm pretty stupid I guess

I wouldn't have made the connection. Certainly not in that context.

[Swamp Rat]

7. Mein Gott in Himmel!!!

Inserra, du bist dumm wie drei Meter Feldweg, blödes Arschloch! :eyes:

[Hosnon]

9. Huh...I'd have never made the connection. nt

[sendero]

10. I had no idea..

.. that was a Nazi slogan. Didn't learn that one in school.

[Red Right and BLUE]

14. Me either.

I'm betting he REALLY didn't know.

[Initech]

11. How could he forget something like that?

Now all he needs to do is learn "Deutschland Uber Alles"!

[TahitiNut]

12. I didn't know Auschwitz had a football team.

:puke:

[conscious evolution]

13. They did

The other 'football'.
Saw it in some show or documentary about holocaust or wwii.
Though it might have been another camp.
I don't think it was propaganda either.Some prisoners were playing in the background and weren't the focus of the camera.
I remember because it seemed so surreal.

[Rockstone]

16. I said that to my German boss once

I was trying to say "Arbeit Macht Spass" - work is fun
but I recalled it incorrectly. How embarassing. I don't think he noticed though.

[Karenina]

19. He noticed and gave you a pass.

[Solo_in_MD]

20. Sort of like: Ich bin ein Berliner

[ComerPerro]

22. Did he just say he was a donut?

I am a frankfurter!

[Solo_in_MD]

23. IIRC, it was a JFK quote

[ComerPerro]

24. thought you were quoting Eddie Izzard's monologue on the JFK quote

[Solo_in_MD]

26. Actually he did say it

And literally it means "I am a jelly dough nut", though in context (and with a horrible American accent) his intent was clear, "I stand with the people of Berlin". It is considered by some to be one of his better speeches by some.

[Ms. Toad]

18. I find his response refreshing.

Apparently self-initiated apology, no excuses, no blaming someone or something else, no complaints about the punishment being unwarranted.

[ComerPerro]

25. True, more of a "I fucked up really bad", you don't see that much

[ComerPerro]

21. Here at KU, the offical political party of the fratties used this slogan

"One Campus.
One Community.
One KU"


ewww... creepy...

"Ein reich, ein volk, ein fuhrer" anyone?