I hope this isn't the same guy....

[Fritz]

A famous saying in the world of Psychology....

You are what you think, I think you are, and will become that.

The issue I think, is the phrase they used to kick them out. Had they came in like they should have and said, look, you told me 60 kids, you clearly have more than 60, you need to leave because this is not what we agreed on.

But saying it changes the complexion...man just bad news.

 

[Smoke62]

Reggie 6 minutes ago FLAG COMMENT If you are angered by this story, please voice your concern with his employer!!! Call the PDGA, that's where John Deusler works. 706-261-6342

And so it begins...now disc golf shall be the choice sport for not only hippies, potheads and vandals but now lets add racists in there as well. It's not easy being a disc golfer.

 

[Working Stiff]

Pa. swim club accused of racism to ask kids back

 

[some call me...tim?]

...but now lets add racists in there as well.

Heh, we do have our roots from ball golf after all... :wink:

 

[Bruce1]

A famous saying in the world of Psychology....

You are what you think, I think you are, and will become that.

The issue I think, is the phrase they used to kick them out. Had they came in like they should have and said, look, you told me 60 kids, you clearly have more than 60, you need to leave because this is not what we agreed on.

But saying it changes the complexion...man just bad news.

Thing is, this isn't what happened. They told them (and 2 others) that they couldn't support it any more due to numbers, but they were free to come back for one more week. Some parent/child claimed they'd overheard a racist comment from a member, and tied the two events together and went to the press, who phones John fishing for a story. Unsurprisingly the journo was able to quote something, unrecorded and out of any context, that seemed to support the hypothesis he went there to try to sensationalise...

Not saying that the comment wasn't potentially poorly thought out, but if the owners/directors or whatever were racist, why would they have invited these clubs there in the first place?!?

 

[emiller3]

A famous saying in the world of Psychology....

You are what you think, I think you are, and will become that.

The issue I think, is the phrase they used to kick them out. Had they came in like they should have and said, look, you told me 60 kids, you clearly have more than 60, you need to leave because this is not what we agreed on.

But saying it changes the complexion...man just bad news.

Thing is, this isn't what happened. They told them (and 2 others) that they couldn't support it any more due to numbers, but they were free to come back for one more week. Some parent/child claimed they'd overheard a racist comment from a member, and tied the two events together and went to the press, who phones John fishing for a story. Unsurprisingly the journo was able to quote something, unrecorded and out of any context, that seemed to support the hypothesis he went there to try to sensationalise...

Not saying that the comment wasn't potentially poorly thought out, but if the owners/directors or whatever were racist, why would they have invited these clubs there in the first place?!?

The more I read, the more I think that this ^^ is probably what happened. I wonder if Duesler even knew about the racist comment by someone at the pool when he chose to use the word "complexion", *if* he really did.

EDIT: As Fritz pointed out, he did really say "complexion". My thought still stands I guess, minus my skepticism at his use of the word.

 

[Fritz]

A famous saying in the world of Psychology....

You are what you think, I think you are, and will become that.

The issue I think, is the phrase they used to kick them out. Had they came in like they should have and said, look, you told me 60 kids, you clearly have more than 60, you need to leave because this is not what we agreed on.

But saying it changes the complexion...man just bad news.

Thing is, this isn't what happened. They told them (and 2 others) that they couldn't support it any more due to numbers, but they were free to come back for one more week. Some parent/child claimed they'd overheard a racist comment from a member, and tied the two events together and went to the press, who phones John fishing for a story. Unsurprisingly the journo was able to quote something, unrecorded and out of any context, that seemed to support the hypothesis he went there to try to sensationalise...

Not saying that the comment wasn't potentially poorly thought out, but if the owners/directors or whatever were racist, why would they have invited these clubs there in the first place?!?

The more I read, the more I think that this ^^ is probably what happened. I wonder if Duesler even knew about the racist comment by someone at the pool when he chose to use the word "complexion", *if* he really did.

He admitted the complexion comment, and said he could have chosen a more appropriate word. What he meant was the safety blah blah blah....
Interesting turn of events.

 

[Working Stiff]

John "complexion" Duesler's 2nd job is in public relations

 

[Fritz]

John "complexion" Duesler's 2nd job is in public relations

 

[ferretdance03]

...And somebody found and linked the quote from our esteemed ED... Good call Stiff.

...This was pretty much my problem with Brian Graham instantly getting on the message board to defend him. It seemed reactionary, not well thought out. What if this blows up and the NAACP ends up on the PDGA doorstep? You have already de facto publicly defended the guy. There are plenty of PDGA members who would (and did) stand up for him. The ED under an account with a screen name of "PDGADirector" really should not be on that thread. It makes it seem like the PDGA has investigated all the fact and decided to publicly support John Duesler. I highly doubt that is the case.

Will it come back to bite them in this case? Probably not. The question here again for me is judgment. The words and actions of the Marketing Director and the Executive Director in this case make me wonder about their judgment.

 

[stoneman]

Complexion doesn't necessarily mean the skin color, or complexion of a person's face...I think you have to be a politically correct asshole to take it that way (and there is CERTAINLY no shortage of those around). The complexion of the pool would have been very different, if 35 billgoats had been added. The complexion of the pool would have been very different if "The Dude" was there. :lol: The complexion of a situation can be varied, or change, and have absolutely NOTHING to do with the race of individuals involved. To me, (only having read what's posted here), this sounds like more of the BS commonly called "politically correct".

 

[Working Stiff]

To me, (only having read what's posted here), this sounds like more of the BS commonly called "politically correct".

It IS politically correct BS. The problem that I have had from the very start is not the idea that he is a racist, but the idea that disc golf has one organization dedicated to it and the ED and Marketing Director have shown from this example that they do not have the know-how to navigate in our "politically correct" World. This makes me question their ability to do their jobs. Their job is not just to lead the motley bunch of us that consider ourselves disc golfers, but to present the sport to the masses. To do that effectively, they are going to need to show more media savvy than they have in this instance IMO.

 

[Jesse B 707]

To me, (only having read what's posted here), this sounds like more of the BS commonly called "politically correct".

It IS politically correct BS. The problem that I have had from the very start is not the idea that he is a racist, but the idea that disc golf has one organization dedicated to it and the ED and Marketing Director have shown from this example that they do not have the know-how to navigate in our "politically correct" World. This makes me question their ability to do their jobs. Their job is not just to lead the motley bunch of us that consider ourselves disc golfers, but to present the sport to the masses. To do that effectively, they are going to need to show more media savvy than they have in this instance IMO.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[mike]

lets sue for our civil rights....

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/15/swim.club.problems/index.html

 

[abcd]

To me, (only having read what's posted here), this sounds like more of the BS commonly called "politically correct".

It IS politically correct BS. The problem that I have had from the very start is not the idea that he is a racist, but the idea that disc golf has one organization dedicated to it and the ED and Marketing Director have shown from this example that they do not have the know-how to navigate in our "politically correct" World. This makes me question their ability to do their jobs. Their job is not just to lead the motley bunch of us that consider ourselves disc golfers, but to present the sport to the masses. To do that effectively, they are going to need to show more media savvy than they have in this instance IMO.

Even if he isn't a racist, the fact that he's the pdga MARKETING and COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR is slightly disturbing.

 

[some call me...tim?]

lets sue for our civil rights....

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/15/swim.club.problems/index.html

Hmm, the videos linked in that article are interesting. You can judge for yourself how you feel about the club's response.

 

[Working Stiff]

The issue was exacerbated when Duesler told two Philadelphia television stations the children had changed "the complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club. The comment brought protesters outside the facility.

Here is the issue to me. Is this even a story without that quote? Maybe in Philadelphia, but not nationally. For it to blow up into a big, huge national story with Senators chiming in and disc golf websites talking about it took Duesler's mouth. He will have take responsibility for that. He is probably a great guy, but he screwed the pooch big time. If I was a member of that Club, I'd call for his resignation.

His role with the PDGA? That's not so clear since this has been blow out of proportion and he wasn't representing the PDGA at the time. However, for a marketing and PR guy to publicly blunder like this would at least need to be brought up in a BoD meeting for discussion I would think. The fact that the ED came out publicly as the ED to support him should be brought up by the BoD as well unless he was OK'ed by the BoD in advance.

 

[Frank Delicious]

on a random follow up note, Tyler Perry took all the kids on an all expense paid trip to Disney World

 

[mike]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/23/pennsylvania.swim.racism/index.html

they got whacked with a lousy $50,000.00 fine.......

 

[Jesse B 707]

:lol: