Affirmative Action Gone Wild? - AZ To Hire Minority Lifeguards Who 'Can't Swim' - Wake Up America

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

One of the problems I have with this program is that they are lowering the standards to become a lifeguard and possibly putting lives in danger to meet diversity desires. This swimming test that these new applicants will have to pass is not the same test the existing lifeguards had to pass. If it was the same, this really wouldn't be an issue.

I'm not really sure why English speaking lifeguards pose a problem either. Last I checked English is still our national language, and we do still teach English in our schools, correct?

It doesn't say the standard test has changed. I think the biggest issue here is folks think these kids have no concept of how to swim. The article says the school has no swim team, so the kids aren't as strong as swim team swimmers. The kids who aren't strong swimmers get training in order to pass the same test as the other lifeguards.

In boot camp, we had folks who had no idea how to swim. So, for our swim quals, they had to take a few extra hours to learn the basics, since our qualification is more or less treading water and swiming in two directions.

[Danno 1,228]

And yet you are always talking about less white people. And unlike you, I fight for all folks, not just the ones who look like me.

Do you celebrate when less black folks work in your dept?

Do you celebrate when your city is less Black?

Are you expected to see it as a sign of progress because less Blacks are on a given sporting team?

Why don't we pressure Black fraternities to open their memberships to others, why wouldn't that be "progress" too?

When the percentage of Blacks drops in the country are you going to celebrate?

Thats what whites are expected to do.

(and they do)

[decocker 7,198]

One of the problems I have with this program is that they are lowering the standards to become a lifeguard and possibly putting lives in danger to meet diversity desires. This swimming test that these new applicants will have to pass is not the same test the existing lifeguards had to pass. If it was the same, this really wouldn't be an issue.

I'm not really sure why English speaking lifeguards pose a problem either. Last I checked English is still our national language, and we do still teach English in our schools, correct?

one of my first jobs was at the city pool. i taught swim lessons in the winter months and worked the front counter for the outer pool in the summer.

i was never - ever, given a swimming test. i was asked if i could swim. i said yes. i was hired. i was given a class of 8 - 10 toddlers to manage in 4 ft of water, by myself, first day on the job. without anyone so much as seeing me in a swimsuit.

the lifeguards that i worked with were all a few years older than me. they bought me alcohol on rain days. a couple times, rain days ended up getting sunny again and the lifeguards would be half drunk, back up on their posts.

moral of the story: becoming a lifeguard/swim instructor used to be super easy.

[B_J 2,752]

If they are hiring X number of lifeguards, and then hiring a second group to train, then that's fine. That's the way I understand the program.

If they are hiring X number but some of those are not qualified and need to be trained, then that's different.

As for the language issue, I would assume that, in a drowning situation the victim would yell for help in their native tongue just out of reflex. I think it makes sense for the lifeguard to speak Spanish in certain locations. I tend to be an "English only" type of person; but I guess I allow an exception in a life or death situation.

[decocker 7,198]

Thats what whites are expected to do.

(and they do)

all people are expected to celebrate the inclusion of as many races/nationalities as possible. no one is advocating ethnic cleansing here, which is apparently what you think is going on..

[Danno 1,228]

all people are expected to celebrate the inclusion of as many races/nationalities as possible. no one is advocating ethnic cleansing here, which is apparently what you think is going on..

"Ethnic cleansing"is your term not mine.

If you embrace such high principles, why do you not live in an area where you can realize that goal?

This is what cracks me up with you people.

[Teddy B 17,252]

While English may be the "national language" this country, in reality, is made up of people who speak many different languages. In a school where the population is so overwhelmingly black/hispanic/latino/whatever ... it's safe to say the majority of them likely speak English as a second language. And there's nothing wrong with that. But there seems to be a language barrier at the pool in THIS story, so I also see nothing wrong with wanting a more diverse group of lifeguards.

I also don't see anything anywhere that claims they're lowering the standards. These kids aren't becoming lifeguards over night. Swimming is heavily a white sport/activity. There's nothing wrong with a community funded program to try and get minorities involved in not only the activity, but in their community as well. And if they end up making the cut, there's nothing wrong with them becoming lifeguards.

This case is a perfect example of why we have a national language. We spend a lot of time and money on issues like this that shouldn't be issues at all. English is our national language, plain and simple.There aren't many things that bug me in regards to people appreciating their heritage and wanting to hold onto it, but in the US we speak English. My ancestors immigrated here from Italy, they spoke very little English when they came here, but they learned it real quick to accomodate to the US system. They still spoke Italian at home, but in public, they spoke English. What makes this case worse in my mind, is that it is in a school, the very place these kids should be learning English. What does this program say of the level of education this school is providing if they can't even teach their kids to speak and understand English?

There is plenty of evidence that this "swimming test" these new applicants will have to pass is of a lesser standard in the quoted NPR story. If it was the regular Lifeguard test that all the other applicants had to pass, it would say so.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Do you celebrate when less black folks work in your dept?

Do you celebrate when your city is less Black?

Are you expected to see it as a sign of progress because less Blacks are on a given sporting team?

Why don't we pressure Black fraternities to open their memberships to others, why wouldn't that be "progress" too?

When the percentage of Blacks drops in the country are you going to celebrate?

Thats what whites are expected to do.

(and they do)

Showing your ignorance again. Black frats have never had a problem letting other folks from different races in: http://cw.ua.edu/2011/09/21/diversity-increasing-in-black-greek-organizations/

Zeta Phi Beta is a historically black sorority in the National Pan-Hellenic Council. When Dempsey joined, she did something rare, but not something entirely unprecedented. Her sorority had integrated before – in the 1980s – but integration hadn’t become a trend. Burgin estimated that NPHC organizations have accepted about five or seven white members in the last ten years, but that their diversity efforts do not just involve white students. Alpha Phi Alpha has a member who is Filipino, and people of every race are welcome in the organizations. “What I’ve come to find is that, for someone who’s not an African-American to join a sorority or fraternity, we pretty much welcome it with open arms,” he said.

Burgin said most NPHC organizations were founded in the early 20th century, when black students were kept from joining white fraternities around the country.

“The reason why a lot of people were brought into that is because a lot of white fraternities and sororities did not want us in their system, but we wanted to have a greek system as well,” he said. “We started this because we were discriminated against by the white fraternities or sororities, so it would be hypocritical for us to discriminate against anyone of any race.”Dempsey said the racial divide was not something she was used to after growing up in Tallahassee, Fla.

That's what you don't get.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

If they are hiring X number of lifeguards, and then hiring a second group to train, then that's fine. That's the way I understand the program.

If they are hiring X number but some of those are not qualified and need to be trained, then that's different.

As for the language issue, I would assume that, in a drowning situation the victim would yell for help in their native tongue just out of reflex. I think it makes sense for the lifeguard to speak Spanish in certain locations. I tend to be an "English only" type of person; but I guess I allow an exception in a life or death situation.

Pools don't just have life and death situations, either. Minor injuries can happen running, swimming, on the slide, etc. It would be best for everyone if both languages were represented properly so that those situations can be dealt with. You wouldn't want a kid who is comfortable speaking Spanish more than English, in a panic because he's injured, and not being able to properly communicate what's wrong.

There is plenty of evidence that this "swimming test" these new applicants will have to pass is of a lesser standard in the quoted NPR story. If it was the regular Lifeguard test that all the other applicants had to pass, it would say so.

Where?

As for the English thing, I'm sure these kids do speak English. They most likely speak it as a second language. The English lifeguards aren't going anywhere. They're just wanting to hire people who speak Spanish as well. And as for the money, this is entirely COMMUNITY funded.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Penny Lane

[decocker 7,198]

"Ethnic cleansing"is your term not mine.

If you embrace such high principles, why do you not live in an area where you can realize that goal?

This is what cracks me up with you people.

####### are you talking about?

i live in boyce virginia, about ten minutes away from the town my parents moved me to, when i was eight. i'm still here because this is where my job is. i've worked this job for over ten years. why would i move?

[Danno 1,228]

If they are hiring X number of lifeguards, and then hiring a second group to train, then that's fine. That's the way I understand the program.

If they are hiring X number but some of those are not qualified and need to be trained, then that's different.

As for the language issue, I would assume that, in a drowning situation the victim would yell for help in their native tongue just out of reflex. I think it makes sense for the lifeguard to speak Spanish in certain locations. I tend to be an "English only" type of person; but I guess I allow an exception in a life or death situation.

Well lets use the old "If it will save one life" rule. (Libs love this).

What happens if a girl from Vietnam goes under?

Or Nigeria?

If language is this paramount, how dare we only think of the majority languages spoken?

Are we saying they just aren;t worth the cost and effort?

[Teddy B 17,252]

one of my first jobs was at the city pool. i taught swim lessons in the winter months and worked the front counter for the outer pool in the summer.

i was never - ever, given a swimming test. i was asked if i could swim. i said yes. i was hired. i was given a class of 8 - 10 toddlers to manage in 4 ft of water, by myself, first day on the job. without anyone so much as seeing me in a swimsuit.

the lifeguards that i worked with were all a few years older than me. they bought me alcohol on rain days. a couple times, rain days ended up getting sunny again and the lifeguards would be half drunk, back up on their posts.

moral of the story: becoming a lifeguard/swim instructor used to be super easy.

Anyone can teach swim lessons. Were these lessons taught with a lifeguard on duty? if not, then they were probably not following proper safety regulations.

There was a YMCA here in Mass a few years back that got caught giving swimming lessons without a lifeguard on duty and they were heavily fined.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Well lets use the old "If it will save one life" rule. (Libs love this).

What happens if a girl from Vietnam goes under?

Or Nigeria?

If language is this paramount, how dare we only think of the majority languages spoken?

Are we saying they just aren;t worth the cost and effort?

Funny how you use the same logic when it comes to having guns around.

If a gun is used to murder countless folks in a mass shooting, yet it can be used to stop a single home invasion, isn't it worth it?

And if someone is drowing, I'm pretty sure they will let you know with the thrashing hands and screaming.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Su and Marvin

[decocker 7,198]

Well lets use the old "If it will save one life" rule. (Libs love this).

how about applying REASON? try it some time.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Well lets use the old "If it will save one life" rule. (Libs love this).

What happens if a girl from Vietnam goes under?

Or Nigeria?

If language is this paramount, how dare we only think of the majority languages spoken?

Are we saying they just aren;t worth the cost and effort?

Over 90% of these kids are black/asian/latino/hispanic. I'm sure the majority of them aren't speaking German or something.