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

[emiller3]

So regardless of how statements were couched or reported by the press - you guys calling him a tool - are the tools. Stop acting like lemmings and think for yourself

Your view is a result of knowing the guy personally. Most of us don't know him, and this story reads like any other of the hundreds we read every week where someone reportedly said or did something stupid. We aren't lemmings, we can think for ourselves, but from the information we have, it sounds like he did something very ignorant.

The latest that I have heard on this incident, was that JD was actually outvoted by his club members/board in revoking the agreement with the camp - making it appear he was actually fighting for their right to be there (which is much more like the JD that I know).

While I hope that's true, what you say reads like a "friend's" version of the story. Hopefully he was misquoted and his name will be cleared (although I doubt it), but someone was acting out of racial prejudice here, and that's the unfortunate part, whether it was your friend or not.

 

[zj10021]

The latest that I have heard on this incident, was that JD was actually outvoted by his club members/board in revoking the agreement with the camp - making it appear he was actually fighting for their right to be there (which is much more like the JD that I know).

So regardless of how statements were couched or reported by the press - you guys calling him a tool - are the tools. Stop acting like lemmings and think for yourself

did anyone call him a tool? i don't think a tool is even close to the right word to describe the situation. we are making judgments based on the the information we are given by the media. i think everyone wants to hear the other side and believe that he is not "racist". I think you need to take solace in the fact that on the internet the degree to which words are typed are usually vastly overstating the situation. i think everyone hopes we hear the back ground story and this can all be put in the past.

 

[craigg]

did anyone call him a tool? we are making judgments based on the the information we are given by the media. i think everyone wants to hear the other side and believe that he is not "racist". I think you need to take solace in the fact that on the internet the degree to which words are typed are usually vastly overstating the situation. i think everyone hopes we hear the back ground story and this can all be put in the past.

Yeah actually and worse - Jman called him a tool 2 posts above mine.

Sorry - but "Making judgements based on the the information we are given by the media." - which in this case amounts to a single quoted line of text with ..... right in the middle of it - an obvious and deliberate omission of context for the purpose of "presentation" - seems rather lemming like to me. But perhaps that's due to the fact that I know and can vouch for the mans character.
I would encourage all of those that would crucify a guy who has been working in one form or fashion for your benefit for several years - to reserve your ire for more deserving candidates.
If on the other hand you would prefer to persist in that endeavor - expect no less in return from those of us who know better.

 

[zj10021]

i think using the word crucify is going over the top

i am just going to let this post be and stop after this. you have your view and i have mine. but me and others here are not crucifying him.

If on the other hand you would prefer to persist in that endeavor - expect no less in return from those of us who know better.

that line just puts me over the top. that makes you no better or helps his case. i sincerely hope what you say is true, but you are not helping his case with a comment like that

 

[swan]

I kind of have to go with craigg on this one. This seems to be another example of the media lacing a story with inaccurate details and misquotes to juice up the headlines. I don't know if I'd call the esteemed users of DGR lemmings, but I would encourage the use of a common sense approach before believing everything you read.

I don't know a soul involved in this situation, but I think I'd probably agree with the perspective of the members of the club. Bear with me here... It's summertime and I pay a nice fee to belong to this private swim club. I joined because I got sick of taking my kids to the public pools and dealing with all the brats, bullys and other issues of public facilities. Now here we are in July and we're having a nice quiet afternoon at the club and here comes a bunch of sceamin' meemies messing with my (paid) atmosphere. I call one of the attendees over and ask "WTF, yo?" The attendee, being a very impressionable teenager working a Summer job trying to cater to all members of the club, decides to take it upon herself to ask the meemies to GTFO. Kids happen to black and hispanic, shit hits the fan and the president of the club has to slap together an answer to the media. Here we are.

I don't have a horse in this race and it's a shame this Duesler fellow will take some public hits for this, but there probably should've been a little better planning in finding these kids a Summer refuge.

 

[swan]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Swim-Club-Members-Nothing-to-Do-With-Race.html

 

[craigg]

i think using the word crucify is going over the top

i am just going to let this post be and stop after this. you have your view and i have mine. but me and others here are not crucifying him.

If on the other hand you would prefer to persist in that endeavor - expect no less in return from those of us who know better.

that line just puts me over the top. that makes you no better or helps his case. i sincerely hope what you say is true, but you are not helping his case with a comment like that

Sorry if you feel this is over the top. I don't find defending someone of John's character in the face if ignorant rants over the top. Go back and read the whole thread - and pretend you are John - and tell me again that comments on this board have not only convicted him, but totally assassinated his character.

You and everyone else here are absolutely entitled to their opinion - but if that includes personal attacks on people you don't know - you are also perfectly entitled to keep those opinions to yourself.

 

[Fritz]

In response to Swann, the Day Camp, paid $1950.00 to come swim at that pool, I think they had every right to be there.

 

[Frank Delicious]

I kind of have to go with craigg on this one. This seems to be another example of the media lacing a story with inaccurate details and misquotes to juice up the headlines. I don't know if I'd call the esteemed users of DGR lemmings, but I would encourage the use of a common sense approach before believing everything you read.

I don't know a soul involved in this situation, but I think I'd probably agree with the perspective of the members of the club. Bear with me here... It's summertime and I pay a nice fee to belong to this private swim club. I joined because I got sick of taking my kids to the public pools and dealing with all the brats, bullys and other issues of public facilities. Now here we are in July and we're having a nice quiet afternoon at the club and here comes a bunch of sceamin' meemies messing with my (paid) atmosphere. I call one of the attendees over and ask "WTF, yo?" The attendee, being a very impressionable teenager working a Summer job trying to cater to all members of the club, decides to take it upon herself to ask the meemies to GTFO. Kids happen to black and hispanic, shit hits the fan and the president of the club has to slap together an answer to the media. Here we are.

I don't have a horse in this race and it's a shame this Duesler fellow will take some public hits for this, but there probably should've been a little better planning in finding these kids a Summer refuge.

This example makes no sense. The club paid to be there and there is no reason besides this given on why they were kicked out.

"The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

If the kids were causing trouble like you say why wouldn't the spokesman just come out and say they got kicked out for being troublemakers instead of his poorly phrased quote?

 

[Cgkdisc]

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=6907653

 

[Frank Delicious]

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=6907653

that one dude asks him to explain his quote like three times.

also "I didn't count the kids but I knew there were more than 60 which is how many we agreed on."

what?

 

[Maks]

after reading it i think this thing could be just taken out of context. i mean i worked for a yacht club that would ask people that bring a lot of kids not to use the pool cause they would disturb the other club members.

i hope this is what it is.
and 60 kids is a lot if you ask me.

if i was a member i wouldnt want 60 kids regardless of color to show up at my club at once ya know...

 

[abcd]

Sounds like something to discuss before exchanging $$$? Still haven't seen the full quote. Rather poor phrasing, especially for a marketing guy.

 

[Working Stiff]

Rather poor phrasing, especially for a marketing guy.

This is really my concern. My concern really isn't that he is a bad guy or a racist, I really don't see any evidence of that. My concern is his judgment. The issue was the number of kids, and instead of clearly saying that he said something vague about how the kids "would change the complexion" of the Club when there was a potential race question? Wow. Monumental poor judgment. That he is a marketing guy just makes you shake your head even more. It's a huge screw up from a guy who should have known better.

But, people screw up. Not everybody has to be thrown under the bus when they screw up. From what I understand, he has done better than most in promoting the PDGA. So maybe he deserves a mulligan on this one.

I still think the ED needs to stay off that board. Getting into arguments with the membership on a message board is pointless. It just gives the complainers more ammunition.

 

[Donkeypuncher1]

The sad thing is, businesses can legally do this if they want. I've seen a few places that have the same policy for police officers, they are not welcome and will not be served. This is a case of certain laws being twisted and applied where they were not intended. It's the same catch 22 with freedom of speech, it even applies to those with ignorant views and opinions.

 

[Jesse B 707]

I've seen a few places that have the same policy for police officers, they are not welcome and will not be served.

this sounds like my kind of place :mrgreen:

 

[discspeed]

I don't have a horse in this race and it's a shame this Duesler fellow will take some public hits for this, but there probably should've been a little better planning in finding these kids a Summer refuge.

When you have a position of power, you can't say things like that. The media did not put those words in his mouth. I'm a teacher and I too would get thrown under the bus, right or wrong, for making a statement like that. Politics are politics. You should always write down what you are going to say when making a public statement, and our PR guy should know this. Complexion? Freudian slip? Poor choice of words...did he even make a choice? I think at face value this is what bothers people. It seems those are the words he reacted with.

 

[Working Stiff]

I don't have a horse in this race and it's a shame this Duesler fellow will take some public hits for this, but there probably should've been a little better planning in finding these kids a Summer refuge.

When you have a position of power, you can't say things like that. The media did not put those words in his mouth. I'm a teacher and I too would get thrown under the bus, right or wrong, for making a statement like that. Politics are politics. You should always write down what you are going to say when making a public statement, and our PR guy should know this. Complexion? Freudian slip? Poor choice of words...did he even make a choice? I think at face value this is what bothers people. It seems those are the words he reacted with.

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.

 

[Easy]

From my country club days... as first a poor kid playing competitive tennis and then as a coach of basically those same kids. The average country club set isn't so concerned with race as it is with "socio-economic" status. In other words, they do not like poor people. They feel that poor people are dirty, icky, ill-mannered, and have cooties. They feel that poor people are good for mowing their lawns, fixing their roofs, caddying, and perhaps cleaning the pool in off hours when they aren't in sight.

1950 bucks for 60+ kids is probably very little compared to what the members paid to be, huh huh huh, members. It is a shame, and it totally sucks to be one of those kids getting snubbed. Been there, done that. It is a private club, so their stuff their rules, really. If anything, they will have more memberships because of their stance, not less.

Things were said and the media has a hold of it now. That sucks, too. One bad statement makes a career? I hope not, though he really needs to get it together and then avoid stuff like that in the future. Probably will get voted off the PDGA board if enough people are aware.

Whole thing sucks, especially for the kids. Those kids need their money back, and a new place to swim, preferably with less assholes. Classiest thing we could do for them would be to raise some bucks for their cause and donate. I'm in for 20, anyone else?

P.S. Jesse Jackson sucks - freaking self aggrandizing opportunist. And so does Al Sharpton. While I am at it, nobody "owes" me anything, and a feeling that someone might owe me something for nothing is kinda insulting.

 

[sunspot]

It was a bad choice of words, for sure. I don't think he meant any malice behind his words. I think this is a PR stint to defame a person's character based off of poor choice of words.

Judging from his interview, you can tell that he had a prior knowledge of what color the group was going to be. If that were the case, which I'm sure it could have been, then he could have shown some racism then by rejecting them to come and swim because they were GUESTS, not members. If they were members and they were rejected because of skin color, then it would have been more of a "sticky" situation.

If you look at a pic of the size of the pool, you can easily see that 60 or more kids in addition to other kids would make the pool unsafe. Judging from that, I could see why they (the club) would have a problem with a safety issue.


As a side note: I wonder if some people like the media make accusations about people so much that they become what they are accused of.

That is, if someone is called a liar and accused of lying will they, in return lie? You eventually believe all the HYPE and become it.