INDIANAPOLIS — The day should have been one of glory and celebration for five fourth-graders.
The Pleasant Run Elementary students had just won a robotics challenge at Plainfield High School, and the students — new to bot competition this year — were one step closer to the Vex IQ State Championship.
The team is made up of 9- and 10-year-olds. Two are African American and three are Latino.
As the group, called the Pleasant Run PantherBots, and their parents left the challenge last month in Plainfield, Ind., competing students from other Indianapolis-area schools and their parents were waiting for them in the parking lot.
“Go back to Mexico!” two or three kids screamed at their brown-skin peers and their parents, according to some who were there.
This verbal attack had spilled over from the gymnasium. While the children were competing, one or two parents disparaged the Pleasant Run kids with racist comments — and loud enough for the Pleasant Run families to hear.
“They were pointing at us and saying that ‘Oh my God, they are champions of the city all because they are Mexican. They are Mexican, and they are ruining our country,’ ” said Diocelina Herrera, the mother of PantherBot Angel Herrera-Sanchez.
These are minority students from the east side of the city, poor kids from a Title I school.
“For the most part, the robotics world is kind of a white world,” said Lisa Hopper, the team’s coach and a Pleasant Run second-grade teacher. “They’re just not used to seeing a team like our kids.
I have no doubt it’s true that they are not accustomed to seeing a team like the PantherBots, but how is that an excuse, in any way? That is disgusting behaviour, and I have no doubt if slurs were being slung at their milk white children, they would be beyond offended, and threaten to sue. This is the exact sort of shit that the Tiny Tyrant has enabled, and I have no doubt the bigots are all faithful Trumpholes. And I’m supposed to listen to their “side of things”? I don’t think so.
…Three weeks after the incident, the PantherBots won the Create Award — for best robot design and engineering — at the state championships, which qualified them for the Vex IQ World Championship next month in Louisville. They will compete there with students from all over the world.
And they say they’ll walk in with confidence.
“They yelled out rude comments, and I think that they can talk all they want because at the end we’re still going to Worlds,” said team leader Elijah Goodwin, 10. “It’s not going to affect us at all. I’m not surprised because I’m used to this kind of behavior.
The fact that any 10 year old child is accustomed to such vile behaviour should break the heart of any adult, it should certainly affect those who are parents, but this is not the case with Trumpholes, no. A brown child just couldn’t possibly be as smart as a white child. And they wonder why they are called racist and deplorable.
“I was afraid they would let it get in their heads and wig them out,” Hopper said. “We sat down and talked to our kids, and obviously we let them share their feelings.
“They were on top of it already,” she said. “They said: ‘We know they are mean. We know they were jealous. We’re not going to let it bother us.’ One of our guys said ‘to take stuff like that and let it make you stronger.’ ”
Just a few months ago, the PantherBots knew nothing about robotics.
The low-income school was given a grant to develop a robotics program. Fourth-grade teachers were asked to identify 10 students who had potential and exhibited leadership qualities.
And yet, we have Trumpholes in the Regime who think that no poor people should be getting in on that education business, oh no.
A huge shout out to the PantherBots, for a job well done, a great attitude, and best of luck at the Worlds! These are the kids who would grow up to make America great, if they were allowed.
Via USA Today.
busterggi says
It really should be legal to punch Nazis in their faces.
Marcus Ranum says
Makes me wish I was a hiring manager at a company that made robotics. Hopefully I’ll be dead or retired before the Pantherbots make it into the work force but -- good for them.
The icing on the cake is that I busted a scroll of Google and discovered that the PantherBots had a gofundme to raise money for their trip -- and they’re already over their goal. Unfortunately they closed the raise so I can’t throw any “fuck racists” money at them.
Marcus Ranum says
PS --
https://www.gofundme.com/PantherBots
The comments are great.
rq says
I’m just aghast, as you said, that ten-year-old kids wave this shit off like it’s ordinary day-to-day stuff… because it is, to them. Ugly America, indeed.
Congratulations, many congratulations, to the PantherBots -- I hope they have a wonderful experience in Louisville and show the haters how good they really are. Not that the haters will care, but they will still be winners.
secmilchap says
Note that their goal was to raise $8,000, and they’ve stopped accepting donations at $12,000+!
Sami Huttunen says
The “end” of the story made my eyes sweat. Simply wonderful. As is the fact that at least some of those racist cuntwits are somewhat forced to observe how decent people around the globe are celebrating that awesome quintet of pint-sized geniuses.
lumipuna says
Terve Sami,
I’d say it’s maybe not a good idea to translate Finnish insults for English -“cuntwit” sounds odd and potentially very problematic. Just imagine the English usage of “fuck” literally transferred to Finnish.