Nov 5, 2012
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A Texas high school marching band is facing criticism for a halftime performance that featured someone dressed like Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney getting assaulted.
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The incident occurred Saturday at a football game in Beaumont, Tex. and involved the Central Medical Magnet High School’s marching band.
The halftime show featured a dance-off between someone dressed like Romney and someone dressed like President Obama. At some point, the public address announcer begins narrating a skit.
“I got somebody for you, Mr. Romney,” the announcer said. “Mr. Big Bird is in the house.”
The bird character begins dancing as the Romney character watches.
“You not going to get rid of Sesame Street, Mr. Romney,” the announcer declared.
At that point, the bird punches out Romney – and the character falls to the ground as the crowd cheers.
Several school board members said the performance crossed the line.
“You don’t want to be polarizing,” board member Gwen Ambres told television station KIII. “This is an entertainment type high school event and I don’t think that the partisan part of politics should be a part of it.”
School district spokesman Ron Reynolds called the performance “political satire” and said they regret that some people might be offended. He said the band has been instructed to remove the skit from future performances.
“District administrators met with campus leaders and the band directors to discuss the performance,” he said. “They instructed the leaders to thoroughly examine how students plan to express their creativity as it relates to political rhetoric.”
Reynolds said the district wants to remain neutral as it relates to politics.
“The district believes political rhetoric that appears to endorse one candidate over another should not be something that is displayed in a halftime performance,” he said.
And while the district has a zero-tolerance policy for violence, he said the halftime exhibition did not violte the policy.
“It’s not like the Romney character or the person who was playing Romney was assaulted or injured,” Reynolds said. “It was part of the performance.”
The performance has generated a firestorm of outrage across Texas – and many residents sounded off on social networking sites – like radio host Joe Pagliarulo’s Facebook page.
“It makes me sick that this happened in Texas,” one reader wrote. “We are not all this ignorant. I can’t believe school officials authorized this. Had it been reversed, a lawsuit or riot would be in progress.”
“The band director needs to be teaching them to play those instruments instead of trying to influence voters,” wrote another reader. “I found no humor in this performance.
Most seemed concerned about not only the double standard – but also the inclusion of politics in a high school football game.
“Put your political feelings aside, politics do not belong at a high school football game, nor does promoting violence,” a reader wrote. “This is wrong on so many levels.”
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“It’s not like the Romney character or the person who was playing Romney was assaulted or injured,” Reynolds said. “It was part of the performance.”.
Oh really? Let's turn it around then and see how well that goes over. Also, why is it that this skit is ok, where violence is perpetrated against a possible new President, but it's not ok for a gradeschooler to immitate a gun WITH HIS HAND? Why is not ok for that gradeschooler to DRAW A GUN? Double standard.
People are still hung up on this Sesame Street deal? You people do realize that Jim Henson's estate makes bank off the sale of merchandise and that the amount of money provided by the government is not significant when considering the operating budget of "Public" television. Most of the money comes from donations and sponsorships. The point was that taxpayer money is not needed. It was used as an example of waste. If the tax money stopped flowing to these programs they would not go away. They would continue as normal. The bottom line is that taxpayer money should not be given to self-sustaining entities.
Its just a way for them to attack Romney the man who threatens their messiah.
Make Beaumont bleed financially. They aren't doing very well as it is. If they can't afford uniforms, they won't have to plan half time shows.
Make Beaumont bleed financially. They aren't doing very well as it is. If they can't afford uniforms, they won't have to plan half time shows.
Make Beaumont bleed financially. They aren't doing very well as it is. If they can't afford uniforms, they won't have to plan half time shows.
Actually, I'm all for getting rid the Bird if it needs federal subsidies to exist. After all, if the audience is so small that the show can only continue if the taxpayers – who aren't watching it – have to fund it then continued funding is a Solyndra Syndrome.
This is what happens at an all black school. Look yall, if we vote for him he'll keep giving us a free paycheck at the cost of the white man.
I think the band makes a valid point from the perspective of the black community. Romney already accused 47% of Americans as being victims who will never take responsibility for their lives. Imagine that coming from a millionaire who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Yea, right – like he's personally responsible for his success. That's laughable. This might be considered racist if Romney and his party didn't constantly race-bait the entire southern white electorate with their talk about the welfare president, who is a socialist, marxist, kenyan, muslim (which is it birthers? muslim or marxist cause their mutually exclusive by the way) who's hell-bent on destroying the country and has a hatred for white people (which I guess means his own mother and grandparents who raised him from infancy) I'd like to punch that cracker Romney too and I'm white! And its not because I'm trying to prove to any black person that I'm "cool" or "not racist" or whatever excuse you need to support your fantasy. It's over for Romney. Obama 2012!
What do you expect from a black school with racist educators (AND students)! Training them early!
should have kicked him while he was down..LOL.
But the flippin' cheerleaders can put Bible quotes on banners but there can be no POLITICAL speech? Texas needs to revisit the Constitution, ya'll.
typical ape mentality…send'm back to africa.
Typical government run school… liberal atmosphere, no critical thought allowed. Brainwashing the kids is the goal. Public Ed is a real loser in this country! Your kids will not get a good education in a public school!
It should be obvious to everyone that what was exposed is the school's and students' (previously hidden agenda of) violent racism… They portrayed what they want to happen in real life, i.e. assaulting and injuring whites. Nice job by the administration in fostering good race relations.
After it is all said and done, what is “political satire” comes down to the "eye of the beholder." The final determination based on one's agenda. Lets face it, the school district has an agenda that is in complete support for team obama that is in accordance with the teacher's union. How do we know this? Well lets put a twist on this "political satire" skit… when Big Bird takes the swing, Mr. Romney who is quick on his feet, ducks and thus Big Bird's swing inadverently follows through smacking obama, who is standing there watching, to the ground. "Political satire" being what it is, cuts both ways. Would the school district and their teacher's union find that scenario to be just kids being kids with funny "political satire?"
After it is all said and done, what is “political satire” comes down to the "eye of the beholder." The final determination based on one's agenda. Lets face it, the school district has an agenda that is in complete support for team obama that is in accordance with the teacher's union. How do we know this? Well lets put a twist on this "political satire" skit… when Big Bird takes the swing, Mr. Romney who is quick on his feet, ducks and thus Big Bird's swing inadverently follows through smacking obama, who is standing there watching, to the ground. "Political satire" being what it is, cuts both ways. Would the school district and their teacher's union find that scenario to be just kids being kids with funny "political satire?"
After it is all said and done, what is “political satire” comes down to the "eye of the beholder." The final determination based on one's agenda. Lets face it, the school district has an agenda that is in complete support for team obama that is in accordance with the teacher's union. How do we know this? Well lets put a twist on this "political satire" skit… when Big Bird takes the swing, Mr. Romney who is quick on his feet, ducks and thus Big Bird's swing inadverently follows through smacking obama, who is standing there watching, to the ground. "Political satire" being what it is, cuts both ways. Would the school district and their teacher's union find that scenario to be just kids being kids with funny "political satire?"
ignorance breeds stupidity, and I couldn't agree with you more Paul Cappitelli.
This school is about 80% black.
More like 100%
More like 100%
More like 100%
This school is about 80% black.
Gee, what a surprise. They are uneducated negroids.
Gee, what a surprise. They are uneducated negroids.
Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a entertainment account it. Look complex to far delivered agreeable from you! However, how can we be in contact?