Racial Melee at the SAMO-Pali Football Game

by Josh Miller.

During the 3rd Quarter of the SAMOHI-Palisades football game at SMC, there was an altercation involving SAMOHI students.
The incident occurred at the top section of the bleachers, on approx. the 50 yard line.

Throughout the game there had been shouting and verbal exchanges relating to the class of '08/'09 rivalry; but during the third quarter, the situation escalated when racial slurs began flying around.

An African-American female student (we will call her Jane) began to direct her yelling at a white male student (we will call him Joe). Jane then began identifying Joe repeatedly as a nig** (racial slur). The situation got out of hand when the white male, Joe, responded by asking Jane why she would call him a nig** (speaking the word nig** in his question). Jane kept on shouting at Joe, using the word nig**, and Joe kept on responding with his question, using the word nig**. Joe's use of the racial slur caught the attention of Jane's African-American male friends. Visually angered by Joe's use of the racial slur, Jane's friends began ascending the bleachers towards Joe. Joe's Caucasian friends stepped in front of him to shield him from the "attackers", and other bystanders of various races also intervened. Shirts were taken off; there was pushing and shoving; and possibly some punches thrown. However, there was a strong police and administrative response, and the situation was dismantled quickly.

Did Jane have the right to call Joe a nig**? Did Joe have the right to use the word nig**? Were Jane's friends short-tempered? Was Joe ignorant and insensitive?

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