I recently attended a varsity high school basketball game where the student section was dressed up in red, white and blue. "America" was the theme that night. Apparently in doing so, the visiting fans felt that students were being racist.
I'm not entirely sure how a bunch of kids dressed up in red, white and blue makes them racist.
One of the visiting fans felt that when the students chanted "U.S.A" they were offending the visiting players and fans, claiming that many of them, unbeknownst to me or anyone else sitting in the gym that night, are immigrants.
I truly do not believe that these high school students were sitting around devising a devious plot to chant and be racist. They came up with a quick and easy idea for a theme. It's that simple. There is no rhyme or reason as to what theme is picked. It's just high school kids looking for a way to bond and show their support in a creative and fun way. It doesn't have to be sports related. A quick idea is come up with where everyone can participate, and as we live in the United States of America, I'm guessing most kids have red, white and blue attire in their closets.
Anyone who attends high school playoff basketball, or any postseason high school games for that matter, undoubtedly has picked up on the trend. The student section picks a theme each game. Last year I saw people dressed up as Disney characters. It was prom night, a different night with kids wearing dresses and tuxedoes. Students were dressed in all white for a "White Out" and all black for a "Black Out."
Things have gotten completely out of hand when kids dressed up in American colors are being accused of racism. Isn't wearing your country's colors called patriotism? Doesn't promoting America mean you are proud of your country, which ideally is supposed to be a melting pot that includes everyone, a place immigrants come to because it offers a life they desire? Black, white, purple, green, yellow, orange?
You get the point.
Everyone needs to relax a little bit. We're all in this together regardless of skin color, gender, economic status or sexual preferences.
Stop making everything so black and white; instead, let's try to be a little more red, white and blue.