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East Boston charter school beefs up security after rando walks in to rant about display highlighting contributions of Arabs to the world
By adamg on Thu, 05/02/2019 - 11:11am
A Muslim-hating woman with a cell phone was able to walk into Excel Academy Charter High School on Bremen Street and spew her disgust in a video about a school display that highlighted the contributions people of Arab descent - including Steve Jobs - have made to the world.
State Rep. Adrian Madaro (D-East Boston) reports the school has agreed to increase security to block people who don't belong inside after the woman posted her rant to an East Boston Facebook group:
Behavior like this is disappointing, concerning & has no place in our community. Incident was brought to our attn last week. Since then we've spoken with City, police & Excel. All are following up. Excel is also adding extra security protocols so this doesn't happen again.
City Councilor Lydia Edwards (East Boston, Charlestown, North End) agreed:
I saw the video. I spoke to the principal. BPD was also notified. Top concern is safety. But to be clear I wholly support celebration of diversity and commend Excell Charter for celebrating Arab Americans.
EastieStrong captured the rant, which shows the woman simply walking into the school:
@titojackson @RepPressley @LydiaMEdwards @adrianmadaro woman walks in to a local charter school in Eastie, not a parent of a student,No one questioned her presence. She just want to film what she felt was “indoctrination” of students for having Arab Heritage Month pic.twitter.com/RYSh5i7DsU
— EastieStrong (@eastiestrong) May 2, 2019
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Comments
The phone part
It's almost as good as people who live in Plymouth expressing their disgust for immigrants.
or
people in East Boston.
LOL
I know why you say that....
Vapid social media group
Hey,
we have one with “no racists” right in the name now, so...
#progress
You got to love her East
You got to love her East Boston /Revere/North Shore
accent.
Did she say “ We’re an American Band”
If you browse her Facebook
If you browse her Facebook feed it’s clear that she’s become totally consumed by her hate for Islam and Muslims it’s really pretty sad. Is this what making America great again is all about ?
Yes, MAGA hats are just the
Yes, MAGA hats are just the new klan hoods. Hate crimes have skyrocketed under Trump.
Social media...
...rots the brain.
My two takeaways
#1. Steve Jobs was an Arab.
#2. In this day and age, how can anyone just wander into any school in the United States? I mean, if it is one of those open campus schools, not much can be done, but for schools with a single building, basic security should be in place.
it was in place
she had to be buzzed in and then explained to the reception/security person that she was there to look at the display. she was then allowed to proceed.
Close
She had to be buzzed in and when asked why she was there by the office staff, she said she was a "concerned grandparent" and that she had "been there the day before". She basically tried to social engineer her way in. They told her to stop filming and she said okay, but lied and brought the phone/camera up as soon as she was out of their sight again.
"I pay taxes"
The fact that she said "I pay taxes" to the person who buzzed her in should have thrown up an immediate red flag. People conducting legitimate business do not announce themselves that way.
ahem
He was Lebanese...
You call a Lebanese an Arab and you're going to get strange looks...
It's a tough path, I'm sure
I've always been under the assumption that everyone (save the Armenians, Jews, Kurds, and perhaps some other very small groups) from the Mediterranean to the Iran-Iraq border and of course down the Arabian Peninsula were considered "Arabs." The difference comes with nationalism. 150 years ago what we would call Syrians and Lebanese were all one people, divided by religion but not easily into what we call Syrians and Lebanese today. So, I take it in stride when Jordanians, Iraqis, and the rest are called "Arabs," and I am sure that the average Lebanese American wouldn't hold it against me.
Depends
There's plenty of Arabs in Lebanon. There's also a lot of non-Arab Lebanese. It all depends on who conquered which part of the country in the past. Most of the cost is Arab while much of the mountains is Maronite Christians who deny any Arab influences. Then you have families like mine in America who know their Maronite roots but still think of Lebanon as just another "bunch of Arabs" and call themselves Arabs...sigh.
However, Jobs was born in California to a Syrian father and American mother. He was Syrian, not Lebanese.
Meh
Wow Yep you're right. Syrian :-)
I had Marlo Thomas on my mind earlier.. those damn St Jude commercials on TV..
Don't worry
If you want to get really technical, his dad was born prior to Syrian independence, so he was born in a French Mandate...so you could feasibly say Steve Jobs was French.
:)
The same issue occurs for my family in that my great-grandparents left Lebanon/Syria before independence as well, so technically they were "Syrian" since Lebanon was just a state inside the French mandate. All of my family's paperwork says Syria on it and he would have identified as Syrian most likely once he got here. When the local paper discussed my family here in America, they were all "from Syria" or "Syrian". However, at some point that would have changed, because my grandmother and her sisters only ever identified our family as Lebanese to the rest of us. It probably changed about the time Lebanon got its independence from France (and Syria).
I am Lebanese and I’ve always
I am Lebanese and I’ve always considered my family to be Arabic, Never noticed before that it’s technically not right
Where do you get "Muslim
Where do you get "Muslim-hating"? Steve Jobs was baptized in the Christian faith, and later in life self-identified as a Buddhist and a pescetarian.
So you're at work and can't actually watch the video ...
Wait until you get home and turn the volume up. It's pretty clear her disgust is with Muslims.
Adam's covered the Muslim part
so I'll just point out that "pescetarianism" is not a religion.
My friend is a Bagan
Basically vegetarian but she eats bacon, because, well.it's bacon. And eating bacon IS a religious experience.
Bad reporting
Simply walk? No.
She rang the doorbell. You can see her do it. You can hear the doorbell ringing clearly.
The door was remotely opened with a large audible click.
Took the word "simply" out
You're right - she had to be buzzed in. But it was pretty easy for her to gain access with a pretty flimsy excuse.
"Flimsy'? Seems pretty typical to me.
Adam, I know you and I have gone through a lot of the same BPS doors (my daughter was a couple years ahead of yours). Buzzing family members in who then look over the entry lobby displays probably happens dozens of times a day in the city's schools. Not really 'flimsy' so much as 'typical'.
Granted - these people usually look, don't record and commentate (with bigotry aforethought), and then most probably go off to whatever teacher mtg or event they primarily showed up for. But I don't think the school's protocol was that out of line.
Btw, I thought the display was interesting and thoughtful - nice job Excel!
Really?
Even in the 80's I remember my parents having to sign in (using a real live book!) in the office before we wandered off through the building to see my brothers' teachers. I'm surprised she wasn't made to put her name down and who she was there to see along with a time and date. That should be pretty standard, no?
Sure (but your memory isn't wrong either)
You're right about the usual sign in - but that happens in the school office, which might be right off of the entry lobby, but also might be up some stairs and then down a hall (eg BLS). In any case, the presence of adults in the entry area who have not been rigorously ID checked is completely typical.
At least she could have said
At least she could have said something nice about Steve Job while she was filming his picture with her phone-camera. It gives me comfort to think that in our social media age where nothing really ever goes away, she will be rewarded for years to come for that little gem of a documentary:)
Sadly
yes this is what the magagagagas from the land o' maga are all about. their men and their women are the same.
the answer to this moral dilemma though, is not to vote for a better moral democrat, like a Biden, or a Clinton, or a Buttigieg; no,. the only way the magagagas will be redirected away from hate and back toward truth is with a progressive candidate who can address the attacks on the middle class that help spawn mental illness of the magagagagaga type.
you might not want to think this is true, but it is. ever read MassLive comments section? Outside the bubble of Boston people like almost entirely without truth. You don't "like" dog whistles? Well, neither do I, but don't let that fool you into not noticing that dogs know what kind of meat they are smelling. Vote for a corporate democrat and perpetuate the social problem that is spreading fascism like wildfire. the deplorable dogs (and I hesitant to sully the good name of actual canines with this) know what they smell.
maybe create an economy where they can go back to pulling a wrench instead of pulling a trigger on an AR-15? Don't think it's related?: then we are really in trouble.
You love rstcheting the hate up,Adam
Who is this woman? She could be simply MENTALLY ILL (there are a lot on the streets because of our federal laws dwting back to the 1970s), she could be a 'progressive' troll. It's highly unlikely she's part of any organized group. Statistics actually show there is very little racist sentiment in the U.S. Among 'white' people. The number of people victimized by legit hate crimes, including Arabs or Muslims, is actually, statistically, tiny. Even considering the latest terrible synagogue shootings, these types of acts are statistically still quite rare. Latest legit studies show the number of antisemitic white and Asian people is VERY small, single digits. Most hold positive opinions of Jews.Hispanic are more antisemitic, but not much higher than Asians and whites. Black people, apparantly, hold much, much higher percentages of antisemitism.
There is no racist or hate based crime wave in the U.S.
Must be a really big rock you just climbed out from under
Maybe you missed the story about the LATEST synagogue murder.
Anti-Semitic assaults in the U.S. more than doubled in 2018, ADL reports.
I'm sure all those kind hearted people sending death threats to the two Muslim members of Congress are just figments of my imagination.
Want to talk about racism in the US? No?
But never mind all that. You're OK with somebody you think is unhinged just walking into a high school?
Everything you just said is
Everything you just said is made up crap. A racist parrots hate words from Trump and you blame progressives? Hate crimes are WAY up under Trump, who has been a known racist since the 1970s. Apparently you are happy with the number of people killed because of their skin color or religion. But people who are better than you won't stop until all hate crimes are a thing of the past.
hahahahaha as a non white
hahahahaha as a non white person who has been living and breathing in 2019 let me tell you friend this is not how real life works. i got called a spic this morning even in back bay and the worst part is i'm not even hispanic
shit like this is exactly why I complain about "white people"
Anon=idiot, but don't sing the same song in a different key
Locke - I appreciate your frustration, but succumbing to the fallacy of biased generalizations just gets in the way of achieving both social and personal peace, ime.
Locke
Careful. Locke gets my enduring respect because of his virility. His doctor gave him top marks.
Did you actually...
...in the response to someone being called a racist insult, did you actually just #notallwhitepeople?
"Latest legit studies show..."
I am very interested to see the sources on which you base your opinions. You seem to have a *lot* of facts to call on. "Statistics"! "Percentages"! It all sounds very impressive and "legit".
Citations, please!
Even TurtleBoy thinks she's an idiot
Not going to link directly to that site, but you can find it if you want. Look for "Real Housewife Of East Boston ".
As someone who went to Clark in the Woo
LOL I'd never thought I would agree with TurtleBoy.
wow
what a vile site that is.. I wish I hadnt looked
Good thing i have firewall access at work #delete #block
"I pay taxes"
Cool story, lady. Welcome to the exclusive club of everyone who works and isn't Wesley Snipes or Leona Helmsley.
My sister-in-law is Arabic by way of Paris and is a delightful member of my family who introduces me to new culinary experiences and challenges my opinions. Piss off, you miserable (expletive).
Does Arab History in East Boston include discussion of 9/11?
An inexpensive but important field trip for any East Boston school discussing Arab History would be to take the kids out the front door, point to nearby Logan Airport and explain how a small group of Arabs flying out of East Boston forever changed the world. Much like US History, one needs to understand the painful aspects in order to master the subject.
As for the woman in the video, I agree with the earlier comment that she's either mentally ill or a "progressive troll." Her act reminded me of two things. The Jussie Smolet #MAGA hoax and John Kerry, who also just happened to bring his own video camera to Vietnam to film his performance. Regardless, the woman deserves counseling, not ridicule.
And while they're on that
And while they're on that tour of your hate-filled fever dream, we ought to be sure to point out that those horrible criminals each were Saudis. We can point out that the Saudis have a brutal and criminal regime. We can tell these impressionable minds about how the crown prince of Saudi Arabia ordered the execution and dismemberment (!) of a US resident for the crime of being a journalist. We can remind them that a free press is essential to the functioning of a healthy democracy. We also can remind them that the President of the United States is expected to uphold and defend the Constitution against all threats, foreign and domestic. On the way back in the doors, we can point out that our criminal *president supports the brutal and criminal Saudi regime -- in direct contradiction of his constitutionally appointed duties, and in direct alignment with his own financial interests....
Foul on the play
This isn't a study of Arab History. It's a display for Arab Heritage Month. It's about Arab Americans. Americans, like you...no wait, not like you, because you're just a raging asshole.
The 9/11 hijackers weren't Arab Americans. They were all here on visas.
You know what's worse than the 9/11 hijackers though? You. They did what they did to make people like you act like you do. You continue to do their work with posts like this where you post your racist shit without a concern for whether it's relevant or not. Congratulations. They played you. They still are. Every time you act like this, you continue doing their work for them. Do yourself and the rest of us a favor: Knock it the fuck off.
Re: Hmmm
So, the bad acts of 17 people of Arabic descent should be considered in a discussion of Arab History?
Okay, let's make sure we talk about slavery, oppression of women and various immigrant groups every time we talk about American History. In fact, let's be sure to mention every horrible thing committed by anyone since the beginning as part of our history.
Sometimes, I forget you're not a parody account. Unless, of course, you are and in that case, you got me.
Who was responsible for the 9/11 Attacks, Again?
Saudi visitors.
Many were from prominent families, too.
Who does your Darling Drumpf love best? Other than Vlad the Disruptor?
Saudi Arabaians from prominent families.
Face it Fishy - you love a president who parties with people who murder Americans. He even makes excuses for them when they have been caught murdering people.
You love a man who loves people who murder Americans.
You've a slight problem
Several of the hijackers were the UAE, Egypt and Lebanese.
Are you planning on speaking ill of the Lebanese now?
And other fine people on both sides
This shit was organized and paid for by prominent Saudi families.
7/11 is an inside job, maan
7/11 is an inside job, maan
Now you're changing the narrative
Yes, elements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, most notably members of the Yemeni Binladin family, bankrolled the operation. But I believe your original statement was that it was only Saudis that carried out the plan.
As for the House of Saud and their relationship with our government, you might not remember how chummy Trump's predecessor was with them, as was his predecessor, as was his predecessor, as was his predecessor, as was... well, you get the point.
Hahahaha. “MISSION
Hahahaha. “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” , troll
lol
but dont talk about slavery, the crusades, the fact that the vast majority of bombings and shootings in this country are done by disgruntled white men, etc. right? fucking idiot