toonces_german_getaway

A group of California high school students have been reprimanded for a racing game that some referred to as “Beating the Jew.” A handful of students driving cars would chase a single student (the “Jew,” if you will), running on foot. But there was only one problem with the school administrators and local authorities looking to lash out with retribution: they never committed a crime.

All people involved are willing participants in the game, Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Sharon McGehee said.[..]

La Quinta police Lt. Jason Huskey said that if all players are willing participants, the game likely does not carry criminal implications.

“If a bunch of kids are playing a game and they’re voluntarily playing a game … it doesn’t appear to have any criminal liability,” he said. –The Desert Sun [Palm Springs, CA]

There have been calls for the students to be expelled from school, despite the fact that the races never took place on school grounds. Hey, at least they were outside, with one or participants actually getting exercise. Nobody flipped out whenever kids were playing “Cowboys and Indians.” But I suppose that killing and oppressing Native American nations has been such a time-honored tradition by our culture that it was just passed off as celebrating our heritage. Yay protestants! Films and documentaries about the Holocaust are our modern-day parallel to the westerns that pervaded the airwaves and cinema of our earlier generations. Having said all of that, hopefully their tradition will continue after they decide to pick another name. May I be the first to suggest “Beating Tecumseh?” Thanks, Jack.