I feel the need to respond to this but am not sure how, given how shocking and totally disturbing this is. The initial issue is about identifying and targeting "others," which is appalling. The second is the power of the media (i.e. South Park) and what makes a few respond in stupid ways (remember the few kids around the country that got killed on train tracks copying a prank they saw in a movie? Can't remember the movie, which makes me think that Darwin is right about many things). Then the power of social networking to organize maladaptive and anti-social behavior. Then the disturbing conversation I had with my upper-level undergraduates in which they said sure, they would cheat if they could, they only want the degree to make more money anyhow (a totally unopposed opinion in the discussion in a class of nearly 50 students).
It all makes me want to take early retirement and move to that hotel they're building in outer space . . .
Thanks Charles ( I guess. . . .)
Fellow GDOers:
I first encountered this on CNN. Searching Google News and Google videos for additional information was hair-raising.
Kick-a-Ginger Day.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/22/california.redhead.attack.facebook/index.html
The South Park episode that started Kick-a-Ginger Day is at:
http://randsco.com/news.php/2008/11/27/ginger_blue_raccoon
It reads like a recap of the Elliot experiential exercise for kids:
http://bama.ua.edu/~sprentic/695%20Jane%20Elliott%20profile.pdf
Videos by boys supporting this seemingly are left up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJa6nIDdvpw
This is so appalling that it is almost beyond using for pedagogic purposes.
Best regards,
Charles Wankel
St. John's University, New York, home page: http://facpub.stjohns.edu/~wankelc
higher education in virtual worlds: http://www.amazon.com/Higher-Education-Virtual-Worlds-Teaching/dp/1849506094