New study: 58 percent of black children can't swim

WTF people? How much was spent studying THIS CRAP. Who needs to know how to swim anyway, unless they plan to join the Navy or Coast Guard. I fact, our taxes could be lower if they didn't have to pay for nonsense like town pools or astroturf fields

This is news?

knowing how to swim gives a sense of empowerment. this is knowledge which should be available to everyone. swimming exercises the whole body and to deny that possibility because of race or circumstance is wrong. as a white kid i grew up with swimming as natural a skill as breathing. in high school 40 years ago when our fledgling swim team first faced the team from a black school we were scared. those guys were bigger and in better shape but we beat them. we grew up with access to municipal pools and country clubs. they didn't. time to level the swimming field.

"Now I've Seen It All" asked: How much was spent studying THIS CRAP. Who needs to know how to swim anyway, unless they plan to join the Navy or Coast Guard.

Of accident-related causes of death of children, drowning remains the second most common. So, the short answer to your question is: kids.

Sorry to hear that you think trying to help them stay alive is a bad idea.

TomIslander wrote:

This is news?

who cares ( they say we have no bouyancy )( no spell check) joke

Please don't drink before you post. Of all our money that is wasted in studies and illegal wars, this troubles me the least. Learn to swim. It's great exercise and may save your life, unless you live in Michigan I guess.

Gerard wrote:

"Now I've Seen It All" asked: How much was spent studying THIS CRAP. Who needs to know how to swim anyway, unless they plan to join the Navy or Coast Guard.
Of accident-related causes of death of children, drowning remains the second most common. So, the short answer to your question is: kids.
Sorry to hear that you think trying to help them stay alive is a bad idea.

While I agree that this is not 'news' of great relevancy to main stream America, it is a fact.
Statistics also show that more than 54% of African American children go to schools that do not have pools and/or teachers to give them lessons, they live in areas that are not close or in the vicinity of park districts that offer these services, or if they do offer the services, the charge ranges upwards of $250 per child to use the services, no lessons included.

TomIslander wrote:

This is news?

Yes it is! I thought the number was closer to 80 percent.

minor threat wrote:

Please don't drink before you post. Of all our money that is wasted in studies and illegal wars, this troubles me the least. Learn to swim. It's great exercise and may save your life, unless you live in Michigan I guess.<quoted text>

YAWN. Had to bring that up? It's less than 4% of the GDP, and has nothing to do with this bogus survey.

obama will correct that. he's all about change.

ChillyB2 wrote:

While I agree that this is not 'news' of great relevancy to main stream America, it is a fact.
Statistics also show that more than 54% of African American children go to schools that do not have pools and/or teachers to give them lessons, they live in areas that are not close or in the vicinity of park districts that offer these services, or if they do offer the services, the charge ranges upwards of $250 per child to use the services, no lessons included.

I grew up in the midwest and had an inflatable wading pool (not a local pool, a school pool, or a paid instructor). I still learned how to swim because it was something that kids did. And it was free. Find a lake, a river, a stream, the ever present beach, hold your nose in the damn bathtub.
Parents should be obliged to teach their children to swim. And it doesn't cost one cent.

ChillyB2 wrote:

While I agree that this is not 'news' of great relevancy to main stream America, it is a fact.
Statistics also show that more than 54% of African American children go to schools that do not have pools and/or teachers to give them lessons, they live in areas that are not close or in the vicinity of park districts that offer these services, or if they do offer the services, the charge ranges upwards of $250 per child to use the services, no lessons included.

I'm not sure where your kids are going, but you're getting hosed if you're paying 250. You must be referencing a private club.

Suburban Public Rec Center swim lessons are run about $50 ~$100 for 6~8 lessons. I'm not sure what the CPD (Chgo Park District) charges.

... and 4 out of 5 people answering make up 80% of every survey...

Survey Says wrote:

Newer Study:
95% of people don't care if blacks can't swim.
......more breaking news at 11PM.......

Yeah - what a waste of money...

It's a buoyancy issue.

Did anyone ever wonder whatever happened to that 4th dentist?

I wonder if he recommends Trident yet.

Unacceptable.

86.4% of all statistics are misleading.

Al sharpton is blowing up his water wings and organizing a swim boycott right about now

The Last Word wrote:

Well, that is not news, I know they cannot swimm they also do not like the water.
What is the big deal, shall we make arrangments so blacks can learn how to swimm.
Give me a break, they can go swimm in a canal that is about it.

I was thinking more along the lines of the East River.