Dear Editor,

Regarding the controversy over the South Effingham football players who posted an obscene video on You Tube “dissing” Effingham County High School — this has become a volatile situation. Parents and school administrators need to take firm action to calm down the students and instill good sportsmanship. Our young people need to hear us say and see us model an attitude that sportsmanship is about cheering for your own team, not “dissing” the other team.

My family was tailgating in the ECHS parking lot before the game with SEHS, and a large group of “Rebel Rousers,” students with bodies painted blue, were shouting for their team and waving their Rebel flags. We are Rebel fans ourselves, but when some friends who go to SEHS came by, we shared our food with them and shared some friendly conversation about how we looked for our team to beat them.

Soon a group of Mustang fans, students with bodies painted maroon were shouting for their team a little distance away from us. Then the Rebel Rousers marched by the Mustang fans, waving their flags. A few minutes later, the Mustang fans marched to where the Rebel Rousers were, and there was a face-off between some 100 to 200 students on both sides, as they flipped the bird at each other and screamed obscenities at each other. If one person had thrown a fist, there would have been an all-out riot. There were small children with us who had to witness this behavior.

Folks, if we don’t get control of this situation, it’s going to get worse. Parents and administrators, ask yourselves, what are you going to do about it?

Bob Rogers
Pastor
First Baptist Church, Rincon