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I hate ignorance...


suzie-q

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Okay, so it has been a long time since I have blogged for real. The start to the school year has been quite hectic, and I have lots more to do because of a change in our scheduling. I have gone from having 60 students in a semester, to having about 125. Talk about an increase in paper work for an English teacher!

 

I decided today that I am really thankful that I am on an anti-depressant/ anti- anxiety. We have been having a very difficult couple of days at school. I will explain, but before I do, I would like to include the following disclaimer: I have always believed that we have a great school with great kids. They are polite and nice and generallly well behaved. I feel very luck to work in such a great school, because not every teacher can say that. All that said, teenagers can from time to time turn into raging lunatics. The case in point happened this week. On Tuesday, some of our "Rednecks" decided to have an impromptu pickup truck/ rebel flag parade through our parking lot. This angered many people including me especially because we couldn'f figure out what the hell they were doing or why. The response by our minority students and non- minority students resulted in some pretty nasty situations yesterday. The nastiest one left me crying for about two hours yesterday afternoon when all of a sudden race mattered more than good sense.

 

I hate ignorance. Especially when I am certain that all of the offenders were sitting in a pew in church last night proclaiming their profound love for God after spending a day of being ignorant racists. No matter what they say...racism isn't Biblical. It also makes me sick that we teach our students about the atrocities of the Holocaust and even take them to DC to the museum where we watch them absorb all the hate that surrounds such a horrific event, and after seeing that and taking in all that hatred and suffering they don't connect the two. Same hate, different place.

 

At first, I was angry to the point of tears. Now I am just sad and disappointed that 50 years after the integration of Little Rock High School, an event that we mark this week, that we are still dealing with some of the same crap.

 

:Sob:

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Susan:

 

I applaude you as teacher, but where are the parents of these redneck kids. I for one believe in raising good kids there has to be partnership between teachers, school and parents. School needs to have assembly with parent's present talking about tolerance,love for other human being regardless of race, class and religion.

 

Asha

 

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Susan,

 

There does need to be a working relationship between the school, teachers, and parents. The "racial" stuff is so uncalled for - but these children have learned it somewhere (parents generally) and habits are hard to break. Instead of getting so upset yourself (I know it's easier said than done), but keep doing what you do...if you affect one child's outlook then that will create one future parent who will not teach their child racism.

 

(((hugs)))

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Sadly, here in Australia too from time to time racism raises it's ugly head. We have problems between races, often a carry over from parents and grandparents prejudices. It is sad that something as minor as skin color, cultural or religious differences can be grounds for rude, arrogant and disorderly behavior. And as you say some of those who praise God on Sundays can raise Hell on Mondays without even thinking of what they are doing.

 

But the majority of today's young folk are good kids who will grow up to be fine citizens so we need to keep that in mind and not dwell on the minority who can't get an understanding of what life could be like if we all lived in harmony.

 

Sue.

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