The past few weeks have brought a deluge of ugly news reports about Bethel High School in Spanaway.
Two nooses were found inside the school, and there were at least two racially motivated fistfights along with several threats of violence against the school that prompted hundreds of students to stay home for fear of being shot.
There is certainly a problem at Bethel High right now, but it's one that likely goes untalked about at schools everywhere.
Despite the "browning" of America, and an African American presidential candidate, racism is alive and well in this nation, even in our schools.
The reality at Bethel, however, is that racists make up a small minority of the student population. On two recent visits to the school, I expected to see white and black students exchanging glares and keeping a safe distance from each other. Instead, I saw dozens sitting, chatting, walking side-by-side and even hand-in-hand. This was no made-for-TV production by the school district, it was the daily reality, and overwhelming truth of Bethel High School.
To be sure, there are sobering race issues to be talked about within the district. KING 5 has received (unconfirmed) e-mails from parents complaining that children in elementary schools are even being hit with racist slurs.
Fortunately, school officials do appear to be taking the problem quite seriously. They are consulting with the Anti-defamation League and NAACP for ideas on how to best teach students that racism is simply wrong.
In-school assemblies are planned after spring break. Hopefully Bethel High will emerge better and stronger for all of this, and other schools that will no doubt experience similar situations in the future can learn from Bethel's experience.
ARREST JIM MCDERMOTT FOR TREASON!!
As long as parents are teaching racism at home, the children will continue to have that mindset until they are out and on their own.
When I (caucasian) married my husband (african american), my mother had a melt down. Her thought was that he would be dressed in a purple suit with a feather in his hat and pimping me out to his buddies. She was shocked when she met my clean cut (square in fact), intelligent, republican, in a polo shirt and khakis man. All the stereotypes that she had seen on TV were immediately dispelled and she got to know the PERSON in the brown skin instead of judging him based on his brown skin. She quickly found out that he was the best thing that ever happened to me. Had it NOT been for my husband, I may not be a successful graphic artist and college graduate.
Once we get past the stereo-types and get to know people for the content of their character and not the color of their skin, then and only then, can we get past racism.