We should discuss racism in schools

Should our school systems be responsible to teach what racism is and what should be done to address it? How do we keep the political beliefs out of the discussion?

This opinion piece wants schools to get racism out in the open and talk about it. But parent want to know how the political side will be kept out of the discussion.

www.news-gazette.com...
Racism is a problem that has plagued our society from its very creation. And it shows no indication of letting up anytime soon.

Instead of forcing our children to deal with it all by themselves, we should be providing help and support.

In our school system, many teachers refuse to address racism and how often it is experienced for fear of being seen as biased. Many parents are quick to assert that by speaking about these topics the teacher is pushing personal political beliefs onto the students. But this is not the case.

The story says that many people of color have experienced racism. And refusing to talk about it c=kids get bullied based on race and feel alienated. When we create a environment where the kids can speak out, and are comfortable speaking out when they are discriminated against.
I don't know if these people have ever been bullied, but unless they plan on locking up the bullyers then it won't stop.

Acknowledging that racism exists and is a prevalent problem is not an opinion, it is a fact that many people of color throughout our area have experienced.

By refusing to talk about it, the children who face bullying based on race in our schools begin to feel alienated. They become less likely to reach out for help if the situation escalates.

When we create an environment where students feel like their experiences are acknowledged and spoken about, it is more likely that they will feel comfortable speaking out when they are discriminated against.

us adults can`t even agree on what racism is so how are we going to teach the kids what it is?

a reply to: Tardacus

And getting it out in the open, solves it how?

a reply to: seasonal

I believe we should talk about the real meaning of racism in schools and the historical background behind racism. A lot of times idiots like Black Lives Matter keep bringing up the word racist without actually knowing the definition (Happened to me btw).

a reply to: seasonal

Racism has a definition. We should certainly teach the meaning and be completely frank about racism in history.

What we should not be teaching is that bigotry is the same as racism. We should also have frank discussions about the difference between racism and bigotry. A person that says blacks are inferior are racist. People that cross the street in Chicago when they see a group of black youths are bigoted, but they may be justified in their fear. Believing black youths in Chicago are incapable of being successful would be racist.

If I go into a white meth area I would be bigoted if I worried I'd be robbed for meth money, probably justified. If I believed all of the whites were desperate meth addicts then it would be racist.

We really need to educate kids about the difference.

a reply to: seasonal

As long as the definition is not raped "Liberal style" then sure but you can bet your hiney that most of it will end up being "White bad, black good" And "If you are white then you are racist" and "If your white people cannot be racist against you"

Because anything else will be deemed unacceptable.
Liberals already fall into seizures at the mention of slavery through out africa among themselves that has occurred and pre-dates western slavery and the fact that it still exists over there.

So why bother.

well, they've been teaching and promoting racism in university for years. I guess its time to indoctrinate the kids

And there lies the problem. Who is going to be the person who sets the rules of what is and what isn't ok to say?

a reply to: SaturnFX

Exactly that is exactly what i mean and what we have seen, precisely my point. Those are the kind of people jumping up and down for the job like a bunch of pedophile men and woman jumping up and down to lead the kids swimming team at a school.

Nothing good will come out of this.

a reply to: seasonal

I just can't believe this narrative. I'm white and native mostly, but I look like a "white guy", which I'm not ashamed of. The story of my family is a story of whites and natives coming together and learning from each other. I'm proud of it! This is but a small example, but I couldn't tell you how many times people make remarks to me, upon learning of my heritage, disparaging whites and romanticizing (patronizing) natives, presumably to impress me with their "liberal-mindedness". OK - heinous atrocities happened, but what about the rest of the story? Why is marginalised?

a reply to: MiddleInitial

Well the Native Americans got screwed hard. And it is an uncomfortable topic, just like slavery, so people try to over understand and over care. I know that many many groups got the shaft so others could make the big $$$.

Now the slow long screw it is hidden in 3rd world countries and we all buy the products and ignore their plight.

How many people, black or white.....knows that slavery was NEVER legal in all of the USA..... would there have been any benefit to insuring this was part of the US education system?

How many people, black or white, knows that the hundreds of years of slavery that gis attributed to the United States of America..... where actually England's....because the Untied States of America did not exist until 1789. Would that have benefited race relations in America.

How many people, black or white are aware that the US Navy went around the world confiscating slave ships and made them part of the US fleet. Would that have made better relations?

How many people were taught that if you went to a packed stadium in the deep south, filled with 80,000 people..... only one of them would be the descendant of a slave owner. Would that have effected race relations?

With the advent of recording devices, why did the messages of former slaves to future generations get ignored...only to have many of the deepest fears of those former slaves become reality.

How many millions of people in Africa right now are living in huts, with no water, no electricity, not enough food, sickness and undernourishment everywhere they look....... are thinking how lucky it was that their great great great grandfather did not get sold into slavery...... while the descendants of those who did get captured are sitting in their homes, food in the fridge, television playing a movie...listening to rap music

White Americans should be proud of the fact that those who came before us put an end to slavery in just the span of a human lifetime..... and blacks should be proud that the nation they call home was able to put an end to the whole disgusting practice, fight 3 wars for survival and outlaw slavery nation wide, all in just one mans lifetime.... thats not something to be ashamed of.
We are all victims of selective education, of omitted facts and partial stories. These fences could have been mended long ago....... but too many people benefit from keeping things the way they are

What if we change the definition of the word Race.

"A race is a group of people thought to share certain distinctive physical characteristics, such as facial structure or skin color. Racial characteristics are thought to be biologically inherited (unlike ethnic characteristics, which are cultural)."

We can change it as "humanity as whole under the species known as homosapiens."

Atleast it will erase "facial structure or skin color" and define those things as a whole as oppose to separate things.

a reply to: seasonal

Natives were screwed... by the government. Still are. But It is an historical fact that "non-gov" whites were integrated into tribes and visa-versa. Not only that, but "first contact" varied as much as 200 years in some cases. The fact that disease accounted for the majority of deaths is conveniently glossed over in most popular sources. It's complex but we don't make it easier on ourselves, that's for sure.

originally posted by: seasonal
Should our school systems be responsible to teach what racism is and what should be done to address it? How do we keep the political beliefs out of the discussion?

Absolutely!

School is a child's first main social environment. They need to accept their classmates for how they were born to be.

originally posted by: seasonal
And there lies the problem. Who is going to be the person who sets the rules of what is and what isn't ok to say?

How about we get all of the races together and let us have a major battle, king of the ring, winner take all. Or, we could leave race out of everything and start realizing that groups are made up of like minded thinkers, and most of the groups don't really think alike. So they start aligning themselves, with views they agree with. People are just different. It is a very difficult problem that not only separates America, but the whole world. Different ideologies. Maybe one day people will realize that we are in this together, whether some want to be or not.

originally posted by: Zimnydran
How many people, black or white.....knows that slavery was NEVER legal in all of the USA..... would there have been any benefit to insuring this was part of the US education system?

How many people, black or white, knows that the hundreds of years of slavery that gis attributed to the United States of America..... where actually England's....because the Untied States of America did not exist until 1789. Would that have benefited race relations in America.

How many people, black or white are aware that the US Navy went around the world confiscating slave ships and made them part of the US fleet. Would that have made better relations?

How many people were taught that if you went to a packed stadium in the deep south, filled with 80,000 people..... only one of them would be the descendant of a slave owner. Would that have effected race relations?

With the advent of recording devices, why did the messages of former slaves to future generations get ignored...only to have many of the deepest fears of those former slaves become reality.

How many millions of people in Africa right now are living in huts, with no water, no electricity, not enough food, sickness and undernourishment everywhere they look....... are thinking how lucky it was that their great great great grandfather did not get sold into slavery...... while the descendants of those who did get captured are sitting in their homes, food in the fridge, television playing a movie...listening to rap music

White Americans should be proud of the fact that those who came before us put an end to slavery in just the span of a human lifetime..... and blacks should be proud that the nation they call home was able to put an end to the whole disgusting practice, fight 3 wars for survival and outlaw slavery nation wide, all in just one mans lifetime.... thats not something to be ashamed of.
We are all victims of selective education, of omitted facts and partial stories. These fences could have been mended long ago....... but too many people benefit from keeping things the way they are

Very well put. Maybe that the message to put out.

Race is not the issue that is troubling to me.... its culture. I dont know anyone that dislikes someone because of their skin color...... but I hate a billion people because of their culture.... and the things they believe to be acceptable.
The real problem we have here is that it has become taboo to criticize someones culture, even if the things that culture go against everything I believe in. I am a bigot, this I own and refuse to apologize for. Chicago, Detroit and many cities like it across the nation are in ruins not because of a persons skin color..... it is because of what is considered culturally acceptable. Therefore I am a bigot because I find this culture offensive. It runs contrary to my beliefs.
I have a problem with women being at risk for choosing to dress in a way of their liking or gay people being executed, or lives being threatened for a cartoon..... this is unacceptable to me. Their culture offends me and I feel no sense of obligation to be accommodating or sensitive to their beliefs...... and in fact go out of my way to belittle and offend them when the opportunity presents itself. If I had my way I would draw cartoons and burn korans nonstop until they became desensitized to it.. until it happened so much they got bored with it..... the same way many of us have become numb to people burning bibles or flags.
Not all cultures are good and some are just downright evil. Some I admire very much and wish more people believed as they do..... others I would exterminate without remorse.
No one should be forcing cultures to be cohabitant.... at some point fuses get lit..... not sometimes..... everytime

originally posted by: 3daysgone

originally posted by: seasonal
And there lies the problem. Who is going to be the person who sets the rules of what is and what isn't ok to say?

How about we get all of the races together and let us have a major battle, king of the ring, winner take all. Or, we could leave race out of everything and start realizing that groups are made up of like minded thinkers, and most of the groups don't really think alike. So they start aligning themselves, with views they agree with. People are just different. It is a very difficult problem that not only separates America, but the whole world. Different ideologies. Maybe one day people will realize that we are in this together, whether some want to be or not.

Now here you have something.... we are all in this together. Build a university on the moon and those young people will return to Earth after staring at a fragile little blue dot through a window for a couple semesters realizing that exact thing..... and they will tell other young people (kids dont listen to us old folks).... and they will become teachers..... and more kids will go to this university..... and in a very short time people all over the world will finally understand.......... we are all in this together...... or just build military bases and mining companies, sure that will really help humanity reach its full potential just as well