I observed a troubling scene this morning. I was just an on-looker. I do not know what was in the hearts of the children. Any conclusion is merely my own, based on how it appeared.
Two young boys, one tow-head white and one ebony-black, likely a refugee child from Africa who may not yet speak English, were waiting in line to go into school. The black boy was ahead of the white boy in line. The white boy was just a few inches taller, heavier. He was facing the other boy. He had his right hand held on the front of the other boy’s throat. It looked to me like the way a pit-bull, or other similar dog or a big-cat grasps its prey, immobilizing it. The other boy, facing me, did not move. I was struck by the scene. It may have been about 10 seconds, at most, before I stepped in to stop it.
The staff moved in at the same moment, moved the attacker, and kept him separated. The teacher was alerted to what happened.
The school did the right thing, as far as I could tell, responding quickly.
But what of the two boys? What lessons have they been taught that led to this assault? What lessons did they learn on the playground this day? What supports will they get? How far have we come as a people, to achieve Dr. King’s dream? How color blind are we?
And, aside from the different colors of the children, there is the disturbing issue of bullying that continues to be seen in schools, even with laws and policies on the subject.
Our society has not become the kind of place Dr. King dreamed of where all would be treated equally.
We can only hope and pray that in small incremental steps, individual lives can be changed for the better, and that we all will act when we see injustice. I hope that both the aggressor and the victim in this incident get the love, care, support, and learning they need so that this never happens again.
&
edited
January 19, 2015
Changing
the Wind – v3
(merging
edits to original and version 2)
Edited
July 22, 2013
“changing
the wind – v2”
December 7, 2007
“changing the wind”
Based on the comments of Jim Wallis on
Speaking of Faith, November 29, 2007
He was talking about whether to change politicians
or change the wind, to change the public opinion
which guides politics. He used the example
of President Johnson’s statement to the
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that it would
take 5 years for a voting rights bill but
it actually took 5 months to pass the Voting Rights Act,
after the March in Selma.
All
of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights
reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
See all 35,260+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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