When I see reports about hate crimes, I wonder how these people feel justified in acting out their rage. There is not a gene for all-consuming hatred against a group of people or assurance of security by being part of a group whose common thread is a perceived enemy. Beliefs of separateness and isolation are taught or experienced at the hand of others who have seen violent behavior.
If these attitudes are learned in the home, and I believe that they usually are, why don’t we have a curriculum in our schools that teaches tolerance of differences to balance out those vicious lessons? Isn’t it more important to learn not to waste our energy in anger than what year our country was discovered or who won a war? If they don’t learn this from their parents, who will teach children that all people deserve to feel safe and respected? There will always be different religious and sexual preferences and national allegiances. We will never be of one belief system. That diversity makes up the sumptuous smorgasbord of humanity.
We need to address how to live with each other. Maybe there is already a curriculum in existence. Does anybody know of one? I understand the inherent problems with teaching this in school. But, it seems to me that we need to be part of planting new seeds rather than weeding out the rotten ones after they have infected others.
