Battle Royal of Today

A child s innocents can be demolished with a simple racist comment and then lead the child into believing that what degrading comments they have heard is the right way of life. That s what Ralph Ellison s meaning in his writing was. Children are not able to acknowledge the fact that what slanderous words they are using are actually scaring the confidence of others; that is unless they are able to find out what it is like to be that other person. Mrs. Elliotts class of third graders was given the lesson of a lifetime when she took the matter of racism and discrimination into her own hands.

Something so strong and important such as racism and discrimination should be taught to children at a young age, when they are more vulnerable and able to realize that they do not want to be treated in such a way. The concept which Mrs. Elliott used scarves to identify the group of students whom were the lesser people is most likely the best concept for children to actually grasp. Telling the students to pretend that their best friends were bad people and were not as good as them ca not have as strong of an effect on them as having them wear a scarf; when all day long they were able to spot them from the rest of the class. Although it may be easier for some that choose to do this project to just do it with one set of students being the lesser people there seems to be a stronger and larger understanding of how discrimination feels if it is done to both sides.

The idea of teaching the real actions and feelings of discrimination and racism becoming a regular thing in schools sadly is something that should be highly considered. Although discrimination is not as bad as it used to be it is still an issue. Because it is an issue that many children will or have faced others who don t have the problem of being looked at or treated differently should be taught the actions that happen and what reactions do occur because of it. As a child you learn what you like and what you do not like and being treated differently and even loosing friends over the way you look or because of what you believe in, is something children will quickly realize they do not like. We all must pay our price at life, but it should not be at someone else s expense. A classroom divided with the proper guidance can become a world connected.

However who are we to say that any of this will help unless the bigotry in our society changes it s self.