Cultural Exchange

In our country I like to think that we have more tolerance than other nations particularly to our neighbours south of us.  I notice that the younger generation is even more tolerant than the older ones but even my own age group I believe is very open to receiving foreigners into our country, our homes and so forth.  This is what I believe, but is it the truth?

       I know that in my line of work we have representatives of almost every nation in the world working with us and I have never once heard a racist or intolerant comment.  When I went to high school we didn’t have very many ethnic groups but again I must say that I never heard anyone make rude comments or jokes.  I do, however, remember in my elementary school having a commotion when 2 aboriginal boys started there.  I would have been about 12 when this happened but I heard that some parents petitioned the school to have the boys removed.  My own parents were shocked to learn that the boys were being treated badly but eventually the noise died down and they were accepted.  I also remember in this same school we had a boy from Germany start in my sister’s class.  He did not speak English at all and the children at recess treated him brutally even going so far as to “heil Hitler” him with the Nazi salute.  He had many fights and eventually he was brought into our class every morning to get some mentoring from my teacher who seemed to have a rapport with him.  I felt very sorry for him especially when I saw an almost hunted look in his eyes.  It was terrible to see.

       It’s one thing to recognize differences but it’s something else to act on feelings of hatred for no reason other than that someone is different, whether that be race, religion, belief or what have you.  I have a hard time understanding this kind of mind.  Didn’t we have a war 70 years ago that should have taught us something?