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A natural reaction to horrific acts of
violence like the recent terrorist attacks on the United States is the desire to
lash out and punish the perpetrators. People who are angry or frightened often
feel that the ability to "fight back" puts them more in control or will
alleviate their sense of pain. While anger is a normal response felt by many, we
must ensure that we do not compound an already great tragedy and react against
innocent individuals with vengeance and intolerance. There is a tremendous risk
of unfairly stigmatizing people - in this country and around the world - who may
look like "our perceived enemies," if we do not temper emotions.
Children, in particular, may have difficulty
channeling their feelings appropriately and can easily pick up negative or
demeaning cues given by adults around them. Given the diversity of America’s
schools, some students may become targets of hostility and blame. Bullying and
harassment are never acceptable but they can be especially damaging at
this critical time in our nation’s history. Parents and school personnel need to
be prepared to quickly and effectively prevent and stop abusive behaviors that
are directed toward any students, although Arab-Americans and individuals
of Islamic faith are most at risk.
Adults can help children understand the
importance of treating all people with dignity and not judging groups of
people for the actions of a few. Most importantly, adults must model tolerance
and compassion in their words and behavior. They should also encourage children
to explore their feelings about prejudice and hate. Doing so is not only
critical to preventing further harm, but the process presents a potentially
powerful, albeit painful, opportunity for our young people to learn and
incorporate into their values the true strength of our country - our commitment
to individual freedom and upholding the respect and dignity of all people.
Key Messages:
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Violence and hate are never solutions to anger. The terrorists caused
tremendous harm because they acted violently against innocent people out of
blind hate. We must not act like them by lashing out at innocent people around
us, or "hating" them because of their origins.
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Groups of people should not be judged by the actions of a few. It is
wrong to condemn an entire group of people by association of religion, race,
homeland, or even proximity. No one likes to be blamed or threatened for the
actions of others.
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America is strong because of our diversity. Known as the great
"melting-pot" of the world, American democracy is founded on respect for
individual differences. Those differences in culture, religion, ideas, and
ethnicity have contributed to the the strength and richness of our country.
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All people deserve to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity.
Certainly individuals that are proven to be guilty of a crime should be
punished. No matter how angry we are over these terrible crimes, our
Constitution ensures fair and equitable treatment under the law for all
Americans.
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Vengeance and justice are not necessarily the same. Everyone wants the
terrorists punished. Our government is working to identify who they are and how
we will bring them to justice. Justice means punishing the real perpetrators,
not innocent people. Hurting our classmates and neighbors will not make us
safer, stop the real terrorists, or help punish them. It will only add to the
hate and anger, increasing the risk of further violence.
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We are in this together. People of all ethnicities were hurt by these
attacks and all Americans are saddened by the senseless violence. We need to
support each other, comfort each other, and work together to help those most in
need during this difficult time.
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History shows us that intolerance only causes harm. Some of our country’s
darkest moments resulted from prejudice and intolerance for our own people
because Americans acted out of fear. We must not repeat terrible mistakes such
as our treatment of Japanese Americans and Arab Americans during times of war.
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We need to work for peace in our communities and around the world. The
best way that we can stand up for our country at this point is to unite behind
the principles that make us strong. By reaching out to our classmates, friends,
and neighbors of all ethnicities, we can help heal the wounds from these events,
build stronger, more resilient communities at home, and show the world that
American values will endure now and forever.
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Tolerance is a lifelong endeavor. Protecting against harassment of our
Arab American classmates and neighbors is most critical right now. But the
issues of tolerance and inclusion go beyond this period in our national life
together. We must embrace these values towards all Americans for all time. This
includes race, religions, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and those with special
needs.
Tips for Parents and Teachers:
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Model tolerance and compassion. Children take their emotional cues from
the significant adults in their lives. Avoid making negative statements about
any racial, ethnic, or religious group at these very tense and troubling times
in our children’s lives. Reach out to your neighbors and colleagues who might
feel at risk right now because of their ethnicity.
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Provide useful information. Accurate information about the people,
events, reactions, and feelings is empowering. Use language that is
developmentally appropriate for children. Make sure that all information is
factually true. This is especially important when news reports have negative
statements about Arab-Americans or any other ethnic group.
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Avoid stereotyping people or countries that might be home to the
terrorists. Children can easily generalize negative statements to students in
their classes and community. Focusing on the nationality of the terrorists can
create prejudice, anger, and mistrust for their group members. Be clear about
your statements and biases, and help children understand their own prejudices.
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Address the issue of blame factually. Explore who and what may be to
blame for this event. Use non-speculative terms. Do not suggest any group is
responsible. Do not repeat the speculations of others, including newscasters. Do
not encourage or allow random blaming; but understand that self-blame may be a
way for students to feel "in control" (something different they "could have
done" or "could do" in the future). Be careful to ensure students, (e.g.,
Arab-American students,) do not assume blame in order to make classmates feel
better. Blaming is especially difficult in terrorist situations because someone
is at fault. However, explain that all Arab-Americans are not guilty by
association or racial membership. Help kids resist the tendency to want to "pin
the blame" on someone close by. In this country, we still believe that all
people are innocent until solid, reliable evidence from our legal authorities
proves otherwise. Further, we have no reason to believe that the attacks on our
country were part of an organized plan of any other country. The terrorists
acted independently without the sanctions of any nation.
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Discuss how it would feel to be blamed unfairly by association. Ask
children if they have ever gotten in trouble for something a sibling or friend
did and how they felt. Would they like it if their entire class were punished
for the actions of one student and if they think this would be fair? Older
children might want to consider what would have happened if all white American
males had been condemned for the Oklahoma City bombing.
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Explore children’s fears. Even children who can describe what happened
may not be able to express fears, questions, or describe assumptions or
conclusions they may have made. Use activities, role-playing, and discussions to
explore their fears about the events and their feelings about various ethnic
groups.
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Emphasize positive, familiar images of diverse ethnic groups. Identify
people of diverse ethnicities that your children know and who have a positive
place in their lives. These could be neighbors, friends, school personnel,
health care professionals, members of their faith community, or local merchants.
Discuss the many characteristics, values, and experiences the children have in
common with these people.
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Identify "heroes" of varying backgrounds involved in response to the
attacks. These include firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, military
personnel, public officials, medical workers, construction crews, engineers, and
regular citizens who are volunteering their time, perhaps even risking their
lives, to help victims of the attacks and restore the country to normalcy.
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Undertake projects to help those in need with people from diverse
backgrounds. Helping others is part of the healing process. Working with
classmates or members of the community who come from different backgrounds not
only enables children to feel that they are making a positive contribution, it
also reinforces their sense of commonality with diverse people.
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Discuss historical instances of American intolerance. Internment of
Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor and the backlash against Arab Americans
during the Gulf War are obvious examples. Teachers can do lessons in class, but
parents can also discuss the consequences of these events and encourage their
children to suggest better choices that Americans can make this time.
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Learn about the diverse communities and faiths represented in your area.
Knowledge debunks myths about other people and can humanize other cultures. In
school, have children share information about their family or cultural customs
to reinforce the notion that all people have special beliefs and rituals.
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Read books with your children that address prejudice, tolerance, and
hate. There are many, many stories appropriate for varying age groups that can
help children think about and define their feelings regarding these issues. The
school or local librarian can make recommendations.
Additional Tips for Schools:
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Provide parents with information. Send home materials on class lessons,
book titles, resources for further information, and opportunities to help.
Enlist support from parents to prevent "teasing, bullying or abuse" of any
students.
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Train all school personnel. Every school professional should be
trained to model tolerance and intervene immediately if a child is being
bullied. This includes bus drivers, lunchroom and playground monitors, after
school program leaders, coaches and extracurricular activities directors.
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Share information with community groups. Provide talking points,
information, and intervention strategies to local community organizations
dealing with children. This can include local libraries, youth programs,
recreational facilities, and the media.
For further information
on promoting tolerance among children and youth, contact NASP at (301) 657-0270
or visit NASP’s website at www.nasponline.org.
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