The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1950-08-24
Prejudice
PEGGY SCHUBERT
Honor Student, Ellensbtng Hi
Glass of 1885,
Ellensburg, Washington

EllenSDurg, washington
We of the modern world have
been made very much aware of
the word education. Now, however,
it has taken on a much broader,
more comprehensive meaning. 1t
no longer means just the know
ledge gained in the classroom from
text books and teachers, but also
includes the education one receives
from newspapers, magazines and
radio. We learn from our parents
and are influenced by the attitudes
and opinions of people we know
or admire. And there is one subject
we can learn from any or all Of
these sources, and that subject is
racial prejudice.
No child is ever born with the
seeds of racial hate sown in his
heart, rather they are planted there
as he grows up. Just as child
may learn to read and write,
to walk and talk, he may leaern
prejudice.
Let us, for example, take a child
that grows up in a home where
both parents have a strong dislik-
ing for the Jew And the sad
part of it is the fact that he will
have formed his opinion without
having made any contact or asso-
citation with the Jew; what is more
he may never have any and yet
that child will go through life
bearing the Jew i'll feeling.
Are you or will you be guilty
of teaching your children hate,
not only of the Jew, but of any
race color, or creed which differs
from yours?
No, you say, I'm sure have
not or will not teach my children
to be prejudiced. Why, I'm not
pHejudiced. If so, well and good.
But here is something I would like
you to think about: We live in a
community where no serious prob
lens of racial differences exist.
1t is very easy for US to not be
prejudiced. But, I wonder, how
would you feel if you were up
against a real situation. Would
you still feel as unprecedented as
you do now if you lived in COM
munity where the Negro popula-
ton was larger than the white i?
Would you be willing for the Ne
gro to exercise the rights given
him by the Constitution, even
though it might mean that your
city would have a Negro mayor,
your state Negro governor, and
your children taught by Negro
teachers? If you would still be
free from prejudice fine. but what
about your children? You must dc
MORE than just not teach thin
prejudice, you must build up in
them bulwark Of defense against
the attitudes and bad examples OF
other people. For just as a child
may acquire such bad habits as
lying, swearing and stealing, he
may acquire prejudice. Sly re.
marks and cruel insinuations car
be a dangerous influence to q
child who is just beginning ts
formulate his own opinions.
AS we see group Of children
Of different races playing content.
eddy together. the question arises
will they continue to grow up in
harmony and face the world with
at least a partial understanding
of each others social problems, oil
will they learn to grow apart in
their thinking, to hate one another
and to perpetuate the racial dis
turbances we have today?
I believe that we, of the class
of so, can answer that question
for, in a few years our children
will be the ones under consider.
alton and the solution will rest not
with our parents but with US.
Yes, you say, but even if my
children grow up to be unpreju-
diced, what force can my children
and 1 exert against the multitude
!. of people in this world who fee
so strongly about racial differ.
ences?
I will tell you what you can do