As I began to think about what the topic should be for this week’s lesson, I was listening to the news, and was struck by the story about comedian Michael Richards. He’s the guy that plays Kramer on the TV program, “Seinfeld.” Recently, during one of his stand up comedy acts, he was heckled by a member of the audience. As a result, he began to spew hateful obscenities back. The words he chose to use were inflammatory, rude, and, as I said, hateful. Earlier this fall, another actor, Mel Gibson, was arrested for the racist remarks he used when pulled over for a routine traffic stop. He, too, chose to berate another, using inflammatory, hateful comments, and, like Michael Richards, may well have ended a brilliant career in entertainment.
So what do these incidents have to do with character? We are talking about TOLERANCE: being respectful of someone who is different. In Richards case, his heckler was African-American. And Gibson thought that the police officer who stopped him was Jewish. A different race, religion, gender, intelligence, sexual orientation, physical capability, economic status or cultural background: these are all reasons why some are intolerant of others.
Today, as you heard earlier, we mark the anniversary of the United States entry into World War II. For your grandparents’ generation, the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, was similar to September 11th, the day the World Trade Center in New York was hit by terrorists. The country was stunned…and frightened. And as a result, the United States decided to join the war to combat the spread of fascism, a regime that, in Europe, was focused on exterminating those who were different, and perceived to be inferior. Now, the very interesting thing about our willingness to fight this intolerant enemy was what we did right here at home, to the Japanese-Americans….
Think about it. Three years and four months. For doing nothing, but being different, these good, hard working, Americans, were ordered to sell or give away everything they couldn’t carry. They had to leave their homes, and were taken to desolate barracks in harsh environments. Decades later, our government admitted that it had made a terrible mistake. But 3 years and all their possessions were impossible to give back.
As we remember Pearl Harbor today, let us also remember not to judge each other because of our race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, intelligence, physical capability, economic status or cultural background. Let us instead respect each other for the beliefs or practices that are different from our own. We may not share or even agree with each other, but we must recognize our right to exist.
Student slide show
Set to music
“Where is the Love”
Closing slide
What can YOU do
To be more TOLERANT of others?
And remember….
Character is not only what you say; it’s how you act…
