|
Idiots never cease to amaze and disgust me |
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is quite frightening to walk towards your school building in the morning and see a police car sitting there and teachers herding all the incoming students into the auditorium. It is more frightening to wonder why everyone is frowning and why my friends are hyperventilating or clenching their fists and teeth so hard I can hear them grinding.
Fortunately, nothing was hurt but the building and our Rough Rider pride.
Last night a bunch of knuckle-headed idiots broke into Roosevelt High School with the intent of making a statement; a bad statement. When our principal and sophomores arrived this morning (OGT, the upperclassmen and freshmen got to come late), the walls, floor, and windows of our school were covered in racial slurs, confederate flags, and threats to our Assistant Principal. A computer was stolen as well.
The amazing thing, however, was that as students and faculty poured in the building, they all walked up to our custodians (after the police were finished taking pictures) and asked "can I help?" The students and faculty who were first on the scene cleaned up the mess before the rest of us got there. Now there are only washed out and paintless spots were the offensive phrases once stood out in stark contrast with the creme colored walls and lockers.
Everyone was stunned, and angry. Many blame the school's paper, other's (like my mom) blame the principal. I know that the paper has practiced nothing but ethical journalism, and printed nothing that could have caused this (I'm on staff), though many of us feel awful about it all.
This was unprecidented. Nothing like this had ever happened at Roosevelt, and I pray it will never happen again. We were all hurt, and angry. This was OUR school. It belongs to every single one of us, no matter the tone of our skin. How dare they, how DARE they tell us that a single solitary member of the Rough Rider family doesn't belong. Normally will all scoff and say the "Roosevelt Way" mottos and "Rough Rider Family" is a lot of hooey, but... this was different. How dare they tell us that our friends cannot attend the same school. How dare they make my friends feel afraid.
My friends Jaz (black) and Tesha (white) and I (white), decided we wanted to do something, to make a statement, so we hatched a plan---that didn't involve vandalism or theft. I believe I may have mentioned in an earlier entry "The Rock" which we're all allowed to paint that some racist idiots took advantage of. Jaz, Tesha, and I, went to Dollar General and the art store down town and bought cheap brushes, red (school color) spray paint, and some acryllic paint in white, black, and skin tones, and painted the rock. It now reads:
"Rough Riders, United we stand."
The first part is black, and the second white. The background is red. Surrounding the words are hand prints in various skin tones, varying from the light, pinky color of my own skin, to a slightly yellower tan, to the darkest brown of the darkest African American. It was a piece of art, and unlike the cowards who vandalized the school, we did it in broad daylight for all to see. We also wrote our initials and dated it, and took a photo.
"I think it's really nice, what you guys are doing," one girl told us driving by. It was nice of her to say so. It felt so good, and it felt like we were making a small step towards righting the wrongs done last night. We just hope our masterpiece makes it through the night for our Principal to see. I hope so. If not, we have a picture.
It felt so great, doing something positive, and it was like a healing balm on all our hearts. I'd do it again. And if some racist nut paints another confederate flag on there, I'll be back with my red spray paint and my multi-colored acryllics. I don't care how many times I have to paint a positive message on that hunk of dirt; I'm not going to let them win that battle.
verde_antique · Fri Mar 16, 2007 @ 05:25am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|