Unpunished intolerance

Schools are slowly but surely returning back to what we all know as “normal,” which is both a good and bad thing for most students. We’ve been used to showing up two-three days a week for six months, walking down eerily quiet hallways, and forgetting what half of our classmates even look like.

Since coming back with everyone, I’ve noticed the tolerance and dismissal of racist, misogynistic, xenophobic and ableist comments, remarks and “jokes” made by students. The ignorance of some of the staff I’ve seen is concerning, and me being a white cis-het woman, I can’t imagine how some of the minorities in our schools feel when they hear offensive comments that go unpunished.

Whether it’s people using the r-slur, making horrible “jokes” about WWII, or people constantly using the n-word, many of my friends and I are uncomfortable with how relaxed the staff is at our school.

If we continue to allow teachers and students to participate in hateful speech that goes unnoticed, yet continue to promote the phrases “you belong here” and “everyone is accepted,” it starts to show what our schools really think of racial, social, economic, and moral issues.

Reagan Silbar

Spokane