Louise Lockwood-Zorowski: Teach students tolerance

Regarding the May 11 news article “Raleigh students chant ‘KKK’ in viral video”: The three students from Leesville Road Middle School who made a video telling African-Americans, Jews, Arabs and Hispanics in America that they do not accept them is intolerable.

One of the students in the video said “Go back to the fields of Alabama. Go back to the factories in Mississippi. You don’t deserve freedom.” These remarks are reprehensible.

The actions by these students cannot be ignored; however I question the value of suspending them. A more appropriate action would be to teach them empathy for “the other.”

After some training in empathy and deep listening, perhaps they would then be in a position to hear from people of color as to why these words are so hurtful and inflammatory. The students in the video need to learn about the history of African-Americans, in particular. The history of our forefathers is inextricably interwoven with that of African-Americans.

Suspension does nothing to change the racist views of students. In fact, it may cause them to cling ever more tightly to their racist views.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 7:23 PM with the headline "Louise Lockwood-Zorowski: Teach students tolerance."