No matter why, intolerance is wrong

By Thomas P.
West Virginia Dept. of Education

Recently my classmates and I went to the Barbour County Fair to watch the lawnmower races. As we walked around the fair, it was pointed out to me that a lot of people were staring at me. I looked like a red card in a blue deck.

Soon I began to feel as if every person at the fair was “out to get me.” Even the police were looking at me hard.

When we all went into the barn to look at the cows and pigs, I was called “the name” that is used to insult blacks. As I looked around me, I noticed that I was alone. When I say alone, I mean I was the only black person in sight.

I could have acted on that slur, which is what they wanted me to do. Instead, I left the barn.

The incident made me think about one day when some of my friends and I were on our street corner, just chilling. My brother saw this white boy (a feen) walking down the street. My friends and I started calling him “whitie.”

The only white people that we see in our neighborhood are policemen, and we knew that he was no cop. He had on a big coat and no shoes. It was summer! He really looked like a lost puppy.

We were laughing at him and calling him a “feen” and “whitie.” He walked quickly down the block looking over his shoulder.

I remember that day and realize that whether it’s white on black racism or black on white racism, it doesn’t really matter. If you are intolerant of others because of skin color, economic condition or religion, you are just plain wrong.