“Don't you realize that I could have killed you ten times by now — your
monkey boy bodyguards notwithstanding...” — anonymous.
The hate-filled words heading this essay are from a bullying letter
sent to an African-American student leader at Pennsylvania State University,
La Keisha Wolf. Bullies thrive here in America. More often than not, the
words of racist bullies turn, either directly or indirectly, into hate
crimes.
For women, men and children of colour, death as a result of such hatred
is as common today as it was 50 years ago. Recently, the bodies of two
black men were discovered near State College, Pennsylvania. There is a
lot of hate in America.
Bullying is “a problem that has been in a lot of ways ignored for quite
a while”, according to Tonja Nansel, a researcher for the National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development. That is the same thing I have been
telling people ever since I first encountered it as an elementary school
student more than 50 years ago.
In reaction to a plethora of school shootings in the United States,
this dehumanising aspect of American life has been getting some long overdue
attention. However, the bad news is that many in seats of power cannot
see the longstanding effects of bullying and the need to put a stop to
it. They have a myopic view of what ails this nation.
For example, a fight was incited by racial hatred at a school here in
Walker County, Georgia. “A white student allegedly made a racial slur on
a school bus and later was approached by several black students about the
comment... A brawl erupted, and eight students were suspended”, according
to a report in the April 18 Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
As a result of that incident, a policy designed to prohibit racial intimidation
and disparaging comments was introduced before the school board. It was
voted down.
The school's principal, Jon Pike, objected to the proposed policy, complaining
that "several community members [here read “blacks” — BAJ] are making this
fight stand out.”
Board member Mike North (you can be fairly certain that he is a Republican)
stated: “It is my belief that we have policies in place in Walker County
at this time to prevent harassment, regardless of what form it takes.”
Logic tells me — and it would tell North, too, if his vision was not
so myopic — that the current policy is not working. As we all can see,
it did not prevent the white student's racist slur and subsequent fighting.
The Mike Norths of America are quick to remind us that, for them, things
are fine as they are. Via tacit approval, he and his ilk routinely hide
their acceptance of verbal bigotry. They often cite the United States Constitution's
right to “free speech”. The question is, how free is one's right to free
speech if it disparages a whole race of people?
Georgia has a “fighting words” law. You can be fairly certain that the
n-word is categorically a “fighting word” for the average African-American
person when it is uttered or even inferred by a white racist. According
to Esquire magazine (November 1997), “African-Americans don't like
to be called the n-word. Most white people accept this as a given and there
is ample evidence to suggest that it is true”. I have been an African-American
for at least 58 years, and I can tell you that, for a majority of us, this
is true.
If words are used that elicit violence (be that violence in support
of, or in opposition to your speech) are you not inciting riot? Is it not
illegal to knowingly incite a riot?
The Walker County school board passed up a good opportunity to craft
an administrative school policy that would have rejected all harassment
with equitable vigour.
The good news is that a bill designed to prevent bullying throughout
the state of Colorado was signed into law on May 2, 2001, by Governor Bill
Owens. the bill is a reasoned response to the 1999 killings at Columbine
High School, goes into effect in August, and requires school districts
to adopt policies against bullying. According to the May 3 Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
“A growing number of schools across the county have adopted similar programs.”
I would not be surprised to learn that Mike North and those others on
the school board who voted down the anti-intimidation policy will see the
Colorado governor as being too sensitive. Alas, they cannot see the vastness
of the bully forest for its Constitution trees.
BY BRANDON ASTOR JONES
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes
letters commenting on his columns (include your name and full return address
on the envelope, or prison authorities may refuse to deliver it). He can
be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G3-77, Georgia Diagnostic
& Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA, or email
<brandonastorjones@hotmail.com>.
Jones is seeking a publisher for his collected prison writings.
Please notify him of any possible leads. Visit Jones' web page at <http://www.brandonastorjones.com>.]
