Helping Children Become Better Citizens

To the Editor:

My daughter, a tenth grader at Newtown High School, rolled her eyes at the thought of attending an all-day sophomore-only “diversity workshop” sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League on April 12. She thought it would be at best a waste of time and at worst an open invitation for certain people to reinforce existing stereotypes. Instead, she spent an hour and a half last night telling me about how moved she had been, using terms like “incredible,” “eye-opening,” and “invaluable.” She reported that most of her friends felt the same way; equally impressed by the stories they heard by those students courageous enough to address the assembly. She came away from the experience believing that attending the program should be a mandatory graduation standard; and even made the suggestion that sophomores who have no obligation to take a social studies course should be required to take sociology, conversations on race, or another class that would address such a valuable life skill.

One only has to read current news stories regarding our nation’s immigration policy, the debate over gay marriage or the never-ending hostility among many religious factions to realize we live in a society that is becoming more polarized as time goes on. We are all guilty to some degree of showing intolerance — whether race-based, gender-based, weight-based, or based on any other number of arbitrary classifications. We owe it to our children to help them become better citizens than we have proved to be ourselves.

It is beyond dispute that a one-day assembly may have little or no long-term effect if it is not reinforced by faculty, administrators and, above all, parents. And while I’m aware that such programs don’t come cheap, the expense is nothing when compared to the benefits acquired if 5, 10 or 12 — or maybe 50, 60 or more — students will think twice before making judgments about peers they perceive to be “different” in some respect. The increase in tolerance and subsequent reduction of conflict are surely cheap at twice the price.

Cari Strand, who organized the event, is to be commended for her efforts, as are all the participants and the administration that supported it. I would urge all those involved to consider taking the appropriate steps to assure that this excellent and positive program is repeated — again and again and again.

Bruce Jacoby

49 Obtuse Road, Newtown                                         April 14, 2006