Ignorance Is (Dangerous) Bliss

Warning: The following is a passion-filled rant. Expletives may be used by the author. You've been warned, so if you feel your eyes may be fragile, stop reading. Also, the following conversations are true. Shocking, but true.

I must admit: I am worried about the future. Normally I honestly don't care. I see some of the students that I worked with over the year, and I realize that they will go on to great things. Emma will one day run a company. Greta will probably become the most lucrative aeronautic engineer in the history of Airbus or Boeing. Charlie will end up being the Robin Williams character in Dead Poets Society. I could go on and on.
Unfortunately, my second period reading class this summer has me very worried. Out of 22 kids, I'm starting to feel that maybe 3 have what it takes to pass the test and continue on. There are so many factors that frustrate me about this class:
1. They don't work. Look, I know it's summer school, but they are there for a reason. I have made this class almost painless with the amount of work that needs to be done. All I ask is that you listen, you try, and you do not judge your fellow classmates. Unfortunately, they do not prescribe to my way of thinking. Student one is reading aloud and makes a mistake? Let's all laugh as loud as we can and make him feel stupid. I have to read a paragraph and answer three questions? "That's not fair," or, "That's TOO much work!" Again, I understand they don't want to be there, but if they do nothing, they are not helping their chances to pass the Basic Standards Test. You MUST pass the test in order to graduate. Some of these kids have failed the test more than once. Shouldn't they at least try to figure out where they went wrong so they don't fail again?
2. They don't care. Honestly, they don't care about anything. The ignorance they showed me today was awe-inspiring in its hatred. Where to start? I've been called a Cracker by one of the students. Fine, not the proper use as I am not southern (I would be a Honky), but the problem is that they feel it's ok for them to call me a Cracker, but not ok if I respond in kind.
I got a whole speech about how only white people (like myself) can be racist, because we "invented racism," but then these students of color turn around and say things like, "Chinese people and Japanese people are the same thing." Or, my personal favorite, "All white people are alike, and all black people are black people. There's no difference among them." Now, trying to use logic, I asked the student:
"So a person from Namibia is the same as a person from Chicago is the same as a person from St. Lucia?"
The response? "Wait....What's Namibia?"
"It's a country in Africa."
"It is? I've never heard of it."
"What countries in Africa do you know?"
"Uh, Is South Africa in Africa?"
"Yes. Any others?"
"I don't know. Is India in Africa?"
"No."
"Then that's all I know."
Now, beyond the ignorance of not knowing what countries are where, which I believe most of us learned when we were in third grade, the other problem I have is the idea that this student, though not white, believes that he is not a racist, but says that a Chinese person is the same as a Japanese person. I have a friend named John. He's Korean, and he gets mistaken for Japanese and Chinese all the time. How does he feel about it? Does he say, "That's ok, we all look alike"? Hell no! He gets pissed.
Look, I'm not a Liberal, and I'm not a Conservative. I fall somewhere in the middle. I believe that complete labeling is wrong, but that we have to respect people's cultures and languages. Don't EVER accuse me of being a racist and then say that your thoughts aren't racist, because you can't be. That's bullshit.
Upon further correction, the student (and friends) said that they don't care. They also explained that the cop in St. Cloud who was dragged by the car, "got what he deserved," and that, "No one cares about some Jews that were killed." Yup, we were reading a story about the Holocaust, and the students felt that the story had no relevance. As the son of a German Jew who escaped the Holocaust, I tend to disagree, but I'm also biased. One other student told me that his parents explained to him that the Holocaust, "never happened." Are you kidding me? It never happened? Tell that to my family members that were killed! It's stuff like this that has me worried. What's next? All Muslim's should be killed just in case they are terrorists? Come on, people.
When later pressed about the fact that my family probably owned slaves, I turned it on them.
"So all black people are the same?"
"Yes."
"Egypt is in Africa, right?"
"Sure."
"So do black people live there?"
"Yeah, we OWNED that fucking place!"
"So it was the black people of Egypt who enslaved my people."
"Yeah! Wait, what?"
"Well, the Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians. If the Egyptians were black, then black people owned slaves. Therefore, you all, in here, (because all black people are alike, right?) owe me an apology and restitution."
"Well, that was different. Those people were white, not black. Yeah."
Anyone not see the problem yet?
As for college, well, only three out of them want to go. The rest believe that their skills or something else will make them rich without needing anymore education. Look, yeah there are a few people who made it big without a degree, but for everyone one of them, 9 didn't make it. Maybe it's more. Maybe it's 99, but still, that's alot of people. Go to college. Learn about the real world, not what 50 Cent or Ludacris or your parents tell you about it. See it for yourself.
3. They are disrespectful. I don't care if they try to disrespect me. I don't take crap from them, so if they try, I call them on it. However, the EA (Educational Assistant) in my classroom is an older woman who has earned her respect over the years. You do not refer to her as, "that fucking lady." Hell no! You do not refer to her as, "that white bitch." I don't think so. You want to know why you were kicked out today? She asked you to do something and you called her, "a cunt." That's not ok with me. That's why you're standing in the halls holding your arms out with books in them and you're not allowed to move. You cross the line, I will bury you.
And another thing: Stay out of my bag! Why is over by the desk and closed? So that you leave it alone. When you take something out of my bag without asking, that's stealing. Does that mean I can come to your home and take stuff? What's that? No. Then get away from my stuff.
4. They don't know. In this case, I do feel bad for them. I hear alot about how this kid's dad never works, how this kid's girlfriend is pregnant (at 12), or how this kid's sister was killed by a guy on drugs. Life is tough. I freely admit that. That's why I am trying to help them. I want them to go on to bigger and better things, to get away and then return to those neighborhoods to help.
I refuse to give up on these kids, but they do test my patience. Most of them will not pass this class. They don't do the work, they refuse to try, and they don't care. Out of 22, about 10 will return for 8.5 (not quite 9th grade, not really 8th grade). Do they care? No. One kid told me he wants to stay in school until he's 21. Why? Most people want out, not stay. What possible reason would you have to stay for that long?
Maybe they will surprise me. As one wise student told me, "No one wants to be there. You don't, they don't, so good luck."
They say ignorance is bliss. You're happy, because you don't know what's really going on or what's wrong. The problem with that is it creates situations that can really hurt you. I'm trying to help these kids, but they are holding on to that ignorance so strongly.