The brutal inhumanity of the war in
Iraq pushed by the extremist ideologues in the White House is symptomatic of a
system that routinely commits grave crimes against the impoverished children of
our poorest communities. As individuals teaching in the South Bronx we bear
constant witness to the criminal treatment of children of color that live in
one of the most segregated communities in this nation.
October 2, 2005
Dear those concerned with the abominable acts of the Bush
administration,
The brutal inhumanity of the war in
Iraq pushed by the extremist ideologues in the White House is symptomatic of a
system that routinely commits grave crimes against the impoverished children of
our poorest communities. As individuals teaching in the South Bronx we bear
constant witness to the criminal treatment of children of color that live in
one of the most segregated communities in this nation.
Though
segregation is said to have ended with the gains of the civil rights movement,
and though apartheid is spoken of as only occurring in South Africa, our daily
experiences teaching in the South Bronx attest to a completely different
reality. Segregation and apartheid run rampant in many areas of the United
States, not only the South Bronx. Sadly it is only when catastrophic natural
disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, occur that American citizens start to
question what an impoverished class of 33 million individuals looks like.
Sadly, that contemplation only occurs for brief moments, perhaps a few weeks,
and then the more pressing matters of ‘keeping up with the Jones’ takes over
the lives of most Americans. This is the trend of society that we must work
against. We must try to incite all individuals to contemplate the state of
affairs of the less fortunate on a daily basis, for if we don’t then we will
continue to perpetuate the myth of the American dream that leaves out the fact
that many dreams are lost in the vast space of a nation large enough to
segregate poverty from the eyes of the fortunate.
This is a reality that is hidden
from the white historical narrative that portrays this country as truly
exceptional. We agree it is exceptional,
in its callous disregard for human life as it was so vividly portrayed in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. However,
this callous disregard for human life is a daily happening in our inner city
schools. The reality of metal detectors,
abusive police and the systematic stigmatization of children of color as
criminals in schools are conveniently hidden behind stories of the achievements
of our educational system. Injustice is
so hidden it no longer seems to exist.
Unfortunately, the brutal apartheid that exists in our schools does not
fit nicely into our nation’s historical narrative. The daily injustice committed against our
children mirrors the callous disregard for human life abroad.
Therefore,
we ask for November 2nd 2005, to be a day of defiance. A day where teachers and students stand in
solidarity against the daily injustice committed against our students. A day where we stand united against a system
that is oppressive at home as well as abroad.
A day where the voices of the oppressed will be heard against the wishes
of those that wish to keep our bombed inner cities and our bombed international
cities a hidden secret. The World Can’t
Wait!!! Stand by us on November 2nd
and be a voice for those who are the daily victims to the horrors of
militarism, capitalism, and racism. Do
not let the powerful elite of this country decide the daily reality of
children’s lives. This is truly the time
to resist against the injustices committed in our name.
Sincerely,
Nora
Sam Ahmed and Jose R. Sanchez
Teachers
at a Bronx High School