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Nov 09, 2016

Comments

John Rollings

The children were watching this election. They knew and saw clearly that the slogan "Make American Great Again" was really a disguise for the slogan "Make America White Again".

The reaction of children of color to Trump's racist campaign seems universal and came not from parents saying anything but from children hearing what was said by the campaigns and correctly interpreting the words.
Our oldest grandchild, a 6 year old boy of Korean decent, reacted unexpectedly yesterday morning before school with fear and tears. His surprised mother had to work him through that, get him off to school and then go to her teaching job in a mixed income Minnesota suburb. The 6-8 grade students she works with were also reacting. The children of color were afraid, crying and concerned. The white boys were strutting around and,I believe, some even allowed to wear Trump tea shirts.

After a day of that,in the evening, she decided it was time to start filling out the forms for the official US passport for her youngest, an adopted boy from the Marshall Islands. He is a US citizen but she now wanted the official evidence that she could quickly show.

Our oldest daughter teaches in a rich suburb of Des Moines. Pioneer and John Deere are prominent employers with numerous executive positions. Same reactions there. Children of color and Muslim children were scared, crying, and concerned. This time one knew the kids did not come from poor families but rather families with substantial income and influence. Included in her day was a quiet, sweet Muslim girl who approached her high school science teacher, my daughter, seeking reassurance that Mr. Trump would not try to deport her and her family.Just what could you honestly say that will truly reassure her?

What do we say to our children, even grown children, about all of this? How can we help them? Many questions. We will take it day by day.

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