Re: Venting -- Talking Circle Alternative

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Date Posted: Sat, 01/25/03 8:31pm
Author: Steve Russell
Subject: Re: Venting
In reply to: CaseynGeneva 's message, "Re: Venting" on Sat, 01/25/03 10:05am

As you may know, I'm in a small town here, and just a few miles from the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan.

However, on Sept. 12, a gang of jerks described as "looking like frat boys" surrounded a Maylasian Muslim woman as she was walking across campus. These "patriots" shoved her back and forth among them, asking her whether she was on her way to "terrorist class." Somebody called the cops and they split. She was scared to death but unhurt. Some windows were broken at the mosque.

The community reaction was massive and magnificent.

First time I ever saw a political rally on a campus CALLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION. The Chancellor made a speech where she made it clear that civilization was not going to decline in Bloomington on her watch. The student government set up an escort service for Muslim students.

The haters quickly crawled back under their rocks.

About three months later, there was a nasty snowstorm. Because of new immigration restrictions, an Israeli teenager who came to Bloomington to study music was in a real bind. His mother was told that she could not work, and his father had lost his job back in Israel.

So it was announced that the kid would play a benefit violin concert for the purpose of staying here to study music, ten bucks a head.

Tracy was sick that night and there was ice all over the road, but I fired up the 4wd and went over to the synogogue to drop ten bucks on a classical music concert.

I had to give it up because every parking space was taken for several blocks around the synogogue and there was a big line outside half an hour before the concert.

So this small town rallied around a Muslim student and around a Jewish student within three months in that dreadful year.

And I decided this is a pretty good place for a teacher to live.

Steve

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