Citizens Bookletp6.5

In the nineties, the Minnesota Legislature two crimes are virtually the same. required the Minnesota Attorney General to undertake annual surveys on school violence. Over the past several years, the Attorney At the same time, the Minnesota Commissioner General’s Office has tried to address these of Public Safety was charged with issuing an issues by hosting public symposiums, holding annual report on hate crimes. seminars in school districts and attending forums. Few of these events were attended by A comparison of the two annual reports reveals members of the target group: white males an overlap of the perpetrators and the victims. between the ages of thirteen and twenty. Approximately two-thirds of hate crimes are committed by white males between the ages of The Wallenberg Institute in Sweden has studied thirteen and twenty, and males are the largest racism and bigotry by age group. The Institute segment of perpetrators of school violence. found that the optimum age to discuss racism is when a child is seven. At this age, the child Greater overlap exists among victims of school does not distinguish others by superficial violence and hate crimes. Two-thirds of differences and is very tolerant of differences. victims of school violence were either The Institute also found that by the time he or members of, or associating with, classes of she becomes a teenager, the child has adopted people protected under hate crime statutes. If some of the negative attitudes of family and one includes overweight, tall and short persons peers, attitudes which quickly become “hard- as a protected class, the victims of the wired” and difficult to change. Other studies have shown that perpetrators He puts down others so that he receives the in literature. The historical accuracy, of hate crimes (and school violence) attention that otherwise evades him. This however, is not as important as the generally come from broken homes, have book is comprised of stories about heroes, discussion that each story hopes to poor social skills, or have borderline virtually all of whom would otherwise provoke. These stories are about courage, mental health issues. These young men have fit the profile of the perpetrator of a decency and valor. In each case, the hero survives the ordeal and is recognized for have a strong need to be recognized and hate crime. In each of these stories, the accepted by peers, but generally cannot do heroism by his peers. so through conventional methods such as hero is confronted by bigotry and chooses academics, athletics, or extra curricular “to do the right thing”even though it may Each story is followed by a series of activities. have been at great risk. The names of the questions. The purpose of the questions is people are accurate and the events are true. to provoke a discussion in the class about Accordingly, the perpetrator gets the idea Many of these events, however, have the attitude of the hero and the attitude of to use bigotry as a vehicle to be recognized. become embellished as they are described the perpetrator. This book is about hate crimes. School attention that they need to bully others. surveys taken over a six year period by the Even so, these students are at an age when Minnesota Attorney General’sOffice peer pressure is strong and the need to indicate that virtually every student has blend into the crowd is enormous. As a witnessed prejudice. Students result, it is easier to remain silent when a categorized school violence as not only fellow student becomes a victim of physical abuse, but also verbal abuse of discrimination. The Attorney General’s victims because of their size, their weight, surveys indicate that many students find it hair color, their gender or their sexual difficult to react when they witness school orientation. violence because they don’t think anyone cares. Students state that they don’t report The profile of a bully is easy to recognize. school violence to school administrators Numerous studies, as well as the because they don’t think the description offered by students responding administrators will take action. Others to the Attorney General’s surveys, depict a are concerned they might in turn become bully as a young, white, male who has little the target of abuse. support from his family and cannot achieve scholastic, athletic or romantic This book is designed for the student who recognition from his peers. The bully is not a bully but has been a bystander, carries out bigoted acts in order to be generally in silence, to a hate crime. It recognized by peers. Unable to succeed tells stories about citizens who undertook on his own, he tries to dignify himself by courageous acts to help others at a time of attacking the dignity of others. crisis. Several of these citizens indicate that the basis for their act of heroism was Most students are not so starved for because “it was the right thing to do.” While each may have known that their heroic act was 4.Raoul Wallenberg , who used simply “the right thing,” in each story there are entrepreneurial diplomacy to rescue Jews bystanders who remained silent. In some cases, those about to be killed by Nazis. bystanders may not have known the “right thing.” In other cases, the bystanders didn’t have the strength of 5.Henry Whipple , who intervened during the convictions to carry out “the right thing.” There have Civil War to save over two hundred Indians been many studies undertaken and theories propounded during the largest execution in U. S. history. about why certain citizens take a stand and speak out 6.Gerry Bertier , who helped break the while others seek silent refuge in following the crowd. segregation barrier in Alexandria, Virginia. The purpose of this book is to provoke discussion about this paradox 7. Margaret McDonald, Wayne Inman and Richard Wesnick, the community activist, the The stories in this book refer to: police chief, and the newspaper editor who united their community in a stand against hate 1.Oskar Schindler , a gallivant who responded crimes. to cruelty by risking his life to save over a thousand people. 8.Martin Niemoeller , a Lutheran pastor who stood up to Hitler and coined perhaps the 2.Pee Wee Reese , a Southern baseball player most famous declaration in support of human who helped Jackie Robinson break the color rights. barrier in professional sports. 9.Soheila Helal and Mir Faziullah, who 3.Hugh Thompson , a helicopter pilot who risked their lives under the Taliban rule of interrupted a war mission to stop a massacre of Afghanistan by teaching girls and giving Vietnamese civilians. women medical treatment. A citizen is the highest person in a web of laws and rules at the city, state and democracy. No government official, be it national levels. Laws are designed to governor or general, stands higher than the maintain an orderly process in our economy citizen. The citizen defines the character of and society. Some people appear to rely on our society which in turn is reflected in our the law as the sole criteria for ethical government institutions. Ethical citizenship citizenship. After World War II, many does not come easily. It is earned by people Germans justified their obedience to the whose conscience and character will not cruelty of the Nazi government by saying tolerate injustice or prejudice. they were simply “following orders.” Some of the soldiers encountered by Hugh The following describes six sources of Thompson at My Lai undertook acts they ethical citizenship. Given any single knew to be cruel because of the orders of Lt. situation, reliance on one source may William Calley. In contrast, some of the directly conflict with directives of another citizens in this book undertook heroic acts source. In addition, no citizen will utilize even though they may have been violating the sources in the same manner as another. the law.Oskar Schindler and Raoul Yet all the sources give people a foundation Wallenberg violated German law by upon which to base ethical citizenship. assisting Jewish prisoners to escape. Soheila Helaland Mir Faziullah violated One source of ethical citizenship is our laws Afghani law by helping women. Warrant andgovernment proclamations . Our OfficerHugh Thompson thought he might government has promulgated a complex be court martialed for the actions he took in saving the lives of Vietnamese women and extraordinary hero because of the directives from Taliban leaders who twisted children. compassion generated from working with his the teachings of the Islamic faith. The Jewish factory workers. religious approach is not relied upon by all A second source of ethical citizenship is heroes in this book. It does not appear the emphatic compassion. The compassionate A third source of ethical citizenship is motivations ofOskar Schindler , Pee Wee approach is expressed by the aphorism “put religion. This consideration should be Reese,or Raoul Wallenberg Gerry Bertier yourself in another person’s shoes.” The consistent with customs and values should be ascribed to this consideration. focus of this criterion is understanding the expressed in religious doctrine. Religion hurt inflicted upon the victim. Most children undoubtedly motivated Martin Niemoeller A fourth source of ethical citizenship is self- in elementary school have tremendous in his confrontation with Hitler and, enlightenment. Self-enlightenment is premised upon a utilitarian belief that empathy for others, and use the according to one study, may have been a people should pursue the course of action compassionate approach to relate to others. guiding force forHugh Thompson . Henry which creates the greatest good for the most It is not unusual for a young child to Whipple probably relied upon his religious people.

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