The picture above is the Great Hall at Ellis Island in 1907. We were then and still are a nation of immigrants. The most recent census indicates that there are over 125 individual nations where we and our neighbors in New Hampshire have come from. We have many religious beliefs as well. We have people with different sexual orientation, family structures, homes, and income levels. This range of differences can make us strong and interesting. We can help each other to grow and learn.
The fact that we have many kinds of people here does not imply that all are treated equally and fairly. We have had instances of discrimination in housing, employment, and even everyday life (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3). We have seen our legislature trying to pass a law that would allow “conversion therapy” on minors.
May 28, 1963.
One of the places we are seeing this lack of equal treatment play out is in our schools. Some parents have been demanding that “critical race theory” and discussions of any non- heterosexual orientation not be permitted. They have demanded that books be removed from libraries and that teachers who discuss any of these issues be fired. In July 2021, New Hampshire’s legislature passed a line in the budget that prohibits teaching “divisive concepts” regarding race and gender, which Governor Sununu signed. There have been several lawsuits filed (ref 1, ref 2) by teachers’ unions and others in Federal court against these practices.
White supremacists beat a black youth with poles.
When adults are unwilling to recognize the basic humanity of us all, we all lose. When our students can’t learn the truth about our history or our present, we wind up with adults who are ignorant and prejudiced. We need to be clear that EVERYONE who lives here has the same rights and responsibilities, and that attacks on people who are different from us, whether those attacks are physical, verbal, or through limiting opportunities, are not acceptable.
