EDITORIAL
All's not fine at Columbine
As Columbine High School in Colorado reopened Aug. 16, the
capitalist news media worked hard to remove ideology and
politics from the event. The rampage last April 20 was an
aberration, they claimed, based on the irrational behavior of a
few youths. Even if it did take place on Hitler's birthday.
Purposely. And even if at least one of the murders had an
openly racist motivation.
Like past assassinations and present rampages by neo-Nazis,
the Columbine killings--say the ruling-class media--have no
basic connection to the nuts and bolts of U.S. capitalism. As
for racism, well that's just a secondary question, they
insist.
If that's the case, then how do they explain the four
swastikas that Tammy Theus, the mother of one of just 15
African American students at Columbine, found Aug. 16--one
outside the school and three in its bathrooms. (Denver Post,
Aug. 17.) That the hostile graffiti of choice should be not a
bomb or a weapon but a Nazi symbol is an indication not all is
as well as the spin would have us believe.
And they'll have to explain more than just symbols. There's
the story of the Shoels family.
Isaiah Shoels is the African American high-school senior
who, according to a fellow student, was singled out to be
killed last April because he was Black. His father, Michael
Shoels, rather than mourning silently, spoke to the national
media about racism. He found that this was a serious problem in
Littleton, Colo., and said so aloud.
Before he knew it, Shoels was getting threats by letter and
telephone, and was insulted in the streets with racist
epithets.
Finally, Shoels moved his children out of town for their
safety. They're not returning to Columbine HS.
It may be difficult to explain why a succession of
individuals have carried out racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay
lynchings this year. But it's clear that the acts have been
motivated by a reactionary ideology that is not only tolerated
but is nurtured by the system.
Whether tightened security and changed school rules will
avoid new explosions is yet to be seen. But they certainly will
do nothing to root out the racism that has already driven one
Black family out of Littleton. And that's a crime the media are
paying little attention to.
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME :: U.S. NEWS :: WORLD NEWS :: EDITORIALS :: SUBSCRIBE :: DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page