It's the first day of NaNoWriMo, I have a book coming out this month, Thanksgiving, surgery three days after--it's not like I really have time to write anything extra, but there's this thing I need to talk about; it's just so upsetting.
This morning, while talking with my son before school, I became a little unhinged. His Spanish class project for Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day) was to create an altar in honor of someone who has passed. Most of the students turned in altars in honor of their dead relatives or a celebrity. My son and his friend made a nice little altar for Steve Jobs--it had a picture of the dynamic Apple founder, candles, flowers, and an actual apple.
So what upset me? A kid from another class created one for Hitler. It had this despicable excuse for a human being's picture, a bunch of swastikas, and a bread and water offering.
What kind of kid would do such a thing? These are 15 to 16 year olds--old enough to know better.
What kind of parents/guardians does this kid have to let that go out of the house?
Why did the teacher allow it to be displayed?
Yeah, I know. It's a free country. But doesn't this waaaaay cross the line? Is an altar depicting an individual who symbolizes hatred and genocide acceptable?
I stewed about the situation for a couple of hours and ended up calling the principal, letting him know this thing existed.
Why did I call? Was it one stupid kid's misguided attempt at humor? Or is he really some neo-Nazi trying to honor his hero?
I can't wrap my mind around this.
Time for a history lesson maybe and a trip to the Museum of Tolerance. Time for something. Words fail me.
Crap.