Carin Bringelson
Issue Contents
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Poster
My 16 year old daughter has a lockermate
Who hangs a poster in their metal box.
A poster to keep their coats company.
A poster that
Questions
Challenges
Disturbs notions about
War.
A poster of (the top half)
Planes pooping bombs.
A poster of (the bottom half)
That famous photo of
A girl, naked, Vietnamese,
Running, crying, hysterical.
In between the two halves is
A pointed question
Statement:
"No connection. Gook."
It is a poster with a racial slur.
A poster in a locker of two white girls
Trying to figure out something called racism.
Two girls who do not know that four-letter word:
Gook.
Someone sees the anti-war poster with a
Racial slur.
Someone fears the poster will offend others in the
Racially charged school environment.
Someone removes the poster to avoid
Offense.
Someone removes it first,
Asks questions later.
Like the poster, the lockermate is
Questioned
Challenged
Disturbed
Hung.
She is expected to be the adult
The rational one
With answers.
She is accused of
Offending someone.
Ironically, she is the social activist committed to saving the world
Without
Offending
Anyone.
The poster is removed.
The lockermate is questioned.
There is no dialogue to teach and learn about
Racism or
War.
There is only a required apology
Explanation
Made by lockermate-articulate-social-activist
Over the loud speaker.
There is only shame
Embarrassment.
So in this alternative school that
Wants to teach about the very issues of
Racism and
War,
There is no dialogue.
No room for intellectual growth.
No freedom to explore powerful symbols and words.
No intellectual freedom.
Just metal boxes.
And lonely coats.
--Carin Bringelson, February 2005
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