I'm used to hearing about incidents of inequality, racism, stereotyping and injustice nowhere near my state, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard that somebody held the sign reading, "BHS: Football Record Book -5 Convicts, -4 Fathers, -13 Super Seniors, -All Gang Members" at a high school football game in my town in Vermont. I'm not going to name the high school that held the sign because I'm not here to gossip. If you are that interested to learn about what high school is involved, that's what Google is for. I'm here to express my disappointment and disgust.
To the kids that held the sign, I have something to say to you that might be hard to hear, but must be said. No matter what your parents have told you or anybody else, you are not better than anyone on this planet. Yes, you may be going to one of the best schools in the state, but not everybody has the same privilege as you to pay to go to a private school. I'm not bashing private schools. I realize that they are what some students need to be successful, but the fact of the matter is, most students cannot afford to go to these institutions. You may think you are better because you go to a great high school or you have a lot of money, but at the end of the day, we are all the same. Money and status don't determine a person's worth.
I don't know if I have ever seen a meaner sign. The sign is stereotyping an entire football team by calling them criminals, fathers, stupid and gang members. For those that don't know the definition of a "super senior" it means that the student has been held back their senior year, so that they are repeating the grade. The hurtful sign demonstrates the different dynamics between public and private school, rich and poor, and the list goes on and on. What's important is that the students learn from this and action is taken. We cannot allow this behavior to continue or people will think that it is acceptable and that will lead to escalation.
Vermont is one of the whitest states in the entire country with little to no diversity outside of the city of Burlington. We claim to be an accepting state that welcomes everybody, but instances like this make me wonder how welcoming Vermont really is. I don't want to jump to conclusions and say that this sign has anything to do with race, but let's be honest, Burlington is the most diverse town in Vermont and the other school is predominantly white. You do the math.
To the people that are saying that this incident is being blown out of proportion, all I have to say is that there was a good chance that this sign was not made by one person. If one person has this viewpoint, than that's one person too many. They are saying hateful words that are characterizing an entire high school. These cruel words are against a football team of teenagers that have done nothing to this student holding the sign. These players will never forget the day that they were accused of being gang members simply because of the high school they went to.
I believe in karma. Maybe that's why the BHS football team won the football game.
