By CARA CHITTIM

Peter Johansen High School, Modesto

"I have a dream that one day my children will be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin."

Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is over 30 years old and has yet to be completely realized. Many people still don’t believe we are all equal. In my dreams, humans are all one race and colors are just different shades of the rainbow that is mankind. With the dawn of a new millennium upon us, my three dreams for peace would be equality among the nations, peace among countries and the realization of Dr. King’s dream when we will judge others by their character and not their color,

My third dream is one that I can help attain. I believe that ignorance leads to fear and fear can turn into racism. If our community can work on ways to better understand that which we do not understand, we may begin building the bridge of tolerance. These beliefs in inequality develop as we age. Kids who play together in the first grade, may not even consider speaking to each other in the I0th grade, just because they are of a different group. Why?

Students are the ones who can make the change. We are mature enough to understand that it is a solvable problem and may be one that we create ourselves. We try so hard to fit in and be "popular’ that we group together with others like ourselves; through clothing choices, religious beliefs or ethnic backgrounds. After we find a group to call our own, we tend to believe we are superior to the others by ignoring or belittling other groups. This self-segregation could be changed with just a little bit of understanding.

With the new millennium, it is time to open the minds of America’s youth, break down ethnic barriers and eliminate stereotypes. With the closing of the 20th century, we should also see a closing of religious, racial and sexual hate.

This problem could be helped by continuing programs throughout communities across America that celebrate our country’s diversity and ethnic backgrounds. This would be something I would love to see in my own community. I have noticed that at Johansen students of different ethnic backgrounds and religions easily mix together. This is a strong foundation for a building of understanding among us. I hope to see this continue and a few ideas I have may help.

I think beginning a "racial tolerance" class that would be required for graduation would be a wonderful way for students to learn and interact with other students not of their background. If teenagers of different cultures are given the chance to talk and interact, they will get to learn and appreciate the way other cultures live. By doing this, the ignorance and fear of their differences will be reduced. I believe that ignorance and the fear it breeds, is the main reason for much of the racism that goes on in the world. When you are exposed to a different way of thinking or living, it allows you the education necessary to make up your own mind about a person-, not just by labeling them through their associations. If I learn about a culture through actual experience, I will better understand it.

This year I went to my first Bat Mitzvah. I knew nothing about the Jewish religion or the reason for their different holiday celebrations and religious ceremonies. I found my new learning fascinating and it opened my mind to another way of believing and showing ones faith. This opportunity enabled me to view an entire culture that I had never experienced before. Understanding and learning can only lead to tolerance.

At Johansen, we can continue to build understanding through show casing different groups, ethnic backgrounds and views. I think Johansen should have a "Teen Tolerance" club where students can get together to celebrate their differences and let others understand them. It will make students proud of their background and lets others begin to unravel the mystery that leads to prejudice.

There are many communities across America working to encourage participation of people from different racial backgrounds and to ensure opportunities for all Americans. One program called, "Promising Practices" is President Clinton’s initiative on race and it highlights efforts designed to improve race relations and build, "One America."

A Northridge, California program (Institute for the Study of World Peace) engages middle school students in a year long study of peace and teaches an understanding of diversity.

Another program striving to meet a common ground for peace is the "Youth Together Project’ out of the Bay Area. This program was created in 1996 in response to the rising racial conflicts in the area. The purpose of this program is to prevent youth violence and foster racial justice in schools.1

The incident at Columbine High School in Colorado makes one wonder if a program like these may have prevented a tragedy. Even though, this situation did not involve race against race, it evolved through a climate of misunderstandings and prejudices of different groups of kids.

There are hundreds of organizations across the nation striving to find peace. I think the best way to make progress is by starting organizations and clubs in schools.

My goal for myself is to become more racially aware and to interact as much as possible with people of differing ethnic backgrounds. I hope to attend cultural activities in our area and try to involve myself in community actions to better understand others. I hope to continue to interact as much as I can with people of other backgrounds and to learn as much as possible about the way other cultures live.

With the dawning of the new millennium, we should consider this as a chance at a time for a new understanding, a time when Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream can finally become reality. All people can get along and live in harmony.

1 Promising Practices, The President’s Initiative on Race

Participants in the junior high division of th Peace Essay Contest 2000 were instructed to describe three dreams they have fore the future that would make the r.world a better place. The explain how the author might make one of these dreams come true. (250-500 words)

JESSICA N. FREY-DUPREE

Teel Middle School, Empire

Our world is better today than one hundred years ago because of dreamers. Dreamers are people who have a dream and make it come true to help the world to be a better place. I am a dreamer. I want to help people in need! This world can be a great place if we all work together to make our greatest dreams come true.

I have many dreams. One of them is to stop drug and alcohol abuse. The second is to clean the world so it is pollution free, and the last is to help poor or low income families to get the proper health care for children and adults. This last dream is the one I want to help fulfill.

I have a personal reason for wanting this dream to come true. My stepsister had tonsillitis and she couldn’t go to the doctor because it cost so much and we didn’t have insurance, so we couldn’t afford it. She would moan in so much pain my dad and stepmom finally took her to the doctor. She had to get expensive medication, and it put our family in debt. This was a rough time in my life and I don’t think anyone else should have to go through it. It’s not just my family that does not have health insurance. There are many Californians who do not have health insurance today. Most of these people are hardworking people who are not poor enough to get Medicaid, but don’t have enough money to afford insurance.

To make this dream of Universal health care come true, I would first of all get a good education and go to medical school. I will open a clinic with donations and volunteers to help. To make a dream come true, you have to be open minded and willing to accept other people’s ideas to help. Determination is the key to making your dream come true. I will also write letters to politicians for help.

There are many families that need help: Because the uninsured are less likely to see a doctor when ill, have their children immunized, receive prenatal care, or seek preventive care such as blood pressure screening, the social costs of resulting deaths and disabilities are high. For example the District of Columbia, with twenty percent of it’s population uninsured, has significantly higher death rates and disease incidence than the national average. (In Search of a Solution: The American Health Care Crisis, Leonard, Frances; Jones, Mary G.)

With this in mind I will work hard to make my dream come true. I feel health care for all should be a right and not a Privilege!

By MATT SLENTZ

I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness. Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and killed by high school and college graduates. So I’m suspicious of education . My request is: help your students to be human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, or educated Eichmanns. Reading and writing and spelling and history and arithmetic are only important if they serve to make our students human.

— Anonymous

So how can schools make students more human? Every day children are learning the talent of discrimination. Moreover, while some are quick to point a finger at the media or a parent, very few are willing to do something to correct it.

In recognizing something must be done, several Modesto City Schools have begun the Day of Respect. It is a day where different people throughout the community can come and speak to students about intolerance they have experienced.

It was started last year at Modesto High by teacher Sharon Froba. She wrote in an article called "Teaching the Intolerant" that, "In these turbulent times in our world and in our schools, the three R’s aren’t enough. Modesto City Schools fourth R, responsibility, is not enough. In fact, they are dangerous without a fifth R, respect."

With this in mind, last year Modesto High held the First Annual Day of Respect. It is a day when members of the community can speak to students. Through tales of discrimination and intolerance, Modesto hoped to inspire its students.

This year the event was taken up at Beyer High, and several dozen adults came to talk to students. They were of varied age, religion, ethnic background and social standing. Indeed, the only thing that seemed to unite them was the universal belief in equality. Each speaker tried to prove that in as much as we are different, we are also the same.

"Do any of you hate to go to the dentist?" said Miriam. "Scared of public speaking? Have siblings? Cousins? Parents? Anyone brush their teeth? Been in love? How many of you thought you’d have so much in common with a lesbian?"

And with each new speaker the students increasingly recognized the similarities. In fact by the end of the day many prejudices had faded from students minds.

Miriam went on to talk about how each of us makes split second decisions based on stereotypes, and she was very right. Everyday I find myself unconsciously grouping my classmates into social categories, based simply on an outfit or a hair cut. Even worse are the universal stereotypes that our media portrays. Not all homosexuals wear drag and Native Americans do not carry tomahawks and beat drums.

However, the Day of Respect is changing the opinions of the students. Every person I interviewed had an extreme reverence for these people and what they had gone through. Guys who had been making "fag" jokes just hours earlier now felt terrible. Girls who had been ridiculing each other in the hallway now apologized.

At least for one moment on March 1, everyone cared. The overall effect was to increase the one thing our society needs most: understanding.

After all, isn’t that what respect is all about?

Celebrate the Children of Resistance

On Saturday, April 29th, 2000, at 7:30 p.m., in Berkeley, CA, the Rosenberg Fund for Children, the Middle East Children’s Alliance, and Vanguard Public Foundation will co-produce a major cultural program entitled, "Celebrate the Children of Resistance".

The performance will feature: Danny Glover, Ani DiFranco, Ed Asner, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s son Mazi Jamal, Janice Mirikitani, Judi Bari’s daughter Lisa Bari, Martín Espada, Oakland Youth Chorus, Holly Near, Melanie Demore and Robert & Michael Meeropol, Ethel & Julius Rosenberg’s sons.

This event at the Berkeley Community Theater will feature dramatic reading, poetry, and song with readings from the Rosenbergs’ prison correspondence and correspondence from the families of the RFC’s beneficiaries. The professionally produced program is pro-family, pro-child, pro-activist, anti-capital punishment, and anti-mass imprisonment.

Tickets: Reserved orchestra tickets $23. Upper balcony tickets (open seating) $10, available at local outlets. A block of the best balcony seats are reserved for young activists and will be sold at deeply discounted prices. $50 Patron tickets include post-event reception. For information, call the MECA office at (510) 548-0542, or email: meca@peacenet.org

Rosenberg Fund for Children, 1145 Main Street, Suite 408, Springfield, MA 01103; ph: 413-739-9020; Fax: 413-750-5998; email: rfc@rfc.org

— Submitted by Shelly Scribner

Last of the big time spenders: U.S. military budget still the world’s largest, and growing.

The United States and its close allies spend more than the rest of the world combined, accounting for 63 per cent of all military spending.

Global military spending has declined from $1.2 trillion in 1985 to $785 billion in 1998. Meanwhile, the U.S. share of total military spending rose from 30 per cent to 36 per cent in fiscal year 1998.

-- Submitted by Phyllis Harvey.

Sign the treaty to ban landmines

Every year, 26,000 people around the world are either maimed or killed by landmines. Decades after wars end, these deadly indiscriminate weapons lie buried, waiting for innocent civilians, children at play or U.S. peacekeeping troops on patrol. More than 130 nations have already signed a comprehensive treaty banning the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of antipersonnel landmines. President Clinton should do the right thing and sign the treaty before he completes his term in office.

ACTION: Call President Clinton at 202-456-1111 and urge him to sign the Treaty to Ban Landmines before leaving office.

--Submitted by PhyllisHarvey.