In these troubling times, our school boards, who are running our publicly funded schools, need to include in board policy that hate speech is forbidden and hate speech includes the N word, “your body, my choice” words, and the Nazi salute.
Changes to the areas of the brain responsible for social processes can lead teens to focus more on peer relationships and social experiences. The emphasis on peer relationships, along with ongoing prefrontal cortex development, might lead teens to take more risks because the social benefits outweigh the possible consequences of a decision. These risks could be negative or dangerous, or they could be positive, such as talking to a new classmate or joining a new club or sport.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, said on All Things Considered, “how dangerous it is to speak of people in these broad categories … To be united as a country with so many riches of diversity, we need mercy. We need compassion. We need empathy.” … Budde said at a prayer service turning her gaze towards the president, “I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,”
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5270918/bishop-mariann-edgar-budde-trump-interview
Musk has a track record of using antisemitism to spread fear and division, including expressing support for Germany’s far-right party and promoting the “great replacement theory” — both of which the ADL has declared antisemitic. And he’s turned Twitter into X, the world’s largest mainstream platform where white supremacist ideology is promoted and its leaders are paid and verified.
The N-word, a racist and offensive slur, has been used throughout history to demean, humiliate and degrade Black people. Learning about its history, use and harm is critical—especially in schools today.
https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-10/the-n-word-its-history-use-and-impact.pdf
Sexist and abusive attacks on women, like “your body, my choice” and “get back to the kitchen,” have surged across social media since Donald Trump’s reelection, according to an analysis from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/business/your-body-my-choice-movement-election/index.html
Unite Us Do Not Divide Us 