Racial Strife, Gangs Feed One Another

* The Sunday issue of Oct. 24 carried two separate but related articles; one covered the rise in racial and ethnic tension in Orange County and the other pointed out the frustrations in addressing gang problems.

There is a connection here. Racial intolerance and gang behavior are increasing as one feeds the other.

Several Orange County schools are dealing successfully with the very real problems of gangs, racial unrest and student violence. We are finding that the solution is threefold:

1. All of us must support legislators who are working on laws to suppress violent, antisocial behavior by our youth. Stiff penalties for lawlessness must be on the books, in use and enforced.

2. Parents need to raise their voices and speak out against violence. They must join the schools in teaching peaceful solutions to problems. Real solutions begin with teaching respect for human life and feelings. Action Coalition leader Karen Lott can’t stop violence by herself. We must support her movement to stop senseless violence by joining in the green ribbon campaign and proclaiming our rejection of violence.

3. Finally, we will not make progress in reducing violence until we recognize that the source of the trouble is generated by mistrust and misunderstanding of each other. The schools and the families that they serve must teach tolerance and acceptance. Ethnic diversity is an asset, not a liability.

On the surface this may seem simplistic; teaching tolerance seems so easy. In fact, it reaches into all of us because it is natural to fear the unknown and those who are not like us.

Our high school could experience trouble at any time; our administrators and staff know that. We also know that our students are our greatest strength and our hope. We can teach them and they can learn. It is a joint effort, one we struggle with daily. The results are justified.

JIM STAUNTON

Huntington Beach

Jim Staunton is principal of Huntington Beach High School.