Did Writer Do Enough or Too Little for Teens?

Re: Sandy Banks’ column on May 28, “How Much Is It Costing Minority Kids to Stay in Line?” The prejudicial treatment by the Matterhorn attendant at Disneyland, as witnessed by Banks, is another form of racial profiling by someone in power. The Disneyland officials in charge of personnel training not only need to require that workers treat all visitors with equal respect, but reprimand or fire those who do not. Those who witness this kind of undeserved treatment of anyone should report it to the authorities.

--BYRNECE SCHREINER

Palos Verdes Estates

*

Yes, Sandy Banks gave the wrong guidance. Her column incensed me. She only earned one Brownie point for speaking up when a young white attendant of the ride singled out four clean-cut teenage boys who had been laughing in line, bothering no one, but happened to be minorities, and telling them to get out of line. I admit I wouldn’t have noticed no matter the race, much less cared unless they were old or handicapped.

She attested to the fact that the boys were innocent and obviously being profiled by the white attendant. Why did she encourage the boys to apologize, or as she said, “kowtow,” to keep the peace in the middle of this overt power play by the white usher? Banks, who is black and writes a column for an influential, powerful newspaper, showed submissive demeanor once she tried to be a mediator. The attendant, clearly a bully, was the only person she should have addressed, beginning simply by asking for his name, badge number and the name of his supervisor.

Since she chose to get involved, putting the intimidator in his place was the example she owed those four boys and her daughter. Her recommendation to the boys that they apologize encouraged submission, which she realizes now was a mistake. Did Banks ever report this incident to Disneyland authorities? If not, why not? She wrote a column that I read, but did Michael Eisner see it? I hope she achieved something positive by writing this column beside seeking a mea culpa for her mishandling. I made the effort to find Eisner’s corporate address and mailed the column to him in case he missed it.

--MICHELE M. YEPIZ

Lemon Grove

*

Gosh, I’m starting to feel guilty because I was born white!

--GEORGE MINARD

Solana Beach

*

While it was nice of Sandy Banks to defend the Latino and black kids who were pulled out of line at the Matterhorn, she didn’t say whether she took the next, necessary step: notify Disneyland’s personnel office that one of its employees had baselessly singled out and humiliated customers. If she did, what was Disney’s response? If she didn’t, why the heck not?

The only way to mitigate the potential for those four boys to become cynical about the value of good behavior at that moment was to see an adult immediately challenge the racism and power-madness displayed by that employee by reporting him to his superiors; having witnessed the incident, she had a responsibility to pursue justice. Or would that have cut into her day at the park?

--ELLEN JAFFE-GILL

Culver City

*

Re: “How Much Is It Costing Minority Kids to Stay in Line?” It costs them mightily, as Banks undoubtedly knows but her white suburban friend probably did not. Like me, this white mom carries an invisible “white knapsack,” a kind of permission slip that allows us and our white children to wonder through malls, movie theaters, amusement parks, etc. virtually unnoticed by most security personnel.

Of course, non-Anglo adults often get hassled for no reason too. Driving to the San Fernando Valley yesterday, I noticed a CHP officer pacing and eyeing an old, faded blue car for quite some time. Because there was nothing unusual about the car’s movements, I wondered if the dark complexion of the driver and passenger was what attracted the officer’s attention.

Once, my young adult daughter, an Oglala Lakota with distinctive Indian features and bronze skin tone, was stopped by a white CHP officer. Examining her valid driver’s license, he smirked, “Sarah Schwartz. You don’t look like a Sarah Schwartz.” My daughter responded, “And exactly what is a Sarah Schwartz supposed to look like?” I was proud of her snappy retort but sad that she had been demeaned by someone who is paid to serve the public . . . all the public.

--LYNN F. KESSLER

Sherman Oaks

*

I was extremely disappointed that Sandy Banks, after acknowledging that the three Latinos and one African American kid were doing nothing to incur the wrath of the amusement park attendant, felt that they should apologize, in essence, keep the peace. I suspect it made her more comfortable, being another African American in the line and in close proximity to the boys, to have them humble themselves by apologizing.

Well, Sandy, you did a great disservice to those boys. That is one of the reasons that minority men are so angry by the time they reach adulthood. They have experienced these demeaning situations over and over. Next time, Sandy, do the right thing and be an example of courage and truth.

--WILHELMINA JONES

Culver City

*

Banks’ description of a local amusement park employee on a “power trip” disciplining a group of four clean-cut boys was mildly interesting, but it showed more about her prejudices than it did the park employee’s.

She jumped to the conclusion that race was what triggered the incident. People can be jerks for reasons other than race, Ms. Banks.

--FRANK HOTCHKISS

Santa Barbara