In response to “Students must learn to respect all cultures in every situation” Pg. 6 of the February Harbinger

I would like to start by saying the chant “mow my lawn” said by Algonquin students was uncalled for and offensive. I was in the Algonquin fan section during the game against Marlborough and was embarrassed when the chant broke out. This being said, I take issue with the title of the piece, the graphic, and some of the points made.

First of all, the graphic depicts a basketball player facing a crowd with speech bubbles that include a lawnmower, a marijuana leaf, and a man in prison. No chants or yells included drug or prison references so the addition of the marijuana leaf and man in prison are unnecessary and a potential cause for confusion. The graphic would be stronger if the lawnmower stood alone, or the faces of the crowd were made to look menacing. The additions, however, could lead a reader to think the situation was worse than it was.

The title of the article is ridiculous. I’m sure there were nothing but good intentions, but no one can respect all cultures ever. A high school student simply can’t respect surfer culture, hazing culture, Westboro Baptist Church culture, drug culture, and YMCA culture all at once. Respecting all cultures at all times is simply a bad idea. Certain cultures are barbaric, place people in serious danger, and ought to be discouraged.

Lastly, I think the word ‘hateful’ in the last paragraph is too strong a word. Perhaps I have too much faith in my peers but I do not believe many, if any, hate Native Americans or Hispanics. Surely not enough people to get a loud chant going.

Jay Norcross, Class of 2018