it’s an ocean liner in its home port of
Hamburg Germany and this is the captain
and these are passengers getting on that
ship on May 13th
and here are those passengers a few
weeks later awaiting their fate there
are about 900 of them they are Jewish
refugees escaping the Nazi regime in
Germany they’re hoping to get to Cuba
and while in Cuba
they’ll await their turn to then find
refuge in the United States its 1939
Jews had already been through quite a
creased all night had happened about six
months earlier when their synagogues
were burned when they were openly
murdered when their cemeteries were
vandalized when their homes and
and when they were arrested in tens of
thousands of them were rounded up and
sent to the concentration camps that had
already been built throughout Germany
but in 1939 they did still stand a
chance to escape they were allowed out
of the concentration camps on the terms
that they get out of Germany and never
come back and this was all part of the
Nazis master propaganda plan because
they knew that other nations would be
unwilling to accept them and that they
would be able to exploit that by saying
see you don’t want them either and this
justifies our our anti-jewish goals and
policies
so many of the passengers on that ship
in the summer of 1939 had already been
in the concentration camps they had
already lost everything some of them had
already lost everyone so they were
fearful but they were hopeful that they
would have a chance to escape with their
life and so even though a Nazi flag flew
high above that ship they boarded and
they started to make their journey to
Cuba a few weeks later they get there
they had really gone through a lot in
order to get the resources to even get
themselves on the st. Louis they had
already been banned from most kinds of
employment in Germany they had lost
everything resources were scarce
the fees for the voyage were very
expensive they had to purchase very
expensive landing permits to allow them
some families had to pull together the
remaining resources they had and decide
to just put one family member on that
boat in hopes that just one could
survive
but unfortunately when they got to Cuba
the toxic mindset that had taken over
Germany had taken over many other places
of the world too
nine days before they set sail it turned
out that those expensive landing permits
that they had purchased had been
nullified by a decree that was recently
issued unbeknownst to them the people in
Cuba also bought into some pretty common
fears about foreigners it was propaganda
agents from the propaganda ministry
within Nazi Germany had actually spent
some time in Cuba stirring up such
feelings telling the Cubans that the
Jews were undesirable that they were
criminals fearful groups within Cuba
spread publications organized
demonstrations to spread the idea that
they were communists and that they were
just going to steal Cubans jobs so now
finding out that these landing permits
were no good when they arrived in Havana
on May 27th only 22 passengers were
allowed off of that ship because they
the rest were not allowed to get off
one man attempted to slit his wrists and
jump overboard in a suicide attempt
and so suicide patrols were set up on
the ship captain shooter was terrified
at what could ensue at these refugees
taking their own lives having come so
only now to be turned away so shrewder
is desperate he cannot take these people
back to Germany it is already well known
what their fate will be and so he sails
the ship around for a couple of days
while outside organisations are
furiously trying to get negotiations in
place to allow them into Cuba but they
are unsuccessful and so seeing the
lights shining from Miami just 90 miles
he decides that he’s going to take the
ship to America certainly America is
immigration laws at this time in America
were some of the most discriminatory in
our nation’s history they had been
passed in the 1920s they reflected the
national mood at the time a very few
amount of foreigners were allowed in and
they made the laws based on census
reports that would favor white Europeans
from the north in the West
anyone Asian had long been banned from
being legally allowed to immigrate into
the United States and even though these
laws were quite outdated by 1939 the
mindset of the people when they were put
in place reflected that national mood
again furiously they are trying to get
negotiations in place to let these folks
in
[Music]
and they were turned away FDR could have
issued an executive order but he knew
the anti-foreigner mood of the time he
would soon be seeking a third term as
president and he knew that this would be
political assassination for him
and so he did nothing instead a US Coast
Guard ship while an airplane flew
overhead followed them out to prevent
shooter from landing but shooter wasn’t
just any regular guy he was a
compassionate man he refused to take
that ship back to Germany where those
people would certainly die and so he
stalled going back to Europe there would
only be enough food and water for a few
more weeks
[Music]
and he had to head back there somebody
other than Germany had to take them so
outside groups are working to get these
negotiations in place and miraculously
they are able to do so
Great Britain agrees to take 288 France
224 Belgium 214 the Netherlands will
take 181 all but one of those 288 in
Great Britain survived world war two but
unfortunately has you know the Nazis did
invade Western Europe shortly after
their return and just under half of the
Jews that were on the st. Louis in 1939
ended up being murdered in concentration
and I’m reminded of this story today
because we know that after World War two
when millions had perished it left in
its wake
40 million that had been displaced that
were seeking refuge because everything
it was the worst refugee crisis that the
world had seen up until that time but as
I stand up here today we have surpassed
it we are now living in the worst
refugee crisis of all time there are 65
million people on our earth right now
that have been displaced
that like the passengers on the st.
and only stand the hope that we today
remember our history that we all share
that we remember the humanity that we
all share and that we learn from it
because like it or not we are all in
this together
we cannot separate ourselves from what
happened to the people on this ship in
1939 when we clearly have not corrected
the mistakes made in history
and we inherit those mistakes and it is
so where did we go wrong the quota
system that was in place in the 1920s
had no business being in place in a
world that was now being destroyed by
war but the American people didn’t favor
another system when asked in a fortune
poll if we should be letting these
Jewish refugees in the majority of
Americans said no because they bought
into the same fear that was elsewhere
that the Jewish people were criminals
that they would be a national security
threat and that they would take American
jobs
the ironic part about what we tell ourselves that these people are is that
ourselves that these people are is that it’s the very thing that they are
it’s the very thing that they are actually fleeing
these laws only became more strict as time went on in 1941 they enacted a part
time went on in 1941 they enacted a part of an old law that was still in place
of an old law that was still in place that said nobody could any longer come
that said nobody could any longer come from Germany that still had ancestors
from Germany that still had ancestors living in Germany they might be a Nazi
living in Germany they might be a Nazi they might be here to spy
and these are the people that are trying to escape the Nazis today we tell
to escape the Nazis today we tell ourselves that refugees are terrorists
ourselves that refugees are terrorists they are the ones escaping the
they are the ones escaping the terrorists
unbeknownst to a lot of Americans one of these people in 41 that got turned away
these people in 41 that got turned away was otto Frank who was desperately
was otto Frank who was desperately trying to get his daughters of Germany
trying to get his daughters of Germany in 2007 we discovered over 80 pages of
in 2007 we discovered over 80 pages of paperwork Corky was furiously trying to
paperwork Corky was furiously trying to apply for visas and otherwise to get
apply for visas and otherwise to get those girls out of there and Frank today
those girls out of there and Frank today would be in her late 70s but instead she
would be in her late 70s but instead she – like so many others that could not get
– like so many others that could not get out died as a teenager in a
out died as a teenager in a concentration camp not everybody was on
concentration camp not everybody was on the wrong side of history in 39 that
the wrong side of history in 39 that summer when the st. Louis passengers
summer when the st. Louis passengers awaited their fate both Democrats and
awaited their fate both Democrats and Republicans came together and sponsored
Republicans came together and sponsored in both houses bipartisan legislation
in both houses bipartisan legislation that would allow Jewish children to come
that would allow Jewish children to come in because it was well known and well
in because it was well known and well published what was happening to Jews in
published what was happening to Jews in Germany we knew
certainly Jewish children can’t compete for American jobs and certainly Jewish
for American jobs and certainly Jewish children aren’t Nazi spies so we could
children aren’t Nazi spies so we could let them in write the bill proposed that
let them in write the bill proposed that we let 10,000 of them in in 1939 another
we let 10,000 of them in in 1939 another 10,000 in 1940 and that bill died in
10,000 in 1940 and that bill died in committee and we can’t blame our
committee and we can’t blame our politicians because this reflected
politicians because this reflected what the American people believed
what the American people believed and 61% in a poll said no to the
and 61% in a poll said no to the children and this sounds terrible to us
children and this sounds terrible to us how could how could they have been so
how could how could they have been so inhumane how could they have done this
inhumane how could they have done this but what they’re doing is something
but what they’re doing is something that’s very easy to do in something that
that’s very easy to do in something that we’re doing today and that is that we
we’re doing today and that is that we are letting fear lie to us and we are
are letting fear lie to us and we are believing those lies
fearing Outsiders is something that we can’t entirely help is something that’s
can’t entirely help is something that’s built into our evolutionary biology to
built into our evolutionary biology to see foreigners as a threat because many
see foreigners as a threat because many thousands of years ago that could have
thousands of years ago that could have been the case you see a marauding army
been the case you see a marauding army off on the hillsides yes you want to go
off on the hillsides yes you want to go into fight or flight mode but that fear
into fight or flight mode but that fear does something to us that we need to be
does something to us that we need to be very conscious of number one we
very conscious of number one we exaggerate fear of outsiders when we
exaggerate fear of outsiders when we perceive there to be a threat and
perceive there to be a threat and because fear is an emotion and it’s not
because fear is an emotion and it’s not based on rationality we don’t make
based on rationality we don’t make rational choices and we tend to hear a
rational choices and we tend to hear a story of say a refugee being a terrorist
story of say a refugee being a terrorist and we allow that then to become
and we allow that then to become stickier in our minds than facts because
stickier in our minds than facts because the fact is that refugees are less
the fact is that refugees are less likely to commit crimes than Americans
likely to commit crimes than Americans but that’s not what we think and soon
but that’s not what we think and soon that fear leads to dehumanization
that fear leads to dehumanization researchers recently did a study where
researchers recently did a study where they asked white Americans to pool this
they asked white Americans to pool this dot over on the bar of to what extent
dot over on the bar of to what extent the following humans were human and
the following humans were human and although many very quickly were able to
although many very quickly were able to slide the bar all the way over because
slide the bar all the way over because we are all human and we are all the same
we are all human and we are all the same it probably won’t surprise you that many
it probably won’t surprise you that many Americans
did sit there and pull the bar differently depending on who they were
differently depending on who they were talking about and because when we hear
talking about and because when we hear these stories over and over and we are
these stories over and over and we are letting fear lie to us we are slowly
letting fear lie to us we are slowly dehumanizing the people that we are
dehumanizing the people that we are hearing these stories about and it
hearing these stories about and it probably won’t surprise you who we said
probably won’t surprise you who we said were less than human
it was the Arabs it was the Muslims it was the people
that we are hearing all the time that we should not help that we should be afraid
should not help that we should be afraid of
next thing you know we’re gonna have to answer to future generations why we find
answer to future generations why we find this to be acceptable we are gonna have
this to be acceptable we are gonna have to answer to this
and when future generations look at the primary sources of what we had available
primary sources of what we had available to us at this time
they’re gonna look at the evidence and they’re gonna say
another myth that we believe about refugees is that they want to leave
refugees is that they want to leave their countries they don’t
their countries they don’t we forget what they go through to get
we forget what they go through to get out we forget how badly they hope to
out we forget how badly they hope to return someday
they hop on the top of moving trains they hide in the back trucks
they get on dangerous little rafts and paddle themselves to safety
paddle themselves to safety what kind of war and persecution would
what kind of war and persecution would make somebody go to such great lengths
make somebody go to such great lengths to cross a border
and if we share our humanity and we share our history then we need to go
share our history then we need to go back further than 1939 and ask ourselves
back further than 1939 and ask ourselves to critically think about these borders
to critically think about these borders in the first place
governments around the world right now are spending billions and billions of
are spending billions and billions of dollars building walls and barbed wire
dollars building walls and barbed wire fences to protect these imaginary lines
fences to protect these imaginary lines on a map but not solving the actual
on a map but not solving the actual humanitarian crisis
that is one of the biggest problems of our time so we need to at least stop and
our time so we need to at least stop and ask and at least wonder at what point in
ask and at least wonder at what point in history did the lines that are currently
history did the lines that are currently on our world map and up there
on our world map and up there why what were the consequences of that
as any of the war and persecution that people are fleeing today is any of this
people are fleeing today is any of this related somehow to how these borders
related somehow to how these borders were drawn when they were drawn
if 97% of citizenship is inherited and if that citizenship means that you
and if that citizenship means that you could live or die
could live or die should we begin to question our
should we begin to question our conception of citizenship
our history is global our humanity is global
global we need to at least start asking these
we need to at least start asking these questions
I have a confession it is a little bit easier for me to stand up here today and
easier for me to stand up here today and remind you of the humanity of refugees
remind you of the humanity of refugees because I had the opportunity to work
because I had the opportunity to work with them before becoming a public
with them before becoming a public school teacher
school teacher and I consider myself quite privileged
and I consider myself quite privileged to have been able to make these
to have been able to make these friendships to be able
and it got me thinking a lot about what we expect from children what we teach
we expect from children what we teach children we know that children learn
children we know that children learn through modeling and we expect them at a
through modeling and we expect them at a very young age to be nice
and I just can’t help but wonder where we would be in our shared history where
we would be in our shared history where we would be in our shared humanity if we
we would be in our shared humanity if we simply practiced what we preached if we
simply practiced what we preached if we simply did what we are asking small
simply did what we are asking small children to do
Hamburg Germany and this is the captain
and these are passengers getting on that
ship on May 13th
and here are those passengers a few
weeks later awaiting their fate there
are about 900 of them they are Jewish
refugees escaping the Nazi regime in
Germany they’re hoping to get to Cuba
and while in Cuba
they’ll await their turn to then find
refuge in the United States its 1939
Jews had already been through quite a
creased all night had happened about six
months earlier when their synagogues
were burned when they were openly
murdered when their cemeteries were
vandalized when their homes and
and when they were arrested in tens of
thousands of them were rounded up and
sent to the concentration camps that had
already been built throughout Germany
but in 1939 they did still stand a
chance to escape they were allowed out
of the concentration camps on the terms
that they get out of Germany and never
come back and this was all part of the
Nazis master propaganda plan because
they knew that other nations would be
unwilling to accept them and that they
would be able to exploit that by saying
see you don’t want them either and this
justifies our our anti-jewish goals and
policies
so many of the passengers on that ship
in the summer of 1939 had already been
in the concentration camps they had
already lost everything some of them had
already lost everyone so they were
fearful but they were hopeful that they
would have a chance to escape with their
life and so even though a Nazi flag flew
high above that ship they boarded and
they started to make their journey to
Cuba a few weeks later they get there
they had really gone through a lot in
order to get the resources to even get
themselves on the st. Louis they had
already been banned from most kinds of
employment in Germany they had lost
everything resources were scarce
the fees for the voyage were very
expensive they had to purchase very
expensive landing permits to allow them
some families had to pull together the
remaining resources they had and decide
to just put one family member on that
boat in hopes that just one could
survive
but unfortunately when they got to Cuba
the toxic mindset that had taken over
Germany had taken over many other places
of the world too
nine days before they set sail it turned
out that those expensive landing permits
that they had purchased had been
nullified by a decree that was recently
issued unbeknownst to them the people in
Cuba also bought into some pretty common
fears about foreigners it was propaganda
agents from the propaganda ministry
within Nazi Germany had actually spent
some time in Cuba stirring up such
feelings telling the Cubans that the
Jews were undesirable that they were
criminals fearful groups within Cuba
spread publications organized
demonstrations to spread the idea that
they were communists and that they were
just going to steal Cubans jobs so now
finding out that these landing permits
were no good when they arrived in Havana
on May 27th only 22 passengers were
allowed off of that ship because they
the rest were not allowed to get off
one man attempted to slit his wrists and
jump overboard in a suicide attempt
and so suicide patrols were set up on
the ship captain shooter was terrified
at what could ensue at these refugees
taking their own lives having come so
only now to be turned away so shrewder
is desperate he cannot take these people
back to Germany it is already well known
what their fate will be and so he sails
the ship around for a couple of days
while outside organisations are
furiously trying to get negotiations in
place to allow them into Cuba but they
are unsuccessful and so seeing the
lights shining from Miami just 90 miles
he decides that he’s going to take the
ship to America certainly America is
immigration laws at this time in America
were some of the most discriminatory in
our nation’s history they had been
passed in the 1920s they reflected the
national mood at the time a very few
amount of foreigners were allowed in and
they made the laws based on census
reports that would favor white Europeans
from the north in the West
anyone Asian had long been banned from
being legally allowed to immigrate into
the United States and even though these
laws were quite outdated by 1939 the
mindset of the people when they were put
in place reflected that national mood
again furiously they are trying to get
negotiations in place to let these folks
in
[Music]
and they were turned away FDR could have
issued an executive order but he knew
the anti-foreigner mood of the time he
would soon be seeking a third term as
president and he knew that this would be
political assassination for him
and so he did nothing instead a US Coast
Guard ship while an airplane flew
overhead followed them out to prevent
shooter from landing but shooter wasn’t
just any regular guy he was a
compassionate man he refused to take
that ship back to Germany where those
people would certainly die and so he
stalled going back to Europe there would
only be enough food and water for a few
more weeks
[Music]
and he had to head back there somebody
other than Germany had to take them so
outside groups are working to get these
negotiations in place and miraculously
they are able to do so
Great Britain agrees to take 288 France
224 Belgium 214 the Netherlands will
take 181 all but one of those 288 in
Great Britain survived world war two but
unfortunately has you know the Nazis did
invade Western Europe shortly after
their return and just under half of the
Jews that were on the st. Louis in 1939
ended up being murdered in concentration
and I’m reminded of this story today
because we know that after World War two
when millions had perished it left in
its wake
40 million that had been displaced that
were seeking refuge because everything
it was the worst refugee crisis that the
world had seen up until that time but as
I stand up here today we have surpassed
it we are now living in the worst
refugee crisis of all time there are 65
million people on our earth right now
that have been displaced
that like the passengers on the st.
and only stand the hope that we today
remember our history that we all share
that we remember the humanity that we
all share and that we learn from it
because like it or not we are all in
this together
we cannot separate ourselves from what
happened to the people on this ship in
1939 when we clearly have not corrected
the mistakes made in history
and we inherit those mistakes and it is
so where did we go wrong the quota
system that was in place in the 1920s
had no business being in place in a
world that was now being destroyed by
war but the American people didn’t favor
another system when asked in a fortune
poll if we should be letting these
Jewish refugees in the majority of
Americans said no because they bought
into the same fear that was elsewhere
that the Jewish people were criminals
that they would be a national security
threat and that they would take American
jobs
the ironic part about what we tell ourselves that these people are is that
ourselves that these people are is that it’s the very thing that they are
it’s the very thing that they are actually fleeing
these laws only became more strict as time went on in 1941 they enacted a part
time went on in 1941 they enacted a part of an old law that was still in place
of an old law that was still in place that said nobody could any longer come
that said nobody could any longer come from Germany that still had ancestors
from Germany that still had ancestors living in Germany they might be a Nazi
living in Germany they might be a Nazi they might be here to spy
and these are the people that are trying to escape the Nazis today we tell
to escape the Nazis today we tell ourselves that refugees are terrorists
ourselves that refugees are terrorists they are the ones escaping the
they are the ones escaping the terrorists
unbeknownst to a lot of Americans one of these people in 41 that got turned away
these people in 41 that got turned away was otto Frank who was desperately
was otto Frank who was desperately trying to get his daughters of Germany
trying to get his daughters of Germany in 2007 we discovered over 80 pages of
in 2007 we discovered over 80 pages of paperwork Corky was furiously trying to
paperwork Corky was furiously trying to apply for visas and otherwise to get
apply for visas and otherwise to get those girls out of there and Frank today
those girls out of there and Frank today would be in her late 70s but instead she
would be in her late 70s but instead she – like so many others that could not get
– like so many others that could not get out died as a teenager in a
out died as a teenager in a concentration camp not everybody was on
concentration camp not everybody was on the wrong side of history in 39 that
the wrong side of history in 39 that summer when the st. Louis passengers
summer when the st. Louis passengers awaited their fate both Democrats and
awaited their fate both Democrats and Republicans came together and sponsored
Republicans came together and sponsored in both houses bipartisan legislation
in both houses bipartisan legislation that would allow Jewish children to come
that would allow Jewish children to come in because it was well known and well
in because it was well known and well published what was happening to Jews in
published what was happening to Jews in Germany we knew
certainly Jewish children can’t compete for American jobs and certainly Jewish
for American jobs and certainly Jewish children aren’t Nazi spies so we could
children aren’t Nazi spies so we could let them in write the bill proposed that
let them in write the bill proposed that we let 10,000 of them in in 1939 another
we let 10,000 of them in in 1939 another 10,000 in 1940 and that bill died in
10,000 in 1940 and that bill died in committee and we can’t blame our
committee and we can’t blame our politicians because this reflected
politicians because this reflected what the American people believed
what the American people believed and 61% in a poll said no to the
and 61% in a poll said no to the children and this sounds terrible to us
children and this sounds terrible to us how could how could they have been so
how could how could they have been so inhumane how could they have done this
inhumane how could they have done this but what they’re doing is something
but what they’re doing is something that’s very easy to do in something that
that’s very easy to do in something that we’re doing today and that is that we
we’re doing today and that is that we are letting fear lie to us and we are
are letting fear lie to us and we are believing those lies
fearing Outsiders is something that we can’t entirely help is something that’s
can’t entirely help is something that’s built into our evolutionary biology to
built into our evolutionary biology to see foreigners as a threat because many
see foreigners as a threat because many thousands of years ago that could have
thousands of years ago that could have been the case you see a marauding army
been the case you see a marauding army off on the hillsides yes you want to go
off on the hillsides yes you want to go into fight or flight mode but that fear
into fight or flight mode but that fear does something to us that we need to be
does something to us that we need to be very conscious of number one we
very conscious of number one we exaggerate fear of outsiders when we
exaggerate fear of outsiders when we perceive there to be a threat and
perceive there to be a threat and because fear is an emotion and it’s not
because fear is an emotion and it’s not based on rationality we don’t make
based on rationality we don’t make rational choices and we tend to hear a
rational choices and we tend to hear a story of say a refugee being a terrorist
story of say a refugee being a terrorist and we allow that then to become
and we allow that then to become stickier in our minds than facts because
stickier in our minds than facts because the fact is that refugees are less
the fact is that refugees are less likely to commit crimes than Americans
likely to commit crimes than Americans but that’s not what we think and soon
but that’s not what we think and soon that fear leads to dehumanization
that fear leads to dehumanization researchers recently did a study where
researchers recently did a study where they asked white Americans to pool this
they asked white Americans to pool this dot over on the bar of to what extent
dot over on the bar of to what extent the following humans were human and
the following humans were human and although many very quickly were able to
although many very quickly were able to slide the bar all the way over because
slide the bar all the way over because we are all human and we are all the same
we are all human and we are all the same it probably won’t surprise you that many
it probably won’t surprise you that many Americans
did sit there and pull the bar differently depending on who they were
differently depending on who they were talking about and because when we hear
talking about and because when we hear these stories over and over and we are
these stories over and over and we are letting fear lie to us we are slowly
letting fear lie to us we are slowly dehumanizing the people that we are
dehumanizing the people that we are hearing these stories about and it
hearing these stories about and it probably won’t surprise you who we said
probably won’t surprise you who we said were less than human
it was the Arabs it was the Muslims it was the people
that we are hearing all the time that we should not help that we should be afraid
should not help that we should be afraid of
next thing you know we’re gonna have to answer to future generations why we find
answer to future generations why we find this to be acceptable we are gonna have
this to be acceptable we are gonna have to answer to this
and when future generations look at the primary sources of what we had available
primary sources of what we had available to us at this time
they’re gonna look at the evidence and they’re gonna say
another myth that we believe about refugees is that they want to leave
refugees is that they want to leave their countries they don’t
their countries they don’t we forget what they go through to get
we forget what they go through to get out we forget how badly they hope to
out we forget how badly they hope to return someday
they hop on the top of moving trains they hide in the back trucks
they get on dangerous little rafts and paddle themselves to safety
paddle themselves to safety what kind of war and persecution would
what kind of war and persecution would make somebody go to such great lengths
make somebody go to such great lengths to cross a border
and if we share our humanity and we share our history then we need to go
share our history then we need to go back further than 1939 and ask ourselves
back further than 1939 and ask ourselves to critically think about these borders
to critically think about these borders in the first place
governments around the world right now are spending billions and billions of
are spending billions and billions of dollars building walls and barbed wire
dollars building walls and barbed wire fences to protect these imaginary lines
fences to protect these imaginary lines on a map but not solving the actual
on a map but not solving the actual humanitarian crisis
that is one of the biggest problems of our time so we need to at least stop and
our time so we need to at least stop and ask and at least wonder at what point in
ask and at least wonder at what point in history did the lines that are currently
history did the lines that are currently on our world map and up there
on our world map and up there why what were the consequences of that
as any of the war and persecution that people are fleeing today is any of this
people are fleeing today is any of this related somehow to how these borders
related somehow to how these borders were drawn when they were drawn
if 97% of citizenship is inherited and if that citizenship means that you
and if that citizenship means that you could live or die
could live or die should we begin to question our
should we begin to question our conception of citizenship
our history is global our humanity is global
global we need to at least start asking these
we need to at least start asking these questions
I have a confession it is a little bit easier for me to stand up here today and
easier for me to stand up here today and remind you of the humanity of refugees
remind you of the humanity of refugees because I had the opportunity to work
because I had the opportunity to work with them before becoming a public
with them before becoming a public school teacher
school teacher and I consider myself quite privileged
and I consider myself quite privileged to have been able to make these
to have been able to make these friendships to be able
and it got me thinking a lot about what we expect from children what we teach
we expect from children what we teach children we know that children learn
children we know that children learn through modeling and we expect them at a
through modeling and we expect them at a very young age to be nice
and I just can’t help but wonder where we would be in our shared history where
we would be in our shared history where we would be in our shared humanity if we
we would be in our shared humanity if we simply practiced what we preached if we
simply practiced what we preached if we simply did what we are asking small
simply did what we are asking small children to do
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