To the editor:

There have been hundreds of reports around the country of hate graffiti, hate mail, bomb threats, violence and racially motivated acts of violence. These are unprecedented times where xenophobia and racism are becoming normalized. Many of us have become numb to the news reports and many of us from minority groups live in fear for our safety and the safety of our loved ones. 

For our children, processing what they hear can be confusing and scary. One of my sons asked me after the election if we would get deported since we are Hispanic. He was genuinely scared. We regularly talk about race and immigration issues at home but try to allay their fears and help them feel safe. 

Not long ago my fourth grade son came home and nervously told me that he and other kids saw "KKK" written on a wall in the boys bathroom at school. Seeing hate graffiti in their own school, their sanctuary where all children are supposed to feel welcome and safe was very upsetting to him and other kids and parents who learned of this. 

It is likely the child who wrote this did not have a full grasp of the power in those three letters. It is our role as parents to talk to our children and remind them the lessons of our racial history. It has been a long journey in America towards tolerance and we must not lose the hard won ground of those that suffered before us. We owe this to them and to our children. 

Sincerely, 

Carla Martin

Barrington