In a massive mural endorsing President Donald Trump the relatively small abbreviations “WP” and “STK” were included.
White Power. Shoot To Kill. Or, as some maintain, Save The Kids. Either way, both send ominous messages. The first, obviously, promotes extreme violence. The latter, is a conspiracy theory manufactured by the white supremacist movement QAnon purporting Democrats are running underground sex-trafficking and pedophilia rings.
The current cry for White Power is being promoted by those fearful of minorities usurping white authority. As if.
THAT THE MURAL was painted on the parking lot of Iola High School is, in a way, fortuitous.
We can hope it will serve as a history lesson that as a country we have a shameful past of 200-plus years of slavery and laws that ensured white supremacy.
Overcoming that shame is a long journey — for both sides — and requires much-needed dialogue.
The hate speech also presents itself as a lesson in psychology. We need to examine not only the fear it engenders in others but also the need for empathy by its perpetrators. What it’s like to be on both ends of hate. Intimidation hurts not only those targeted, but also those who practice it.
And for those who make light of those offended by the incident, “Get ahold of yourself. That’s not what they meant,” there’s a term for that: “gaslighting.”
WHILE WE’RE glad the mural was painted over in short order, it does not erase the fact that it happened.
It’s also a reminder that though the road to racial equality is fraught with setbacks and roadblocks, we must not lose sight of that goal.
— Susan Lynn
