We sometimes have a tendency in Park City to believe we are immune from many of the world’s problems, that the only issues we face are related in some way to the success of our tourism industry: development, traffic congestion, crowded ski slopes.
But there are moments every so often that shake us from that delusion, such as in 2016 when the overdose deaths of two 13-year-olds dragged out into the open the dangerous drug culture in our town that had long bubbled under the surface.
And now, we find ourselves in another such moment after it was publicized that a swastika and the N-word were drawn on a desk inside the classroom of a Jewish teacher at Park City High School. The notion of such messages of hate appearing at a local school — and of a student or students finding them worthy of spreading — is abhorrent. Worse, it is just one of dozens of similar incidents the teacher says he’s aware of at PCHS, Treasure Mountain Junior High and Ecker Hill Middle School.
This is not the first time a public display of hate has drawn attention in Park City, but it’s a fresh reminder that our community, despite being welcoming in many ways, is no more immune to racism and anti-Semitism than anywhere else.
The thing that can separate us from other places, though, is how we respond. Rather than let the messages of hate further divide us, we must use the situation to come together and demonstrate a renewed commitment to treating one another as equals, and to setting a loving example for the children who are learning from our behaviors.
While the vast majority of Parkites agree that hate can’t be tolerated, confronting it requires more than simply denouncing the messages and offering platitudes about how to move forward.
It is incumbent upon our leaders — in this case School District officials — to take concrete action beyond punishing, and hopefully enlightening, the perpetrators. They should heed the calls from many members of the community, including Temple Har Shalom Rabbi David Levinsky, to dig deep and address the root of the problem. A district-wide effort to better educate students about anti-Semitism and racism is essential. Placing a greater emphasis on continually celebrating the many cultures found among the district’s student body would be another worthy initiative.
What we can’t do is nothing. School officials have tremendous power to make a positive difference that can ripple through the community — but they must be willing to wield it.
At the same time, the community members pushing for action should do so respectfully, if forcefully. We shouldn’t accept anything less from the district administration and Board of Education than a commitment to using the current situation as a catalyst for change. But we should meet them with the kind of grace and compassion that defines our community at its best rather than with vitriol and threats.
Every upstanding Parkite is dismayed by the racism and anti-Semitism that have appeared in our schools. It’s clear that inaction is not a viable option. But let’s respond with a clear purpose and as a unified community.
How we address this crisis matters. After all, our children are watching.