I saw them across the playground, taunting, jeering, throwing rocks at a little girl wearing a blue dress. The names they called her were ugly, dirty, filthy. The words spewed from their mouth like venom, poisoning the air.
I stood frozen in disbelief, in fear, in shock.
I saw a rock hit her. Hard stone met soft brown skin. My frozen limbs jerked in reaction. I raced across the playground, feeling as though I was running through quicksand. My eyes fixed on the little girl.
Why wasn't anyone stopping this?
She didn't cry. She stared at her attackers and glared under her dark brows. I knew that glare. Bending down, she picked up a rock of her own and threw it with all the strength in her five-year-old arms.
She wasn't a victim. She was a warrior. Proud and stubborn.
I moved my legs faster. Faster than I've ever run. Faster than the wind. Faster than the speed of a rock thrown in ignorance and bigotry. My legs pumped. My lungs hurt. Fear burned like acid in deep in my stomach.
My eyes never left the little girl.
Reaching her, I threw my body in front of hers, facing her attackers. Panting, I pulled myself up to my eight-year-old height and yelled at her attackers, "Leave her alone!" My voice surged from deep within me, the drawl more pronounced than usual.
The little girl moved me aside and threw another rock. Reaching down, I filled both hands with rocks and small bits of gravel throwing them as if they were snowballs.
But snowballs don't cut when they hit.
I threw the rocks until the bell signaled the end of recess. I battled next to the little girl, protecting her, fighting with her.
As the horde of bullying students disappeared into classrooms, the little girl turned to look at me. Away from battle, I could see the confusion in her chocolate brown eyes, the tears that she fought to hold back. I reached to brush the dirt from her face and dress.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly.
She nodded her head. "Mandy? What was that word they were calling me?"
I stared after the retreating backs of our classmates. "I don't know, Missa. We'll have to ask Mom."
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This weekend, in an act so disgusting to me that my hands are shaking while writing this, someone stole an eleven foot cross, planted it deep in the ground outside a teenage girl's window and set it on fire.
This happened in my county, a short drive from my home. It happened in a trendy little town known for it's Strawberry Festivals and beautiful performing arts center.
This heinous crime happened in the year 2011.
My heart aches. My mind refuses to accept.
And, deep inside, the little girl trembles in fury.
57 comments:
You have a sister roar too. Good for you.
Powerful imagery, powerful post. Not trdc, so I won't crit. :-)
This hits me. You know where.
I can't stand bullying and bigotry, and I'm so glad you stood up for her.
Where were the teachers when this was happening???
The cross thing, so very, very wrong.
Oh Mandy...my hands are shaking writing this comment. I am so ashamed of us as human beings for allowing the hate to go on, to fester.
I truly want to be better.
To do better for all the little sisters/brothers/ friends/strangers in our lives.
I am so glad that you stood up for her.
I am so sorry that hate exists.
There is not much we can do to take the hate out of other people's hearts, but we can educate ourselves our children, and our circle of influence with love and acceptance.
Thank you for doing that then, and for doing it now.
Beautiful Mandy. "Cause I don't see color." was something you told me a long time ago, and as a mother I have never been more proud of anyone, as I was, when I heard you say that.
Amazing the thing that we as humans have advanced in, yet when it comes to the simple task of taking care of another life; we fail.
Thank you for standing up and for continuing to throw the rocks to defend. Great post!
That's so horrifying. Yet there are still people like you out there, so I have faith that girl will be okay.
It's so disturbing to me that this sort of thing still happens. What goes through someones mind as they do something like that? An 11 foot cross? It's not like that's an "in the moment" action that they didn't think through. I do hope they were caught and punished and feel fully ashamed of what they did.
First, wow.
Second. How do people continue this revolting behavior?
I cannot believe this still happens in 2011. It fills me with anger and so much pity for those that are still so lost in ignorance. What does anyone gain through racism? Nothing. That's what.
Good for your little 8 year old self for knowing what's wrong and FIGHTING to stand up for it.
Like Kelly, I want to cry out for the teachers, for the voice of sanity and decency who should have prevented such a thing.
And as for what happened in your community?
Rage doesn't serve a purpose, so I won't let that rule the moment, but god? Why can't people see beyond surface divides?
So glad the little girl had you to help her! And I am so sorry that either of these events had to take place.
I wish I knew where the teachers were. We were so far in the deep south, I'm not certain they didn't just turn a blind eye. I hope that wasn't the case. Needless to say, we moved back to Washington a couple months later.
The sad part is that I thought we WERE doing better. Just goes to show, the hate is still simmering.
Of course I stood up for her. She's my little sister.
I'm so grateful that my mom was a peace loving hippie. And I'm so glad she married a man who taught his girls to fight.
You raised us well, Mom.
Thank you. There was no way I was going to let people throw rocks at my little sister.
And, a few years later, she returned the favor, hitting an older boy with a six pack of soda when he tried to bully me.
From the letters to the papers and the people showing up at meetings, there seems to be more like us than not.
Thank God.
They actually stole the cross two weeks earlier. Premeditated, planned and so wrong.
Ignorance. It's the only thing I can think.
It's so mind boggling to me. And my eight-year-old self would never let someone get away with throwing rocks at my little sister. My 35-year-old self wouldn't either. :)
I don't know where they could have been. A group of kids throwing rocks at a little girl? Where was the monitor?
I always have my sisters' backs. I just don't usually have to get hit by rocks while doing so. :)
I agree. Except I did have a few choice words. I cleaned them up to keep this blog rated safe for work. :P
This was a brave story to tell. And thank you for telling it.
I am sorry to hear about the stolen cross. Unnecessary.
Oh Mandy. What an amazing set of parents to raise such a strong and admirable daughter.
I am so sorry that you have these stories to tell. And I can only pray that people can learn from this ugliness.
Thank you for telling this story, it's powerful.
What a heartbreaking story.
I wish with everything inside of me that you didn't have it to tell.
I wish that in 2011 there was no more hate.
That people were learning.
Thank you for writing this.
Wow, Mandy. I can't believe that. Not only is this beautiful writing, but it shows us all how strong and wiling you are to stand up for what you believe. I'll be thinking about this for a while now.
Wow, that's a riveting story. I felt like I was right there with you. God bless you for standing up for your sister.
It's a shame that some people are still blinded by their ignorance and bigotry, even today.
There is so much hatred in this world. And this story is painful indeed. But you know what the silver lining is in this story and for that matter for the world that there are good people. People like you who react towards hatred and injustice... the world lives on this.
What an awful story, but it would have been much worse if you were not there. And what happened in your community? Ignorance at its very worst. How awful. Unbelievable that these things still happen.
I am so glad you were there to help your sister. It's crazy and stupid that this happens, period.
Blatant bigotry and ignorance like this make me want to weep for the world I'm raising my kids in.
Reading your take, and your story? Help give me hope for it.
This was powerful and ugly (as it should be). I'm horrified that someone would do something like then then OR now.
This is ugly. Just pure ugly. Thank you for writing it. giving it voice. Using your space to get people talking, thinking, changing.
But those situations? Still heart breaking-ly ugly.
Bravo to that 8 year old!
And then, in 2011.
After so many years, why does this still happen? What is wrong with people?
Just reading this makes me angry, sad, and just frustrated!
What a heartbreaking story. Hard to understand the cruelty of some people.
Wow. What a post, and what a writer! I will definitely be reading more of your blog.
That disgusts me that in this day and age that this vile stuff still goes on. My heart hurts hearing that people are judged and treated because of their colour or religion or whatever. We are all people. We are all the same.
Thank you. It WAS unnecessary.
The good thing that came from it is the outrage in the community. Shows that more often than not, people won't tolerate this sort of behavior.
Thank you.
The only thing that makes me feel better is the sense of outrage and disbelief from the community. Makes me think that perhaps we have learned.
Thank you, but I have a feeling anyone I know would do the same - especially if it were their sibling.
Thank you. I really, really hope that by the time my kids are my age, this ignorance and bigotry will be a thing of the past.
And thank God the vast majority of people in my community have responded with outrage and disbelief. It shows that hatred and injustice are the minority.
And in California! On the coast! I think that's what worries me the most. If it can happen here...
I hope, I really hope, that this sort of thing is as rare as I always thought.
I made my husband rewind the news. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I thought for sure that I'd misunderstood.
My sentiments exactly.
It's as confusing to me as it is ugly. I just can't comprehend this sort of behavior.
I don't understand how this can still be happening. I've read that it's very rare in this day and age, but why does it happen at all?
I can't wrap my head around what would make a person do something like that.
Thank you so much for reading - and commenting!
I just don't get why everyone doesn't understand that. To me, it's as confusing as understanding why a serial killer kills. I just don't get it.
Seriously? Wow. Just...wow.
You're right. It's sickening. No matter what the year.
I'm just boggled that it happened so close to home.
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