Stop Hate Speech Now

I thought I had put it behind me.  But Rush Limbaugh's public imitation of President Hu Jintao brought back memories many years ago.

I was in Toronto, Canada visiting my parents who had just moved there from Hong Kong.

One morning, I went out for a walk from their house.  As I was strolling along, suddenly I heard voices coming from behind--it was a sing-song vocal imitation by a couple of kids who were making the sound to mock the way that Chinese spoke.  I turned around and got really angry at the kids and yelled at them with some angry choice words. I've since regretted the language I used--though the kids clearly got the message that I could speak English and in fact was quite adept and fluent in four letter words. They were so shocked because it was unusual for Chinese immigrants to speak back to them.

"That should teach them a lesson not to mess with the Chinese people," I thought satisfactorily.

Years later now, I came to regret how I behaved. I was an adult and ought to have found a more assertive, humane way to react to the mocking by the kids. A MLK or Gandhi would have known how to show compassion and kindness in adversity especially in front of kids. I've set a bad example.

What triggered my memory of that event so many years ago was another grown-up who should have known better and behaved more civilly especially on the public air-wave.

Rush Limbaugh's on air imitating Chinese President Hu Jingtao speaking does not set a good example for our youth and presented a side of America that none of us should be proud of.

Just like the play the Mayo High School students had demonstrated to us in the 2011 Diversity Council Meeting. We should grow up and learn from our youth. We should ... "Stop Hate Speech Now."