Carefully Taught

By now we've all seen the video and seen the comments about the jejune actions of some students from a Northern Kentucky Catholic high school at a rally in Washington on Saturday. Church and school leaders, along with federal and state leaders are condemning the way the "kids" treated an honorable Native American in Washington, D.C.

In the video, we saw a young man sporting a Make America Great Again hat crowding the man, who just happens to be a Viet Nam war veteran. But in order to intimidate the veteran, the youngster got right up in his grille and flashed the sort of cocky grin that just begs for adjustment by a process other than orthodontia, if you're with me here.

And don't think this coarse youth acted alone; he was egged on by his squad of red-hatted galoots.

Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills and the Diocese of Covington(KY) were quick to apologize for the behavior of their students, pointing out that “the behavior is opposed to the church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.”

The students had been sent to DC to take part in the March For Life, but failed to apprehend the point of life itself, especially, the part about being decent to people already born. After they marched to protest a woman's right to choose, they chose to crash the Indigenous Peoples March and bother Native Americans.

The Indigenous Peoples March put out a statement saying the bad boys from Covington were among over 30 others who "aggressively surrounded” Native American elder Nathan Phillips on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

To their credit, Covington Catholic and the Diocese of Covington offered their “deepest apologies," adding, "The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion. We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement.”

Two things, as we wait for the field trip to end and the school to take their promised action:

• We will undoubtedly hear (in fact, we already have) from apologists and conservatives who will claim that "the boys were just funnin' around with the old Indian." You will note that these are the same people who lost their shift about disrespecting veterans when Colin Kaepernick took a knee, and who now don't mind that Elder Phillips fought in a war for this country, only to come back and be humiliated by childish children.
• Please remember the song "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," from the Rodgers and Hammerstein play "South Pacific."  I'll put the words right here: 

You've got to be taught to hate and fear

You've got to be taught from year to year

It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught

[Verse 2]

You've got to be taught to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made

And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade

You've got to be carefully taught

[Verse 3]

You've got to be taught before it's too late

Before you are six or seven or eight

To hate all the people your relatives hate

You've got to be carefully taught.