project number one

The podcast discusses various topics, including a personal question about favorite sandwiches, followed by a conversation about racism at school. The guest emphasizes that racism is unacceptable and should be addressed promptly. The guest also mentions instances of unintentional biases and the need for education and awareness to prevent racism. They believe that intentional racism should have severe consequences, while unintentional racism requires education and empathy. The guest acknowledges the influence of pop culture and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing hurtful language. Overall, they stress the need for open discussions and education to combat racism. Okay, welcome to the first ever and last ever podcast for Language Arts Funnel Project. Today we have special guest, Mr. G. Hello. So Mr. G, I want to ask you about a personal question. That's how we started. What's your favorite type of sandwich? Ooh, favorite type of sandwich? Um, I like them spicy. Something spicy on like a baguette. There used to be a place here in town called Waterworks and they made a sandwich called the Capri. Yes, exactly. It was eggplant, goat cheese, and I would always add spicy peppers. Okay, so let's get started with the topic of racism. We know it's sad, but we have to move on. Okay, so what are your thoughts on racism at the school? Um, well, it's unacceptable at any level. It doesn't matter if you're a student, if you're an adult. It's something that society is working on getting straight. We still have a lot of work to do. And so, you know, wherever there are instances of it here at school, they need to be dealt with quickly and appropriately. Okay. Have you seen any kind of racism yourself? Um, fortunately, nothing very blatant. Um, but, you know, I think sometimes there is sort of, you know, some biases or things that take place that do kind of maybe favor certain elements over others. And I would like to believe that, you know, racism isn't the driving force behind those things. Um, but, you know, unfortunately, just the nature of things, sometimes it is. Okay. Have you ever had a student come up and say that they're being racist? That they were the victim of racism? Yeah. Yes, I think that sometimes people are a little too loose with the language. I think that they don't realize the impact that certain language has. Unfortunately, in pop culture, you know, music, and different situations where certain words are used, you know, and almost normalized, we forget that those are words that should never be said. Okay. When I say we, obviously, you know, I don't mean the majority of us, but I think in general, you know, it's just a negative effect of the word being used at all. Even when it's not being used purposefully to be malicious, I think that every time that it's used, it's damaging because it does normalize something that should not be normal. It should always be recognized as inappropriate. Okay. So, have you ever, have you ever, like, tried to stop it? Like, someone asked you and then, like, you came out to talk to them? Oh yeah, absolutely. Not just here at school, you know, in life in general. I feel like it's a cause that's definitely worth standing up for. You know, it's, it falls under the lines of bullying, harassment, but when you involve racism, it takes it to another level. And, yeah, there have been, there have been instances where I have become involved to shut it down. And we all know bullying is really bad. Okay, so next topic. What do you think your thoughts are on trying to stop it because it went first, actually first. Do you think there's a lot of racism in school? Um, I honestly don't know. Um, if there is, I don't know how intentional it is. I think that there is a need to educate, enlighten. Um, I think that, you know, and a lot of times in those circumstances, it's not being aware that you are, you know, doing certain things. Now that doesn't go for everyone. But, you know, to a large part, sometimes I think people are speaking in ways that they don't realize are damaging. And that's where, you know, just being educated on different perspectives. We're all guilty, I think, of coming at life with our own perspective from our own experiences. And if we haven't experienced something else, it's new to us, it's foreign. We don't really maybe think about it sometimes as we just are moving through life. And we do. We need to stop and look at things from all perspectives. Okay. So would you say there's a way to stop it if there is racism in school? Yes, I think that, you know, for anyone that is doing it intentionally, the consequences need to be swift and severe. For anyone that is, you know, offending people unintentionally, and I know that sounds kind of strange, but that's where education comes in. And just a sense of awareness, a greater sense of awareness, you know, to understand, hey, I think this, but I may not be 100% on that. I may have good intentions, but my actions are still leading to people's feelings being hurt, you know, offending people, and I'm unaware of it. And so the more that I can learn about different perspectives on things, I think the better off we are. You develop a greater sense of empathy, and it's just an understanding of other people's feelings and emotions. And it's something that, unfortunately, I feel like isn't as prevalent as it used to be. I would love to see us really, you know, kind of drive that home and, hey, look, if you're already doing it, it's just reinforcing what you already know. And if you, you know, aren't, then it's hopefully helping you develop into a, you know, a better person overall. So do I think that... Like there may be a cause, like somewhere here? I think that, you know, the instances that do come up, I truly do believe it's not driven by, you know, maliciousness, meanness. I think it's, for lack of a better word, maybe an ignorance to other cultures, situations. And like I said, unfortunately, pop culture, social media, things like that, that have just really normalized things that really should not be normalized. And so things are said a lot of times that are extremely hurtful, but the intent is not that. Rather, it's just sort of mimicking, you know, whether it's song lyrics or, you know, videos. And in those songs and videos, you know, the language is not necessarily, you know, intended to offend. But taken out of context and used in other situations, it's absolutely going to offend. And I think there's a disconnect there where we, you know, a lot of times people miss that. What's up, Doc? How are you doing? I should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque. These are some tough, hard-hitting questions. You know, and I'll tell you, Harrison, hats off to you, buddy. This is a tough topic for a lot of people. You know, it's a sensitive one, but it's also one that needs to be had, you know. I think even, I know where I stand with everything. Again, I think a mistake that we make sometimes is assuming that everyone is sort of on the same page and expecting the same types of behavior, but when it does come up, it's our job basically to educate and say, hey, look, you know, this is this, this is that, this is the way it is. And so if this is being done by accident, you know, hey, watch out. If it's being done on purpose, then it needs to be fixed. Did you know what that last reference was? That was funny, yeah. Yeah. Sorry, did you get my reference? I should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque. It's the whole Abominable Snowman episode. Yeah. Ah, yeah. Da-da-da-da-da. Let's go, folks. Okay. Thank you for taking the time to let me interview you, and thank you.