Prejudices

I looked around the computer lab, scanning the monitors for trouble. Most students were opening the encyclopedia program while a few others opened some of the other educational software I had loaded onto the computers. I'd been opening the computer lab everyday after school. It gave the kids who were really into computers some more computer time and it gave an opportunity for those who were a little behind in class to catch up on their skills. My eyes drifted over to the student that I had designed at the class prefect (or so you'd say in Harry Potter). After reminding them once more of the rules - no touching the computer cables, no touching the spare and broken parts lying in different areas of the room – I made my way to the exit.

Initially I'd set up the system so that the lab was open to anyone after school. This quickly descended into the same 10 kids watching music videos over and over and over. I didn't think that was having the most positive effect on their grades so I had decided this semester that every grade would have a day in the lab, and today was 5eme's day.

Outside three students from 4eme were sitting, waiting to talk to me. I'd had all three of them last year, and each was pretty decent with a computer.

Students: Sir, we want more time on the computers.
Me: Everyone wants more time on the computers.
S: We really want to go in.
Me: Nope, today isn't your day, you can go in tomorrow.
S: But there isn't anywhere else to practice! No one has a computer.
S: In the US everyone has a computer, right?
Me: Well not everyone, but a lot of people have them.
S: Here no one has them!
S: Everyone in the US must be really rich.
Me: A lot of people in US are rich.
S: When you go home I'm going to come visit you in Europe.
S: The US isn't in Europe, idiot!
Me: So the US is now in Europe?
S: I mean I want to go to the US.
Me: Alright, well you get me $2,000 and I'll see what I can do.
S: The US is really rich because of us.
Me: What do you mean?
S: Because of the African slaves. They made the US rich.
Me: They certainly did contribute to the US being rich, but they weren't the only reason.
S: Well how else could the US become rich? The Native Americans don't work well.
Me: What?
S: The Native Americans don't work well.
Me: There are Native Americans that don't work well, just as there are Africans and Europeans that don't work well.
S: Well why did they have to bring in Africans as slaves then?
Me: That had to do more with diseases than work ethic. The diseases the Europeans brought with them to America killed a very high percentage of the Native Americans.
S: Oh. But Africa is so poor and the US and Europe are so rich. It's because we Africans can work well but we aren't intelligent.
Me: What? That's completely false. There are Americans, Europeans and Africans who are dumb and there are Americans, Europeans and Africans who are smart.
S: Yeah, but Africans can't be smart like Europeans.
Me: Yes they can be!
S: Well if they can why is Africa still so underdeveloped?
S; It's because the Europeans come and exploit all of Africa's natural resources.
Me: Natural resources hurt a country more than they help it to be rich. Usually the money ends up in the pockets of just a few people and increases the chances of a civil war.
Me: And the US and Europe were just as poor as Africa was now a long time ago! Things here are slowly getting better!
S: No they aren't, we are all very poor.
Me: Ten years ago, did your parents have cell phones? Electricity? Televisions? Now I'm betting all of them do.
S: But we're still very poor.
Me: But it's getting better! And it will continue to get better as long as there isn't a civil war.
S: Well I guess, but it's so slow!
Me: Yes it is. But imagine how much better it's going to be for your children. You might each have a computer in your home.
S: We're going to!
Me: Alright, now go do your homework or something.
S: Good evening sir, talk to you later.
Me: Good evening.