Over the past two years, the neighborhood school had been working on eco projects, a greenhouse and a small garden in the school. At the base of the flagpole, they planted these plaques, decorated by the students.
Reading the plaques, it reminded me of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific”, and one of its songs, ‘You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught’.
When I was younger, it was just a nice song, and it belonged to just that show and that instance. But as the years went by, and I would hear the song, a phrase here and there would catch my ear, and suddenly, it made sense. It wasn’t just a pretty song anymore; it was also a lesson.
Although it was written for a musical years ago, it still applies to us this day.
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
You’ve got to be taught
To be Afraid
Of people whose eyes
are oddly made
And people whose skin
Is a different shade
You’ve got to be carefully taught
You’ve got to be taught
Before it’s too late
Before you are 6 or 7 or 8
To hate all the people
your relatives hate
You’ve got to be carefully taught
A little bit of this and that ... 
