Really America? Have we now gotten to the point where a 12-year-old boy is assaulted for wearing a hat that another child doesn’t like?
That’s what happened recently to 6th grader Gavin Cortina of St. Louis, Missouri.
A Trump supporter, Gavin proudly wore his “Make America Great Again” hat on the school bus. When some other students objected, a heated exchange ensued. Gavin says that’s when another kid assaulted him.
“He got so frustrated that he pushed me. And he kept hitting me and backing me up until I got to my window of the bus and so I just had to push him out,” Gavin explained.
One student recorded the incident on a cell phone. Take a look:
As one boy beats Gavin he is heard saying, “You want to build a wall? You want to build a f****ing wall?!”
The school punished the students involved in the incident, including Gavin who received four days suspension from school.
Wednesday, in his speech to law enforcement chiefs, President Trump said every child should be able to attend a school without worrying about drugs, or violence. “Every child has a right to grow up in safety and peace,” he insisted.
And if peace, safety, and civility are to be restored to America, the effort must begin in our homes.
Parents are responsible for teaching their children to respectfully disagree without resorting to violence.
It’s that simple.