Some bad news and some good news

[fpb]

In many ways, Italy is different. For one thing, I was taught at school as a child, we have no tradition of racism like in America. For another, the leading schools in Italy - the schools where the rich children go, where the best teachers are found, and which insure a swift passage to the best university courses - are generally state schools. For

Comments

[shezan]

Fascinating. How could the teacher even think she could say something like this?

[fpb]

Good question. But just because there is comparatively little (though by no means as little as I was taught) history of race problems in Italy, there is perhaps less consciousness of the seriousness of it. In countries like the US or Britain or even France, with slavery in the comparatively recent past and constant involvement with large numbers of blacks, the issue is present to everyone's mind, and even people who are racist are conscious that they are thinking or doing something significant and unpopular. It may be that this woman simply was never challenged enough before. Or maybe she is one of those people who just don't relate to others. Either way, she should never have been a teacher.