Did you read Connie Schultz’s column (Herald, Oct. 27) and think that hate happens elsewhere, but not in Durango?
We would have agreed, except for the interaction we had with a lovely couple in Three Springs on the same day. The couple came in to see and connect with my therapy dog, as they had recently lost their dog.
My coworkers and I were sorry to hear they were moving and horrified to hear why. They were observant Jews, he wearing a yarmulke and she a Star of David. They had just recently had a swastika painted on their garage door for the second time.
The neighbors washed it off the first time, and the couple felt the Durango Police Dept. minimized the event by saying it was probably his eighth grade math students.
This teacher and former New Mexico principal of several schools, defended his students, and pointed out that most eighth graders are curfewed long before 3 a.m. He believed in his students!
So reread Schultz’s column and know that hate and bullying exist in Durango. These four registered nurses hearing this tale were outraged and we apologized to the couple on behalf of the community.
As Schultz said: “Yes, it is bad out there, but you are not alone. Take heart and speak out – tap the camera and be sure to capture hate on film when you can.”
Hate lives best in the dark and it is up to this community to shine a light on it.
Linda Jernigan, Catherine Adams, Georgia Johnson and Lynne Murison
Durango
