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Son calls out father's 'racist' comment after 'Why didn't you stay in Mexico?' outburst
SALINE, MI – The son of a man who’s been the subject of widespread backlash since asking a parent why he didn’t “stay in Mexico” during a community meeting Monday is speaking out against “racist and xenophobic behavior."
Matthew Burtell said he feels it’s important to challenge bigotry wherever it appears -- even when it involves his own father.
His father Tom Burtell, in a tense moment during a Saline Area Schools community meeting on diversity and inclusion Monday, Feb. 3, asked the provocative question to fellow parent Adrian Iraola, who was in the middle of describing his son’s difficult experiences as a Hispanic student in the predominantly white school district south of Ann Arbor.
“It’s of vital importance to call out racism wherever you see it,” said Matthew Burtell in an interview Tuesday. “We can’t stand idly by – as children, as brothers and sisters, as friends and as people interacting with each other in daily life – when someone says or does anything racist. It’s all of our responsibilities and it shouldn’t have to get to this.
...
Matthew Burtell, a 2014 Saline High School alum with siblings still in the district, said he wanted to voice how his views differ from his father’s. His friend sent him the video Monday evening. He said it gave him “a sinking feeling."
“I was horrified,” said Matthew Burtell, a U.S. Navy veteran who’s studying computer science and math at Yale University. “"At some points in my life, I’ve felt immense dread and a sort of sinking feeling, like ‘Oh my god.’ So, I think it was that feeling."
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2020/02/son-calls-out-fathers-racist-comment-after-why-didnt-you-stay-in-mexico-outburst.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=mlivenews_sf&utm_medium=social
Matthew Burtell said he feels it’s important to challenge bigotry wherever it appears -- even when it involves his own father.
His father Tom Burtell, in a tense moment during a Saline Area Schools community meeting on diversity and inclusion Monday, Feb. 3, asked the provocative question to fellow parent Adrian Iraola, who was in the middle of describing his son’s difficult experiences as a Hispanic student in the predominantly white school district south of Ann Arbor.
“It’s of vital importance to call out racism wherever you see it,” said Matthew Burtell in an interview Tuesday. “We can’t stand idly by – as children, as brothers and sisters, as friends and as people interacting with each other in daily life – when someone says or does anything racist. It’s all of our responsibilities and it shouldn’t have to get to this.
...
Matthew Burtell, a 2014 Saline High School alum with siblings still in the district, said he wanted to voice how his views differ from his father’s. His friend sent him the video Monday evening. He said it gave him “a sinking feeling."
“I was horrified,” said Matthew Burtell, a U.S. Navy veteran who’s studying computer science and math at Yale University. “"At some points in my life, I’ve felt immense dread and a sort of sinking feeling, like ‘Oh my god.’ So, I think it was that feeling."
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2020/02/son-calls-out-fathers-racist-comment-after-why-didnt-you-stay-in-mexico-outburst.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=mlivenews_sf&utm_medium=social
Here is the video (
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3 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
