Nancy Wirths, 49, from northern Wichita, Kansas, received a disturbing note in the mail early this week, which contained racist remarks against her grandchildren.
The letter came from an unidentified neighbor, who tells Wirths that the “black children” at her home had made him uncomfortable enough to sell his house. The note also stated that whether or not the “black children” are hers or she is just taking care of them, the neighborhood “does not need any blacks in it.”
“There is a reason for the saying, ‘The other side of the tracks.’ That is where these people belong. You have done a great disrespect in this neighborhood by not thinking of your neighbors” finished the note.
According to Wirths, she has a biracial family, since she currently has nine grandchildren, six of which are black.
The kids’ ages run from three months to ten years, and she does run a daycare where the majority of the children are her grandchildren.
She first though the letter was merely promotional mail until she read it, getting outraged.
“I thought it was a joke; I figured I was somewhere else reading a story. I guess I never thought this was real, the hatred for people in the world. I mean, because I try to teach my grandkids to love everyone no matter their color and this kind of throws a total wrench in that” claimed an enraged Wirths.
According to Wirths, she is now afraid of letting her grandkids play outside, from fear of physical attacks, saying that nobody should go through the same thing and that a children’s innocence is sacred.
Charley Davidson, a Wichita police spokesman, has claimed they are investigating the letter, whose author may be charged with disorderly conduct
In the meantime, Wirths has said she is perplexed such acts could still happen, and has told the note’s author should “have signed the letter or come to the door.”
Last month, Stephanie Endres, a mother from Seattle also received a racist letter via mail.
Endres, whose children are biracial, was told to “leave the country,” before her kids get what they “what they deserve being on this land.”
Her family was also repeatedly called the “n-word” in the note, which ended saying “Go Trump!” So far, police were investigating the letter as a hate crime. In another case, Sadie Elledge, 18, a Latina waitress from Virginia also received a racist note while she was working.
According to Elledge, a couple entered the restaurant where she works, downtown Harrisonburg, and refused to talk to her while she was serving them.
In the end, they signed their receipt and left. However, the couple did not tip Elledge. Instead, they scribbled down a note that said: “We only tip citizens.”
Elledge felt “shocked” since she is a US citizen, born and raised in America, although of Mexican and Honduran descent.
“It doesn’t really matter if I’m Hispanic or American, whatever you want to call it. I’m still a person; you should still treat me with respect,” said Elledge.
The owner of the Lunch were Elledge works, Angeliki Floros, is an immigrant herself.
Once she learned what happened, Floros called the clients “cowards” and banned them from ever coming to the Lunch again.
When the community also learned what had transpired, they wrote a note to Elledge that stated: “we appreciate and value your hard work in taking care of the people in the community…you are the one who belongs in downtown.” The note also included a hefty tip.
Hate is increasing in the United States
According to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in the United States rose in 2015, the first time in over five years.
The Center has stated that the level of polarization in America has reached lengths similar to 1968. The Ku Klux Klan and black separatist groups were the ones with the biggest increase. However, anti-immigrant, anti-gay, white nationalist and anti-muslin groups also saw their lines grow.
Mark Potok, the author of the study, said: “it was a year marked by very high levels of political violence, enormous rage in the electorate and a significant real growth in hate groups.”
The Center argues that some factors have occurred to “drive” racists, conservatives and prejudiced people into joining a group, such as a refugee crisis, legalized same-sex marriage, the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration, and terrorism. There are also arguments that a rise in violent discourse among politicians has helped fuel hate.
With this, the Center makes a particular reference to the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, who is said to have “electrified the radical right.”
Sources: The Washington Post
Regarding the couple who left the note for Sadie Elledge: one was black and one was Puerto Rican. Racism comes in all colors and creeds, and if you’re not addressing the whole problem, you’re just adding to it.