Carefully Taught
As true now if not more than it was in 1949.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urP7cnTwMQk
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade—
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You've got to be taught
to fear the rest
To think that it's only
your kind that's best
To ignore the hearts beating
inside others' chests
You've gotta be carefully taught
We've been cheated before
We'll be cheated again
In a mean little world
ruled by mean little men.
And the one chance for me
Is the life I know best.
To be on an island
And to hell with the rest.
I will cling to this island
Like a tree or a stone,
I will cling to this island
And be free—and alone.
You've to Be Carefully Taught
from the Musical South Pacific
Words and music by
Oscar Hammerstein II and
Richard Rogers
(adapted lyrics by Ben Wittman and Heather Bambrick)
Sung by Heather Bambrick
Comments
yeah, hate has to be taught
but how can you stop it from being taught?
Of French Descent?
Are you of French descent? Just curious. We think my family is from Alsace.
Gwen
my family came from Belgium
so spoke French.
The Problem Is
That today's cohort of haters would not see any irony in this. They would treat it as an instruction manual.
Sadly timeless
Everyone always has such hopes for the rising generation— how they will be different, and better. But somehow they grow up and become their parents. Carefully, carefully taught, indeed.
Emma
Duping The Ignorant
In my youth, before the 50's most whites saw blacks as less than. If people found out you were Native American, you would often be killed, especially young women would disappear. If you didn't look 'Injun' and didn't know about it, some would say you were advantaged. And, if you found out later in life, and knew nothing of your heritage, even those you asked to teach you, would simply hate you. It's been a lot to deal with, and made better for it.
There's a Reason
That the song was used in PSAs over the years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ROyQuJkcuM