In response to a letter from Mr. Mark Jackson titled “Brought to light” [Aug. 5], I wanted him to know that he is not the only one that has noticed the “discriminative activity in and around Malibu.”
The discrimination and racism I am talking about is happening right here at our very own Malibu High. The daughter of one of my live-in employees attends that school and was the victim of consistent racial slurs and various forms of discrimination during the school year. The girl I am speaking of is a lovely and intelligent individual who happens to be of Hispanic decent. Apparently, there is a group of little neo-Nazis who call themselves the “MLO” which stands for Malibu Locals Only. They purport to be interested in nothing more than protecting surf territory, but their viscous and racially hateful comments would indicate otherwise. This so-called “MLO” went so far as to threaten all the nonwhite students, telling them that “Malibu is for whites only” and that they were going to “send them (nonwhites) back to downtown L.A. where they belong.” This poor girl came home crying and her parents were terrified that something horrible would happen to them or their daughter. They were ready to leave town. I almost lost two faithful and irreplaceable employees because of these little racist jerks. When I heard about the whole thing, I asked the same question Mr. Jackson asked: “What is this, Alabama in the 1950s? or Malibu, Calif., in 1999?”
My husband wrote a letter to the principal of Malibu High, Matthews I think his name is, but he did not even have the courtesy to respond. Nobody wants to talk about it, but there is a real racist problem here. It is like a dirty little secret lurking under the surface here in politically correct Malibu. Well guess what folks? Racism is alive and well here in Malibu and just because no one wants to admit to it, that doesn’t mean it does not exist. The racist behavior that the kids at the junior high and high school are exhibiting is just a telltale sign that their parents are secretly racist as well. Children are not born to hate other human beings who happen to be unlike themselves, it is something they learn, usually at home.
Hopefully this letter will bring to light the fact that racism is going on in more Malibu locations than the public library. The discrimination described by Mr. Jackson and what was experienced by my employee’s daughter, is thoroughly and totally unacceptable. Granted, it is a free country and people have the right to think or say whatever they want, but in public establishments such as the library and the local high school, discrimination is not only repugnant, but illegal. This is Malibu 1999, not Alabama 1950.
Alexandria Gable