Actually the year anniversary of what you just heard my son Grahame and I are going to be in a play together and I'm acting for the first time in front of an audience that doesn't consist of a high school drama class.
It is a matter of public shame that while we have now commemorated our hundredth anniversary not one in every ten children attending Public schools throughout the colonies is acquainted with a single historical fact about Australia.
Violence is a problem we all want to solve. I want to make sure that kids learn to deal with anger by learning how to talk with people to solve problems. Here in the United States Senate I want to make sure we have safe schools safe neighborhoods and good things for kids to do after school!
Our second phase was to develop a school curriculum that teaches tolerance respect for differences conflict resolution anger management and other attributes of peace.
In high school I dated a white woman. She would come to visit me on the rez. And her dad who was very racist didn't like that at all. And he told her one time 'You shouldn't go on the rez if you're white because Indians have a lot of anger in their heart.'
Despite the amazing diversity we're blessed with in this country schools are still in large part segregated because of economic disparity. Sports are one of the few areas where kids are really given the opportunity to interact with those of different races and religions.
There are amazing schools and amazing educators that are doing a wonderful job. And then there are a lot of educators that are not prepared to deal with inclusive education. They haven't been trained. It's really quite lovely and easy when you understand how to do it.
I was friends with all different people and all different groups. And that led me to being friends with a few people who didn't even go to my school. Now I have the most amazing collection of friends of all ethnic backgrounds and upbringing and financial backgrounds.
In grade school I was taught that the United States is a melting pot. People from all over the world come here for freedom and to pursue a better life. They arrive with next to nothing work incredibly hard learn a new language and new customs and in a generation they become an integral part of our amazing nation.
I walked to Seward School first through fourth grade. It's just amazing to me now that we'd walk down 10th Avenue on Capitol Hill.