Why Seattle Public Schools will have increased security on Tuesday

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thanks to the parent who forwarded us the following message that Seattle Public Schools subsequently confirmed to us was sent to families throughout the district:

In recent weeks, a social media post from the United Kingdom began promoting April 3 as “Harm a Muslim” Day. Social media can spread messages quickly, and some of SPS students are talking about this.

While this activity seems to be focused in Europe, in an abundance of caution, there will be increased security at schools. If you hear of something, please contact the district Safety & Security office at 206-252-0510 or call 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.

As a school system, we will do everything we can to make sure our students are safe while in our care. Anyone who feels unsafe or targeted for any reason should immediately contact a trusted adult.

Harassment of any kind is not, and will not, be tolerated in Seattle Public Schools.

New York schools also are increasing security; Portland’s school district has sent a message to families after discovering flyers about the “day.”

justme April 2, 2018 (7:44 pm)

Holy cow, how ignorant. I always have to try to imagine what it would feel like to immerse myself in a different culture, then to receive hate messages like this. I hope things remain civil.

Howard April 2, 2018 (8:28 pm)

I really need to stop reading the news,

Alki resident April 2, 2018 (8:49 pm)

Are you going to say that on every story?
- Howard April 3, 2018 (2:09 pm)
  
  …….yes!

Admiral Mom April 2, 2018 (8:50 pm)

This is so disheartening

E April 2, 2018 (9:25 pm)

I can’t understand how anyone could even think like that. My children have Muslim classmates, daycare teachers, neighbors. How could anyone want to harm them? They are us!

Westwoodchic April 2, 2018 (9:47 pm)

So, so sad. Glad that SPS is taking concrete steps to provide a safe environment for students. Hate has no place in our schools and neighborhoods.

Jon April 3, 2018 (12:45 am)

I honestly had to check the date that this wasn’t April 1st.

This is Onion-level silly business. Calm down. There’s no Boogeymen around the corner. People from different cultures sometimes don’t get along and stupid fights break out (constantly, all the time, everywhere) — there’s no massively organized event awarding “points”; it’s simply human nature for fights over stupid things to break out and all sorts of people are guilty of that.

A troll social media post from nearly ~5,000 miles away is having this much of an effect on you guys?

How about when ISIS makes threats to the entire country in a YouTube comment? Do we all run to our concrete Safe Space Gun-Free Zone Bunkers? No? Then why is your reaction so ridiculous in this instance?

This is concern trolling taken to the extreme satire tipping point. Your Muslim Neighbors™ (similar to My Black Friend™) will be okay. If anything, your having made a spectacle of this is probably super embarrassing and awkward.

And before you become indignant: I have one recovering Muslim immigrant next to me right now who is just as baffled and amused by this panic as I am. I can tell you: she’s weirded out by this creepy panicking and thinks the comments are very strange.

I mean, look at this hilarious Counter-Message Poster…

“Smile at a Muslim,” hahahaha! Amazing…

scubafrog April 3, 2018 (11:25 am)

What’s a “recovering Muslim”, Jon? People like you are the cause of this kind of hatred. And then you say these hateful messages are “harmless”? And even laugh at ISIS? Oh the ignorance.

Thankfully our kids have SPD protection today.

I’m willing to bet some vicious trumpanzee will attack a Muslim today. SICK! This is life when the right wing gains power via brexit/trump. When stupid people vote and America/The UK stays home, these are the tragic consequences.
- Jon April 3, 2018 (9:39 pm)
  
  A “recovering Muslim” is someone who left the faith, my good man. A large percentage of my family are Muslim, so — tell me more about “people like me”, you rude, presumptuous, panic-frenzied Looney Tune.
  
  I’m also glad that SPD was there to protect everyone from a pointless troll message 5k miles away.
Mike April 3, 2018 (8:52 pm)

Jon, our countries response to ISIS threats is to spend $Trillions to bomb the crap out of countries they are in and near. So far it has not stopped them. According to you, having SPD on watch at our schools is “ridiculous” after a global threat to Muslims was made? Have you seen any news lately, perhaps mass shootings recently? Anything ring a bell? It’s not like SPS is building a wall or having our military guard the schools…now THAT would be ridiculous.

Rick April 3, 2018 (8:58 am)

How about banning social media? That would be a great start!

Jon April 3, 2018 (9:40 pm)

Agreed! Facebook is trash and has turned people like Scubafrog into screaming reactionaries who fear and hate their neighbors over the dumbest, smallest, disagreements. Sad!
CAM April 4, 2018 (8:34 am)

There it is… someone makes a threat so in response to that we threaten the freedoms of the potential victims in a call for “safety”. See also, clear backpacks, metal detectors, etc. Let’s not address the core issue but instead make the potential victims circumstances worse.

Craig Lovely April 3, 2018 (1:20 pm)

troglodytes.

Jeannie April 3, 2018 (3:38 pm)

I’m of two minds about this. Yes, we can all agree that “Harm a Muslim” is utterly disgusting. And if I were Muslim, I might be angry/upset at the least. On the other hand, the “Smile at a Muslim,” which I assume was written by a Muslim, is quite clever.

Considering the vicious murder of a elderly Jewish Holocaust survivor in France, along with the shooting of unarmed black men, I would be upset to know if some sick idiot was trying to promote “Harm a Jew” or “Harm a black man.”

P.S. Is “recovering Muslim” the equivalent of “recovering Catholic”?

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