I'm a school teacher, teaching 8-11 year olds.
We are a STEM school so they invested in technology instead of books. This means we don't have our own stand-alone library. Instead we go across the street to visit the public library. The kids love it, the library loves it, our principal loves it, (I have gray hair at 30 because of it.) But people will do the damndest things in front of my kids. Today:
We're walking out of the front door of the library to go back to school. A librarian has excited and is talking to another Hispanic-looking-patron who is telling her something. My class is walking past them. The librarian calls another patron over and says, "Please remember we don't allow smoking marijuana on library premises."
Note, my students are walking BETWEEN the librarian and the patron told to not smoke pot. BETWEEN.
This other patron goes, "Yeah? Well maybe we should just call immigration," and points at the other patron by the librarian. (Again, let me emphasize, my eight to eleven year olds are WALKING BETWEEN THEM RIGHT NOW) and the guy talking about calling immigration is getting closer and closer to the librarian. One of my kids has to veer out of the way so that he doesn't run into this guy.
Behind me one of my kids sets off the metal detector because she forgot to check out her books. So I have to run forward and get the front of my line to stop so we can wait for her while the librarian, the Hispanic-looking patron, and the guy shouting about immigration continue to yell at one another about marijuana and immigration.
My entire class of 27 kids stood there while this happened and listened to every word despite my best efforts to get them looking forward and ignoring what is going on. Finally my girl comes out (note, she's hispanic!) and walks between (because god bless children who don't realize you don't get between angry adults) the yelling adults to catch up with us.
We get the fuck out of there asap.
Just like. What the fuck. First, wait to tell the marijuana guy off until my kiddos are past, or walk over to him instead of calling him over. Second, what the anti-immigrant fuck.
MOST OF ALL LOOK AROUND AND SEE THAT THERE ARE 27 CHILDREN STANDING AROUND.
I'm currently waiting for an email from one of these parents....