For Peter’s sake, show a little respect

Christine Carrillo

When talking about respect, from a musical standpoint, one might

immediately think of Aretha Franklin, but by adjusting the radio dial

just a bit from Motown to folk music, you’re certain to hear Peter,

Paul and Mary -- and you’re certain to see Operation Respect in

action.

Peter Yarrow, a member of the famous singing trio also known for

their activism during the 1960s, has taken his talents and passion

for advocacy to the classroom with a new program he established in

September 2000 called “Operation Respect: Don’t Laugh at Me.”

During an assembly at Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach

on Monday, he shared his program with students from Mariners, Newport

Heights, Rea and Kaiser elementary schools.

“I’ve always used music as a way to create change in the way of

movement,” Yarrow said. “It’s a way of life for me because it’s

taking the most important and substantial work for me, including all

the movements I’ve been involved in.”

The program, in which Yarrow tries to infuse character education

including social and emotional learning principles with academics,

uses music to bring people together and spread a message Yarrow has

tried spreading nearly all his life -- a message of peace and

respect.

“His message is the same that we have here,” said Pat Coughlin,

principal at Mariners. “We have a similar program here at our school

... that deals with respect ... and that ties in very well with what

he’s doing.”

As part of the assembly, Yarrow performed “Blowin’ In the Wind”

and “We Shall Overcome,” which he believes served as anthems that

helped moved generations during the civil rights and peace movements,

as well as “Don’t Laugh at Me,” a song he believes could now serve as

an anthem for the movement to help children find their common

sensitivity to the painful effects of disrespect, intolerance,

ridicule and bullying.

“When people sing these kinds of songs together, they feel very

close and feel very open to one another,” Yarrow said to the

audience. “By learning to solve our problems in a caring manner, we

can be peacemakers.”

As far as the students were concerned, Yarrow’s message came

across loud and clear.

“It was really great and I really liked it,” said 9-year-old Josh

Jordan, a fourth-grader at Mariners. “It’s like, don’t laugh at me

because someone else could laugh at you.”

After the assembly and after the teachers discussed Yarrow’s

message, nearly every student came away with an understanding of the

same message.

“[I learned] to not make fun of other people,” said 9-year-old

Andy Mangano, also a fourth-grader at Mariners. “[I learned] to not

laugh at others who look different, but inside their heart they feel

the same.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].