Edging Away From Bias

Relations between people of different races, ages or backgrounds can be fragile at best and explosive at worst when the groups do not understand one another. In the end, human relations depend on the humans involved, but schools and government agencies can provide the information and leadership to try to make those dealings less fractious. Two bills now on Gov. George Deukmejian’s desk would help; they deserve his signature.

AB 3504 would create a pilot course in human relations, with an emphasis on reducing prejudice, that would be tested in three school districts reflecting the state’s ethnic diversity. It is supported by the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the California School Boards Assn., the AntiDefamation League of B’nai B’rith, the NAACP, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense Educational Fund, all of which would help develop the course.

The state Department of Finance argues that the objectives of the bill are already largely required statewide. That may be so in a general way, but no specific course is available for teachers who say that their students would benefit from it. This legislation would require that one be developed.

AB 1081 would reaffirm state support for local human-relations commissions and would add sex, age and cultural background as areas about which these agencies should be concerned. In a period of rising intolerance and declining funds, it is important at least to support the mission of the commissions--to reduce tensions. Such a reaffirmation is especially important in smaller counties that may not now have such agencies but may well need them as they start feeling stresses that once affected mainly big cities.

These are admittedly small steps toward tolerance, but each step helps reach the goal.