action believe that broad and deep damage has been done to American culture by racism and sexism over the whole course of American history and that they are still powerful forces today. (339) These supporters feel that minorities are still at a disadvantage leaving them in need of affirmative action to equalize the competitive playing field. When speaking to Linda Miller, a family friend and a former biology teacher from Palmdale high school, I was informed that she once had a 10th grade student who refused to sit next to a non-white student. Later that year, that same student and a couple of his clan members were arrested by the Palmdale police department for assaulting a black student during lunch time. As we discussed the book Cold New World, she was very insistent in adding that it was much easier as a white teacher in a school full of such hate and violence towards students of different racial backgrounds. She also shared an experience when one of her colleagues (an African American man) was forced out of the high school due to threats made by students such as vandalizing his classroom door, notes with racial slurs in his school mail box and spreading rumors about him and his family. He did not have a trouble finding another school to work at as he did in the Santa Clarita valley. She also recalled the high security team that was brought into the school as some parents, teachers and students feared what some of the kids were capable of. In response to this, Linda not only changed the school she is teaching at, but is also planning on moving away from the entire valley. When instances like these hit close to home, it brings a sense of fear of those who may be caught in the cross fire of these violent attacks, forcing the decent and honorable citizens to change locations, which only feeds into the problem.I remember the valley, Lancaster to be exact, as a place where my cousins could go to sleep at night with the garage door left ...
