The province I live in hosts an amazing fundraiser every year, called Telemiracle. Saskatchewan people have always been more than generous, raising several million dollars in about twenty-four hours. As part of their fundraising, local businesses will ask for donations of one dollar. If you donate, you get to write your name on a "helping hands" sign and have it posted in the store.
It looks like this one.
As I was leaving the store I was glancing at the hands. As I passed Customer Service, one hand caught my eye. I stopped, backed up, and re-read the name, to be sure. Then I looked around. Left. Right. Semi circle. I saw an employee walking towards me who I thought might be a manager. I put out my hand and asked, "Are you a manager?"
She replied, "No," and started to turn away, obviously busy.
I moved a half step closer. "Perhaps you should have your manager look at this," I said quietly, gesturing to the Helping Hands card that had gotten my attention. The clerk looked at it, clearly baffled by why I was saying anything.
I waited.
Nope, she did not see it. She did not get it. As she started to turn away, I inched a bit closer, and read it to her. "Miss, it says 'Aryan Nation Knights, KKK.' That's the Klu Klux Klan, miss. Your manager might want to take that down."
Then she saw it. Her eyes widened, and she moved with lightning speed, removing it from the wall. "There's no need to get a manager," she said, "that can come down right now."
I smiled at her weakly, and walked out. As I made my way to my car, I could not help but wonder how many people had walked past that, read the name, and not realized how awful it was. I was also saddened that anyone would think that was okay to do.
Sometimes, I do not like the human race very much. They are kind of pathetic.
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