Kennedy High School is, and always has been, a place that values excellence in academics, athletics, activities, and behavior. At Kennedy, students have always valued the acceptance of each other, celebrated each other’s differences, and above all treated one another with respect. This is the foundation of what it means to be a Cougar, and what it means to be a kind person. Yet, with the current politically charged climate of our country, Kennedy has recently started to lose some of the core values that we once prided ourselves on.

Regardless of what each of us as an individual believes, we must not let our own judgments and biases blind us to the reality that we live in a world of differences. Different background. Different languages. Different religions. Different beliefs. Different lives. What one person may see as the “right” way could be the “wrong” way for everyone else. We cannot let differences divide us, and we must encourage respectful disagreements.

Kennedy students are on the brink of adulthood, teetering that unsteady line between youth and maturity. We know so much and yet we are completely unaware of even more. We are the future of the world we live in, a world were hate is the driving force behind action. Let Kennedy students teach the world to be compassionate, and to embrace differences. Above all, let Kennedy students show the world what it means to be kind.