SHARE strong despite cutbacks
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Monday, August 3, 2009.
By DAISY RATZLAFF
Valley Press Staff Writer
LANCASTER – Despite cutbacks in many educational programs, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Stop Hate And Respect Everyone, or SHARE, tolerance program is still going strong and continues to teach Antelope Valley youth about respect and tolerance.
The unique program that aims to combat hate and intolerance with the help of a custom-built mobile theater has, since its start in October 2008, visited dozens of high schools within Los Angeles County and is now being joined by Los Angeles Police Department officers in an effort to spread the message even further, said Lancaster Deputy Greg Chatman.
“We want to infect the world with tolerance. We want to lead strongly and be part of change,” said Chatman, who took on the lead of the program about three months ago. “We want to educate our youth by sharing our knowledge, because we too had struggles to overcome. They have made us who we are today and we as a department and as sheriff’s deputies really care and we will take the trailer wherever there is a need.”
The SHARE program, which was in the planning stages for two years, was established in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the county Board of Supervisors, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Museum of Tolerance and other public and private organizations.
The idea for the trailer was developed when sheriff’s Chief Neal Tyler was 8 years old. He saw separate drinking fountains and bathrooms for nonwhites and “knew how screwed-up that was,” said Tyler at the August 2008 demonstration.