Six Words: ‘You’ve Got to Be Taught’ Intolerance : NPR
The sisters would sing together, Ziegler says, and the lyrics to “You’ve Got to Be Taught” stay with her, even today.
You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear, you’ve got to be taught from year to year
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught
To be afraid of people
Whose eyes are oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
“I just remember hearing [the lyrics] when I was young, and it made me very sad,” Ziegler says. “I had parents who did exceptionally love us and taught us to do the same. And I just thought, how can people be taught to hate, especially children?”
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