Ashamed of people of Lombard

Although I currently live in New York City, I grew up in Villa Park. My dad was a firefighter in Lombard for 25 years, and he recently built his new house on Grace Street. I marched in the Lilac Parade proudly each year of high school and worked at the Lombard Historical Museum for several summers in college. My driver's license lists my permanent address as Lombard.

However, for the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be connected with Lombard. Recently, on a visit home, I had the chance to watch the June Village of Lombard Planning Commission meeting on television. The debate centered around the College Preparatory School of America on Madison Avenue, and whether the school should be allowed to go ahead with a proposed expansion. A steady stream of community members voiced their opposition to this expansion.

The opposition to CPSA's expansion has nothing to do with air conditioner units making noise, with trash-pickup, or with asbestos. These, and the many other reasons given, are excuses. The tone of the opposition was racist, plain and simple: religious and ethnic discrimination against the Muslim, predominantly southeast Asian population of the school.

I was saddened by the tone of the discourse and I am saddened to call these people my townspeople. If an elite school, focused on academic success with proven results but catering to a Christian student body moved into the area, would residents still object as vehemently?

It has been nearly 10 years since 9/11, and I would hope that in this time our society has learned to be more tolerant and more accepting of diversity. I realize now that I am wrong.

Tracy Musacchio

New York, N.Y.