No matter what, I think they
> will learn that we have always welcomed all kinds of people into our
home
> and never made a big deal about what colour they were or sexual
preferences
> etc. They have also seen many a sick child coming from Honduras to a
US
> hospital that have overnighted with us and have learned that loving
and
> caring for all mankind is the true path to follow.
>
> Thanks for the post
>
> Michael
What lucky kids you have, Michael. If my upbringing had been more
like that, I would not have to work so hard to clear out some of the
stupid shit that still clutters up the dark corners of my brain. Not
that my parents were raving bigots but they weren't exactly without
their prejudices & misconceptions. I grew up in a town in Iowa of
about 16,000 people. I went to school with black kids from the time I
was in kindergarten. For a long time, they were the only 'others' I
knew about. I remember when the high school staged a production of
'South Pacific' I didn't understand what the 'race' issue was all
about. Those Polynesians weren't black people! What was the problem?
To me, growing up in a very limited world, every one who wasn't
African American was white. So to me, Michael, you would have been
another white kid.
I remember seeing 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' when I was a young
teen. It's a corny & dated movie with some very silly things in it,
but it did start me to thinking. Later on, I can still remember the
night that my mother & I watched the very first episode of 'All in the
Family'. We nearly wet ourselves laughing and eventually I came to
understand that Archie Bunker was funny because of the utter ignorance
& stupidity of his thinking. I also began to see some of the jokes
and racial slurs I had snickered at and some times uttered myself as a
child as being in the same vein of stupid & ignorant thinking. Passed
on to my parents from their parents (some of whom *were* truly bigoted
people) and hence to me.
So I cannot honestly say that I have completely eradicated some of the
idiotic things I grew up hearing about from people who were supposed
to be wiser than me. I can only say that I do my best to try & see
people for what they are underneath the 'joke' that God has played on
us by making us all appear to be different. And yes, I acknowledge
that each of is different - unique and special in our own way - and I
think cultures and backgrounds are important and worth remembering and
preserving. But in the end, I want to be color-blind. But I have to
honestly admit that I'm just not there yet.
Mark in Seattle
