It just occurred to me that the reason I don't like to hear the whole 'race' thing, is that I never really viewed my black friends as 'black'! They were friends - regardless of anything! I have friends who are gay! In both directions!
I lack the ability of seeing anyone of different color or affiliation as wrong! What an interesting gift to receive from a family who is anything BUT tolerant!
Melanie called me tonight to way she hoped he could 'succeed'...but as if he couldn't. Not a lot of hope. But I have enough hope for ALL of us!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Adam (Minski) talked me into this
OK...I've never 'blogged' before, unless using the 'comments' or 'notes' sections of Facebook counts. ;)
Today is a momentus day - Inauguration Day 2009! I don't know that even my kids know the story of my love of this day...and maybe this will help. Maybe at least Adam will read this and understand.
I was born in Spokane, WA on March 11, 1954. And we lived there until I was 7 years old. How could I have enculturated by that time? (is that even a word?) But what I know is this: We moved to Texas (Port Arthur) into my grandparent's house on my mother's side, and what I remember about that is that I loved the lizards that were there. Their tail would tear off...and grow back! Astounding! I kept track.
I learned to hate peanuts. Ate too many...and haven't been a huge fan until about 5 years ago. So it takes awhile to undo that hate.
But a 'hatred' I should have engendered, toward blacks, just never took root. When I was in Junior High School (Thomas Edison), 'Roots' was created. I wanted to see it SO BADLY! But my parents forebade it, and in spite of trying to find friends who were watching it, I was thwarted. To this day, I have never seen the mini-series 'Roots', and want to see it.
But what I never got...never understood...was racism. Never. I was raised KNEE DEEP in it! My mother and father both pushed a deep sense of racism to me. But I never got it! I never understood why I should dislike a person because of the color of their skin!? When it really came home to me was when I was in high school in 1971. Our high school, Thomas Jefferson, was to be integrated. I knew, from past 'training' that I should be incensed. But from day 1, I was excited! Yet there was so much violence! I heard of a fellow student (black - formerly from Lincoln High School) being tossed over the railing of stairwell), I was appalled at what would be done in the interest of hate! That any girl that dated a black man would be judged seemed so strange to me, because why should a person be judged by whom she was attracted to?
Yet, I met SO many people of race (Leland Henley stands out, only because he was a flutist), that I was even more intrigued by the difference in backgrounds, and yet the SIMILARITY in humanity! And feelings! Leland was the second chair flutist (taking over my old position) and yet I was so excited to hear his story! He was brilliant in his handling of 2nd chair and was, admittedly, better than I. On the other hand, I had a teacher in Advanced English who was replaced by a teacher from Lincoln High School who was far from what I had experienced). But isn't that natural - to find fault where we perceive it? And is there anything there that is related, necessarily, to race? I think not. Only individual teaching style...
Once an adult and a mother, all visibility to others was erased (having moved to some fairly insular areas, such as Silsbee and Lumberton), but I never lost sight of the openness I felt should be expressed.
Having now moved to the Pacific Northwest, I see fewer of the integration issues I saw when I was raised. And I feel I am in my element in many ways. Yet I speak with members of my family who are still deeply ensconced in the racism of past.
What I need to have happen now is our Southern family to TRULY embrace this new 44th President of the United States without denial, without doubt, and without hate. I should live so long...but I can hope so long. And above all else, hope and pray that my grand children DO have that mind set!
Ashlyn, Autumn, Tyler and Dylan: Do NOT hate by reason of race. If you must hate, and I pray that you may not, hate for reasons of 'reason'. Did they hurt you or your family directly? Did they hurt a pet of yours? Did they hurt your way of life? Or play?
Then hate not...
Today is a momentus day - Inauguration Day 2009! I don't know that even my kids know the story of my love of this day...and maybe this will help. Maybe at least Adam will read this and understand.
I was born in Spokane, WA on March 11, 1954. And we lived there until I was 7 years old. How could I have enculturated by that time? (is that even a word?) But what I know is this: We moved to Texas (Port Arthur) into my grandparent's house on my mother's side, and what I remember about that is that I loved the lizards that were there. Their tail would tear off...and grow back! Astounding! I kept track.
I learned to hate peanuts. Ate too many...and haven't been a huge fan until about 5 years ago. So it takes awhile to undo that hate.
But a 'hatred' I should have engendered, toward blacks, just never took root. When I was in Junior High School (Thomas Edison), 'Roots' was created. I wanted to see it SO BADLY! But my parents forebade it, and in spite of trying to find friends who were watching it, I was thwarted. To this day, I have never seen the mini-series 'Roots', and want to see it.
But what I never got...never understood...was racism. Never. I was raised KNEE DEEP in it! My mother and father both pushed a deep sense of racism to me. But I never got it! I never understood why I should dislike a person because of the color of their skin!? When it really came home to me was when I was in high school in 1971. Our high school, Thomas Jefferson, was to be integrated. I knew, from past 'training' that I should be incensed. But from day 1, I was excited! Yet there was so much violence! I heard of a fellow student (black - formerly from Lincoln High School) being tossed over the railing of stairwell), I was appalled at what would be done in the interest of hate! That any girl that dated a black man would be judged seemed so strange to me, because why should a person be judged by whom she was attracted to?
Yet, I met SO many people of race (Leland Henley stands out, only because he was a flutist), that I was even more intrigued by the difference in backgrounds, and yet the SIMILARITY in humanity! And feelings! Leland was the second chair flutist (taking over my old position) and yet I was so excited to hear his story! He was brilliant in his handling of 2nd chair and was, admittedly, better than I. On the other hand, I had a teacher in Advanced English who was replaced by a teacher from Lincoln High School who was far from what I had experienced). But isn't that natural - to find fault where we perceive it? And is there anything there that is related, necessarily, to race? I think not. Only individual teaching style...
Once an adult and a mother, all visibility to others was erased (having moved to some fairly insular areas, such as Silsbee and Lumberton), but I never lost sight of the openness I felt should be expressed.
Having now moved to the Pacific Northwest, I see fewer of the integration issues I saw when I was raised. And I feel I am in my element in many ways. Yet I speak with members of my family who are still deeply ensconced in the racism of past.
What I need to have happen now is our Southern family to TRULY embrace this new 44th President of the United States without denial, without doubt, and without hate. I should live so long...but I can hope so long. And above all else, hope and pray that my grand children DO have that mind set!
Ashlyn, Autumn, Tyler and Dylan: Do NOT hate by reason of race. If you must hate, and I pray that you may not, hate for reasons of 'reason'. Did they hurt you or your family directly? Did they hurt a pet of yours? Did they hurt your way of life? Or play?
Then hate not...
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