I’m Embarrassed

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 We watched the show “Them.”

“This is Us” did an episode that dealt with subtle racism.

I’ve thought a lot about the differences between a black guy and a white guy at a traffic stop.

I heard Springsteen and Obama discuss race relations in America.

And I’ve long considered my own past problems in dealing with race.

No one actually believes that they are a racist.

I’m embarrassed by thoughts that I had as a younger man.

I listened to Senator Kennedy try and explain crime in America. (Don’t watch it. It’s brutal).

And more than anything else there needs to be a better conversation about race in this country.

Some of those things are happening. Springsteen and Obama reached for a higher ground in their conversation but they came at it from the viewpoint that they do not understand exactly what the other man felt.

Which is where those conversations have to begin.

I’ve done it with friends of mine, through the years, who’ve been black, Hispanic and Chinese.

They laughed along with my stupid jokes and I’m pretty sure I didn’t overtly offend any of them...

...but when I think back on it...

...I’m a little embarrassed because I had no idea. I was too stupid to understand the big picture when it comes to race relations.

It blows my mind that Jackie Robinson went through so much hatred and so did Henry Aaron.

That was less than 50 years ago!

Human rights legislation was only passed less than 60 years ago...

...and we lived through 4 years where a lot of it was at the forefront and the conversation turned nasty again.

No one actually listened or tried to see it from another point-of-view.

And what’s going on in Minneapolis right now?

It’s embarrassing!

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