Racial Truths

-

I grew up in a small town that was mostly 100% white. We did not have a black kid in our high school. We had a few kids who were of Hispanic origin, but for the most part we were lily white.

We heard a lot of ethnic jokes, but there were also polish jokes, jokes about women and Italian jokes. I thought that most of the jokes were not malicious, but I was a kid.

What did I know?

When I was ten years old the family went to Florida as that’s where Dad’s job was. That was where we first saw a black man.

In fact, Bernie & Gloria were a black couple who were tasked with babysitting six Fuzzy kids!

No easy task.

We all loved Bernie & Gloria. When I close my eyes, I can still hear Bernie’s booming laugh.

Another man, Buck, was a laborer on Dad’s job. Buck took us fishing and crowed in amazement when my brother, John, caught a 5-pound bass in a bucket.

And that was it.

For a long while.

We watched black athletes play professional sports. Henry Aaron and Wilt Chamberlain were my favorites. Then Reggie Jackson joined the Yankees and I loved him too.

I never once thought about any sort of racial tension, but began reading about the hatred directed to Aaron as he approached the home run record.

“Why do they hate him?” I asked my Dad.

“Because they’re stupid.”

I thought of that wonderful response as I considered the weekend.

As a teenager we played basketball in an all-white conference.

One night the visiting team showed up with 3 black kids on the team.

We were shocked!

Halfway through the game we realized that we all were just playing ball.

Of course, as an adult I’ve met, known and enjoyed the company of men and women of all ethnicities and cultures.

And I have often wondered why white men and women have a shocking feeling that for one reason or another they are better than anyone else.

“It’s a learned behavior,” a friend said.

And I certainly agree with that, but if they are learning it, someone is doing the teaching.

A few years back I texted my children saying:

“You’re no better and no worse than any other man. If you ever got an impression that I ever felt that way, I’m sorry. I never intended to teach you that. Treat every man and every woman on the persons that they are without pre-judgement.”

My boys thanked me for saying that.

“Why do these white nationalists hate the black?” Jake asked me as we watched the news coverage.

“Because they’re stupid,” I said.

Sometimes the best answers are the easiest ones.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more