It's funny how easy one can be called a racist just because of an opinion they have. It's almost as if being white I need to be sure to not have any issues with anyone of another race.
A few years ago, I lived in a duplex that was basically a row of four units, all fed by the same driveway. Some kid was always out there in the drive and I never really said much to him but often times he would have to be asked to move out of the drive so I could get by. After a while, I tired of his attitude and probably rolled my eyes or shook my head. You'd think that kids would know (he was approx 10-12 years old) to move when a car is coming, but not this kid. One day he actually pushed his little sister in front of my car as I drove past. I was going very slow and was able to stop, but amazed at him I hollered out what stupid move that was. He hollered back that if I hit his sister he would sue me for everything I had (dumb kid...I didn't have much!). Isn't it wonderful that he'd risk his sister's life so that he could try to benefit from it...at 10 years old, no less???
One day while leaving, he saw me pull out of my garage and he walked to the middle of the drive and just stood there bouncing a ball. I paused, I waited, I finally got out of the car and asked him to move. He gave me lip, called me a "racist hunkie" and told me to f-off. I asked him what his problem was and he said he hated racists like me. Just then, mom and her boyfriend drove up and she got out and asked me what the problem was and I told her. She fired off at me, "well you don't need to talk down to him like that". I said, "yes, I do...and maybe you should teach him a little about respect for his elders". The boyfriend just sat there, told me "don't worry, man...I'll talk to them". And I left.
The irony? If I had shown the 'punk' some recent pictures of my family he would have seen me sitting between my two sisters-in-law with my arms around them both, and fishing with my brother-in-law, whom I always referred to as, simply, my brother. We were very close and talked all the time (we live on different coasts). They are the same race as the punk kid...but he thinks I'm a racist.
So...not liking the attitude of that kid automatically made me a racist, but had he been white I would have still had an issue with what he was doing. How long should I sit there while the kid bounced the ball, looking over his shoulder at me, until I was justified in asking him to move?
Why is it that because someone is a different race we cannot dislike something that they do? It seems that the race card is thrown way too often...so much that it's blinding people as to what the real problem is at times. Of course, don't anyone jump the gun and think I'm referring to anything in particular other than the message I typed above...I just mean that it would be nice for people to realize that the kid was out of line - not because of his race, but because of his attitude.
Unfortunately, sometimes we can't even be nice to people, either.
I once stopped in a parking lot to let an elderly lady walk across to the post office. She waved and thanked me. Seems innocent, right? Then my friend asked me why I stopped claiming he wouldn't have because she's (insert race here). Later that day, I was telling someone about the situation and he said that the only reason I stopped was because she's (race) and I was using that situation trying to prove I wasn't a racist. I didn't tell him to glorify myself, but because of the comment my friend made. What the hell is wrong with people these days??? I stopped because she wanted to cross the lot and I thought it was a nice gesture. If I didn't let her cross, I'd be a racist...but because I did I was a racist masking my true feelings??? It's pretty pathetic, sometimes....
