Tuesday, November 15, 2005

My Prejudiced Uncle

My 80-year-old Uncle Bill was a cop in the 60's and 70's. He served during the night shift along Paseo. He rarely met the nice black people there, only the bad ones. My strongest memory of his home during my childhood was his display case of big knives he took from the people he arrested.

Every time we go over to his house, he starts complaining about black people. This time was no different. He calls them the, "N" word. He complained that they steal, kill, don't clean their stoves, but that they can't help it because it's their race. He hated Emanuel Cleaver, and says that the Mayor, "Just handed that whole town over to them niggers." He bragged about his buddy who disowned his own daughter because she was dating a black man.

Other than that, Uncle Bill is super guy. Really! He's cool! You'd like him!

But why does he keep going back to that subject? I don't much like certain groups of people, (like the ACLU for example,) but I don't make comments about them every time I have guests. And how can a cop work with a people if he hates them? And how can he go to church all his life and not realize that blacks are made, "in God's image," just like whites?

There are lots of wayward whites. I would hate to be catagorized right out there with Lizzi Borden and Madonna.

I felt foolish sitting there listening silently while my husband and Father knew how much I disapproved. So I made some little comment about not judging anyone until you meet them, blah, blah, blah. I knew it couldn't change anybody's mind. My purpose was just to refuse to take part in such a horrible conversation. Not to mention unfashionable!

And furthermore, I don't like calling them, "African Americans." It sounds like a euphemism. If I'm WHITE then they are BLACK. Maybe we could call us, "UV-Ray-Challenged." Then we'll all have a euphemism.

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and Yellow, Black and White,
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Orange and Purple, Blue and Green
Strangest kids I've ever seen,
Jesus loves the little children of the world

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home