Probation officer gives office BJ to boot-camp teen
Reader: The Reason We Dislike Certain Groups Is That We've Never Been Introduced
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 10:00 am
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"I'm African American, and I grew up under segregation in this country. I'd like to set the record straight on one of the comments I read regarding African Americans hating whites.
"I won't deny that that may be the case in some instances, but not in general. Largely, we have reconciled ourselves to not holding a grudge about being enslaved, but we haven't forgotten. We're similar to the Jews who experienced the Holocaust, but have chosen to move on with their lives. They generally don't hold a grudge, but it doesn't mean they've forgotten the acts of anti-semitism committed against them.
"Although my parents raised my siblings and myself under segregation, they placed a strong emphasis on not hating anyone. We were encouraged to view members of a group as individuals, and we were taught not to hold an entire group responsible for the actions of one, or a few.
"This allowed me to get along with everyone I meet, if they'll allow me to. If they don't, I chalk it up to their loss, not mine. Much of the angry, inaccurate rhetoric being created and dispensed among the populace comes from those who have little contact with others who differ from themselves.
"Some common memes applied to all African Americans are that we're looking for something for nothing, we all live in the ghetto, we all have children out of wedlock, etc, all negative. The real lives of African Americans are very different.
"My mom was a stay at home mom, education was strongly recommended, my dad had a good job on a local air force base, he paid for BCBS for all of us, neither parent drank alcoholic beverages of any kind, my siblings and I have the same mom and dad, my parents remained married for 52 years until my mom passed on in 1999, my parents were homeowners who paid their taxes like everyone else even under segregation, we went on yearly vacations in the summers, celebrated the 4th of July with a cookout every year etc.
"My upbringing and that of millions of other AAs are mirror images of each other. The media tends to focus on crimes committed by a few AA males, and I think this causes some people to transfer the actions of these few to the entire population.
"I'd be lost in a ghetto, just as many whites would because neither of us have experience living in ghettos. The reality is that most Americans differ only in the amount of melanin they have in their skin.
"I'm college educated, a retired teacher who taught for 33 years, and a divorcée who raised my child alone. I worked for 2 years outside of my field. I was employed for 35 straight years. I graduated from the University of Georgia in 1974, finishing in 3 years, without any type of affirmative action.
"I borrowed the money for college, and my parents helped me with some of the costs. I have 2 Master's degrees in different fields of education. My daughter is also a college graduate and gainfully employed. She's 29 and has no children, and she's been dating this very nice white guy for almost 4 years now. His sister and I worked at the same school. I like his family, and they love my daughter.
"My best friend, Anne, is from Iowa. She's white, and her classroom was next door to mine. We got together and decided to retire at the end of the 2008-2009 school year because she asked me to wait until she was ready to retire before I threw in the towel. I had originally planned to retire at the end of the 2007-2008 school year, but I worked an additional year so that Anne and I could retire together.
"We talk on the phone and we attended the Relay For Life event this spring which was held at our old school. I live in a diverse neighborhood of AAs, whites, and Hispanics. We look out for each other and get along well with each other.
"I believe that some people buy into the aforementioned memes because they have very little contact with those who differ from themselves in one way or another. Thank God, though, that the younger generation seems to be moving away from this trend.
"As for Park 51, I wonder why none of the protest leaders have informed their supporters that the Muslims in NYC are already using the location as a mosque, and the sky didn't fall, and there's been no terrorist attacks in NYC, or anywhere else in the country.
"After construction of the new facility, it will become a community center with a swimming pool, basketball court, conference rooms, and a place where NYC Muslims can pray. All New Yorkers will have access to the facility."
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