I recently bought a 'new' stove off craigslist, and+ met a very cantankerous man. (Love craigslist by the way!) As we were preparing to load my beautiful stove into my brothers truck, our small talk lead into how he hated 'wetbacks'! I was so offended that he even used that term. Hello! I thought we'd all learned how stupid racism is. I told him about my great hispanic neighbors, trying to put emphasis on hispanic in case his little brain had never heard the proper word. He didn't get it! What an idiot! I wanted to drop the oven then, but we'd already made the deal and had traded cash. I wish I could have been more brave, and refused to deal with such a bigot!
It remined me of a man I met at a bus stop in Brooklyn after 9/11 who went off on Islaims. He was so sure that we shouldn't let imigrants into our wonderful country, and then I mentioned how all of my ancesters came from another country. He proudly told of his ancesters who came from Poland. (Oh, no wonder... Kidding! No more Polish jokes) Wheres the logic if we're all imigrants and yet we should hate the next generation coming in. Argh!
Hate is so stupid! I HATE people who HATE people! wait... i mean...um... Just don't hate people until you get to know them, then it's ok! :)
3 comments:
Your grandpa and I have had a few talks about Japanese people...I think I'm wearing him down. =)
lol--Jen's comment is classic.
Um. Yes.
I think it is hard for people of older generations to let go of stereotypes and ideologies of the past.
The good thing is, as we mingle our statements with theirs (like yours to your craigslist gentleman) they just might learn something & change their minds...
You never know.
Good for you for speaking up & sharing positive statements in such a negative conversation!
so true... you have to wait to get to know them, that way the hate can run deep into your bones. Its much better!
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