Let's Talk Racism In America

It still exists.

Yes, on both sides of the coin.

There are still some very angry, very volatile people in the world.

They still teach their kids to hate.

Yesterday, Jo was playing in our yard with a whole group of friends, as usual.

We had little tiny water balloons filled up, which they were tossing at one another. It was 90 degrees, and it was a good way to cool off.

Jess had just stepped in the house to take a phone call. We all got our "new every two" Verizon phones, and she didn't want there to be any risk of it getting wet with the water balloon fun.

Josh was at work.

Robert was in the shower.

I was "swiffering" the living room floor.

Suddenly, Jo burst in the front door, crying.

One of the neighbor boys had hurt him and ran away, with his friend, laughing.

Several other boys stuck around to make sure he was okay, and to tell me what happened.

About a year ago one of these boys came in the yard and called Jess a "b" and tried to hit her. She ducked his punch, punched him (in front of about 12 kids) and knocked him down. He went crying home with a bloody nose.

Yesterday, this same boy took a piece of plastic tubing and swung it at Jo, slapping him across the face with it, leaving a bruise below his eye. These boys are fourteen years old. Jo is nine.

Then both boys ran out of the yard, laughing, yelling, "Stupid nigger!"

The remaining group ran in to tell me, Jo leading the pack, crying.

The boys were nowhere to be found when I got outside.

I walked across the street to where the older boys' grandparents live.

I explained the situation, and the grandmother (who is a saint) explained that she wasn't surprised, because the attitude about race trickled down to the kids from her husband. He walked up behind her, saw me, rolled his eyes, and walked away. I asked her to speak to her grandson about the situation. That he was no longer welcome in our yard, as he clearly had no concept of what respect is. I told her that I didn't care what their beliefs were, and they had every right to say whatever they wanted on their own property. I let her know that if anyone comes on my property and conducts themself in that way, then we have a problem.

I went up to the other boy's house (whose dad is the head of our animal control division, and I don't want to make an enemy of) and repeated my speech to her.

This boys' mom told me that she reserves the right to make a determination on the incident because I am "giving her only one side of the story." She didn't seem the least bit concerned, and seemed convinced that I was making up the whole story.

Today, we got in our car to go to work...and guess what? It wouldn't start. Coincidence? It had been running fine up until this morning. No engine light has come on, no funny noises, no issues starting or running. As we speak, it is being checked to see if it has been tampered with.

ALL WE WANT IS TO LIVE IN PEACE AND LET OTHERS DO THE SAME. To use an overused quote: "Can't we all just get along?"