Prejudice

Prejudice is something I managed to grow up without.  As a child in post-war Europe there were some resentments evident throughout the cultures I lived in.  The French had some hard feelings towards the Germans.  The Germans had some strong words concerning both the French and Italians.  And, everyone hated the Romanians - they are after all gypsies.....

If a gypsy caravan was within twenty miles of our town the police were warning everyone to tie down their stuff and lock their daughters away!  Apparently there were no "gay" gypsy bands. 

As for my parents, father hated "christians", whom he blamed for the war and the defeat of Germany.  Mother hated blacks and indians - odd mix for her since she was to see her first black man in Germany and he was a really nice guy.  As for the indian part, her father was a Umatilla indian, whom had a drinking problem (hence my 25% American indian).

So, I have never had any real understanding of prejudice because my mind does not acccept someone else's beliefs without understanding them first.  Child psychologist would argue that one, except you have to understand that I always identified more with my grandmother and Danish great-uncle than either of my parents!

In any event, the reason I am writing on this subject is because I got an answer from my resigning volunteer - he is quitting because he does not believe that minorities should be spotlighted to be candidates for working within the scientific realm!  Yeah, that is our project, how to encourage young minority females to consider the sciences and engineering as an occupation!  I was left quite speechless.

Amazingly, this 19 year old male does not seem to be genetic throwback, at least around here.  I have been stumbling across several dozen "Bubbus Americanus" types, almost all under 25 years old.  What on earth, within our local rather permissive culture, is suddenly breeding  George Wallace types? 

Unfortunately, I have to include my own son in that one.  Also at 19, he reflects none of my beliefs nor core values.  I can blame his first five years in a Russian orphanage, or look real hard at the local school district - because the vile that comes from his mouth and his deeds - were never mine.....

When I came to America (1969), I toured the south and checked out all of the sites of the on-going civil rights war.  Swiss-white Boy was not only the wrong color but not "southern" enough to not go unmolested in my travels through those hotbeds of emotion.  But, I learned a great deal about the injustices done to the blacks - as well as, I did understand the situation because I was extremely well versed on the South African situation.  So, much of what I found was nothing but ignorance.

It was actually almost with glee that in a South Carolina high school my first American friend was a young black man by the name of Clarence Gunn.  First it was a shocker to the adults and he was someone I could trust my back to - important when you are a foreigner in a land with foreigner phobias!  Both important to any teenager.  And one day I do hope to catch up with him and find out how the years have gone......

As for my ex-"employee"?  Good riddance to white trash.