The bad old days

Back in the 70's I was having afternoon tea in a plush hotel in Johannesburg where I was staying for a few days. I was served by a very sweet and gentle old man who had a beaming smile.

After I had enjoyed the beautiful tea and cakes, and the service with a smile, I decided to you back to my room before taking a walk into town. I got into the lift but before the doors had chance to close the very same man that had so nicely served me tea was wanting to get in the lift. He hesitated for a while before asking if he could come into the lift with me... strange I thought. Of course I said 'yes'. Why would he think he would have to ask to get in the lift with me? He looked delighted at my reply.

I later mentioned this to someone and they informed me that he would not be allowed to get into the same lift as me without asking permission first. The reason why... he was black. I felt sick and ashamed all at the same time, how could anybody treat another in such a way.

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Comment by s <3 on April 9, 2009 at 6:22pm: Wow... that was enlightening. America has a lot of hate and fear. I don't see Obama as black man, his mother is white his father is black... he is just a 'human' trying to do good.

Comment by Mitsuyoshi Mark on April 9, 2009 at 6:07pm: About three months before President Obama was elected until election day, I frequented and 'crossed swords' on a blog site that was infested with the most virulent racist peckerwood rednecks spewing the wildest lies about our future president. "He's a secret Muslim terrorist plant." or "He can't be President because he was really born in Kenya." or even, "He killed his grandmother (Who died of cancer a short time before election day) because she was going to tell the secret that would sink his campaign."

In fact, some of these folks are still clinging to the hope that a frivolous lawsuit over his birthplace will succeed. It has long since been proven ad nauseum that he was born right here on Oahu, and the courts dismiss the claims, but they refile as soon as its tossed out.

Truth, decency, and simple reasoning doesn't matter to people like this. I surmise they cling to their hatred because they can't imagine a world without it. Its become a source of perverse comfort to them somehow.

How does one deal with this kind of unhinged prejudice? I'd really like to know. Like I said, I fought on that site. Did it win any converts? I doubt it. Just seemed to make them dig in their heels more.

I'm just thankful that their ilk is a shrinking minority in this country these days. But I doubt they'll ever really go away, and the ones left are pretty hard core. Well...one other good thing is that the vast majority of them are "dumber 'n a two by four" too...