Never let it be said that racism isn't alive and well in the United States, in this the seventh year of the 21st century.
To be sure, this is stating the obvious. Yet it sometimes takes a personal experience to drive this point home (and I mean a different personal experience than the ones people of color live every day, since I am after all a privileged white woman).
I like to walk; it's my favorite form of exercise. I have several routes I follow, including a heart-buster of a trek straight up a fairly steep road into a new subdivision near my home. I've been taking this route at least twice a week. On this occasion, earlier this week, my well-trained colon announced its sudden urgency, and I had to go looking for an appropriate place to relieve it. This afforded itself in the discovery of a porta-pottie on a cul-de-sac in said subdivision. Upon entry, this sight greeted my startled and horrified eyes.
Two swastikas; WHITE PRIDE scrawled above the second, obviously using a Sharpie; and this charming message written on the inside of the door.
"Fuck all Mexicans, nigers (sic; this is not surprising, as a lot of idiots like this don't seem to know how to spell) Indians you ain't white fucked die Bitches"
Ugh. I wrote this tripe down in my little notebook so I could get it exactly right, but just repeating the words makes me feel soiled. It's terrifying to think there are still people out there who believe this nonsense. Simple logic will tell you the opposite, and any amount of life experience will reinforce the fact that no matter of what race, people are just...human beings.
Yet this vileness still hides in the depths of the human psyche.
The only good thing I can take from this is that these days, most racists (except for KKK diehards) don't proclaim their monstrosities openly. It's rather ironic--or blackly humorous, perhaps--that this uneducated sot wrote his ravings on the inside of a portable toilet. Talk about a captive audience. What's amazing to me is that someone hasn't called the owner up and reported it, and demanded that the offending pottie be removed.
Maybe I will. After I take my own Sharpie, go up there, and add a few relevant words to the debate.
2 comments:
What a good post! It's somehow always seemed appropriate to me that the wretches who scrawl their hatred typicallly do it in places reserved for defecating and urinating.
I think the cowardice of these people speaks for itself. How sad.
ps, I just found this blog and it's nice to see a woman of the faith who isn't afraid to speak out. keep up the good work.
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