Just Some Racial Observations

I grew up in a time and place where I never heard of a black man or woman ever referred to as other than the "N" word.  In fact both Brazil nuts and a type of candy, which I should know but cant remember, were both referred to as "nigger toes".

Being a fairly logical person even as a child I knew that if there were "nigger toes" there must be "niggers" to have them.  So, one day, out in the garden behind the outhouse I asked my grandfather what a "nigger" was.  Seemed pretty logical to me.

My grandfather said it referred to people who were not "white" but they did not like to be called that and I should always refer to them as "Colored People".  That sounds OK to me but just what does it matter if you call someone a "colored person" but you're thinking "nigger"?    Hey, I was maybe four years old but I was not stupid.

Being raised in rural, southeastern Kentucky I never heard a black person referred to as anything other than the "N" word.  Even by my parents who both claimed to not be prejudiced.  Makes me wonder why I'm not racially biased.  I guess it is because I never had the opportunity of seeing my parents being hypocrites.  They both always told me a person should be judged on his or her actions and not on his or her appearance.  There were no black, Hispanic or other minority around where I grew up so I just had their word for it and, at that time, you believed whatever your parents told you even when it was diametrically opposed.  So, I grew up really believing in the proposition that all men were created equal.  For that I am thankful.

I, personally, never knew anyone who was not Lilly white until I was around twenty five and moved to Florida.  I worked at a garbage company that was completely segregated.  All the mechanics and welders (I was a welder) were white and all the drivers and "can throwers" were black.  I guess I was just naive but I did not see that discrepancy at the time.  Most of the mechanics hated the drivers and did not respect them at all.  I never had a problem with any of them.  They turned in tickets and I fixed their trucks so they could run tomorrow. 

There was one driver who's name was Stan who comes to mind.  He was a good driver and rarely had problems with his truck.  He and I got along really well.  I did not think anything about it other than he was a nice guy.

Our shop was on Lantana Road about a half mile before it intersected with route 441.  On the corner there there was a small selection of businesses.  There was a small store (run by a white man) and a bar/liquor store and a (less than five star) motel as well as a little restaurant.  I used to go to the restaurant at lunch and get ox tail and rice and .... some other stuff...  I was always the only white person in there.

After work I'd go to the bar and buy some vodka.  That bar was a long, very narrow place where you barely had room to walk behind the people on the stools without hugging the wall.  I remember walking in there one evening after work and Stan has some other black man in a head lock and talking trash to him.  When I came in he swung the other man out of my way and I said, "Hi Stan" and he nodded.  I got my bottle and when I was leaving Stan was still giving that other guy hell and he swung him out of my way again so I could leave the place.

You know, it is a big piece of commons sense, but if you treat people with respect they will treat you with respect.  No matter where it is or what you're doing and I've been in some pretty shady places at one time or another.  Still, I've never found a place where I was that if I treated everyone with respect that they would treat me differently.  Maybe that is a revelation and maybe it isn't but it sure will never hurt to treat all other people with respect and demand that you are treated the same.

I wonder about Stan from time to time and wonder what ever became of him.  I got laid off and came back to Kentucky for various reasons (mostly political) and have no idea what happened to him or any of the other drivers. 

And I'd rather know that than what happened to most of the stupid SOB's I worked with on the "white side" and one in particular who is only alive because I did not believe the satisfaction I would get from killing him was worth spending the rest of my life in jail for.    And, should I ever get the word I have "X" amount of time to  live I'll spend that time looking him up and making sure he precedes me to judgement... whatever that may be.

They say forgive and forget... A VanHoose neither forgives or forgets and the only time we give up a grudge is when they start shovelling dirt on our face.  And then I'm not 100% sure.