Friday, January 06, 2006

Racism

One needs only to sit in a waiting room somewhere to find out that racism is alive and well in our culture. Waiting for my car last week, I got an earful from several others waiting.

No, we no longer have water fountains and bus seats marked "For Whites Only," but we still have unreasonably priced real estate which forces the poor (both whites and others) to live segregated, dangerous lives. Nashville downtown is full of "projects
where many shootings occur.

No, we don't have schools set aside for use by whites only, but fees and entrance exams rule out others who could attend.The lottery for places in magnet schools in Nashville was yesterday. There were 3,500 applicants. I will tell you later how many got in.

No, we don't have segretated lunch counters, but the salaries paid to many of other races prohibit them from eating out.

No, our churches are not segregated any more. How many folks of other races do you have in your pews? Last Sunday at Otter, I saw 5 in a crowd of 800.

If I hear anyone say again in my hearing, "The Hispanics are taking our jobs,"I may give a very unChristian response.

I am consciously guarding my life and thoughts this year to banish racism there.

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