Last night 10 neighbors came over to watch Obama’s acceptance speech with me and David. It was easily 95 outside and we don’t have A/C, but no one in our packed TV room noticed because we were witnessing something so very cool. Even cooler was the fact that yesterday was the 45^th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I have a Dream” speech.

I don’t care which side of the river you pitch your tent on, you’ve got to admit that Obama’s nomination represents an awesome achievement for America. Unless of course, you don’t think so.

A few days ago I read about a bunch of racist drug addicts arrested in a Denver hotel during a methamphetamine soiree. Apparently one of the female revelers called police when she became disturbed by the direction of the party conversation. To give you an idea, here’s what one of the guys told police after he’d been taken into custody “Black people don’t belong in public office. He ought to be shot.” They were booked on drug and weapons charges, but not for plotting an assassination, though apparently the case is still under investigation.  As the U.S. Attorney put it on Wednesday, “People do lots of stupid things on meth.” Yep.

So, it might just be a case of some guys being very high and exceedingly ignorant, neither of which is a crime in this country. But you can’t blame the law for being pro-active. Because it’s not always easy to tell the difference between your garden-variety racist drug addict and a dedicated assassin. And since Barack Obama is well… black… you can understand how that kind of talk might make the police a tad nervous. Unless, of course you can’t.

Whenever I read about or witness people being rude or bigoted, I can’t help but wonder, “Where did they learn this stuff?” It’s one of those trick questions I often ask myself. Not much of a trick, actually, because I always think I know the answer… their parents.

There’s a song from South Pacific that examines the perpetuation of racial intolerance… no it’s not “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair.” (Sorry, Team A. Team B, what’s your guess?) That’s right! The song is, “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught.” by Rogers and Hammerstein. They’re the same folks who brought “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and “This was a Real Nice Clam Bake.” But with “Carefully Taught,” they were operating on a whole other level. Considering that the song was written in 1949, left in the show despite pressure from producers, plus the fact that its message is still spot-on today makes it all the more admirable.

Anyway, here are the lyrics (and if you want to follow along while Matthew Morrison and Paulo Szot sing it, in the 2008 Broadway production):

You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear

You’ve got to be taught from year to year

It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear

You’ve got to be carefully taught

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made,

And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade,

You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late

Before you are six or seven or eight

To hate all the people your relatives hate

You’ve got to be carefully taught.

So, just curious, what was the take-away lesson you got from your parents when it came to how to treat people who are different from you? In what ways are you transmitting the same or different messages to your kids?

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

In friendship,

Annie