WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN...

Some time ago I was invited to a post football game party by a friend. While I knew a few of the folks there, I was definitely the outsider. In other words, everyone knew everyone else and the party was kind of clique-ish. Most of the attendees were academic elites; therefore very liberal/democrat, compared to me, the private sector/white collar/professional. Of course, I was drivel in their eyes.

The elderly gentleman that was catering the party and serving as bar tender was black, and I have to say that he made the best barbeque ribs that I’ve ever put in my mouth. Dreamland was his major competitor and his ribs were hands down better. Before dinner, while everyone was enjoying appetizers and drinks, some of the liberals in the group were talking to the elderly gentleman in what I would call “black”, “soul”, “ebonics”. To me it was quite sickening how they were patronizing this nice man.

After dinner and dessert, the attendees kind of went into their own little groups to talk about whatever. Because the person that invited me to the party made no effort to include me and make sure that I was having a good time, I was ignored. So, I sat at the bar and talked to the elderly gentlemen while he was cleaning up. I tried to help him some, but he wouldn’t hear of it. I talked to him like I would talk to everyone else and we had a very nice conversation which lasted for over an hour.

When he had finished cleaning up and packing up, the clique came back in and once again a few of the liberals started in on the black/soul/ebonics talk. The old gentleman has been dead for a while. At one time he did open his own barbeque restaurant and the times I dined there, I was treated like royalty. Of course, everyone was treated well because that was the type of man he was.  

 
As a republican, I don’t see things in terms of race because I learned from Dr. Martin Luther King that we should judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Do I think liberals and democrats will ever do this? We can always hope. But it’s been a generation since Dr. King spoke these words and they haven’t done it yet. Sadly, I doubt they ever will.