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True stories of the race war
Dec. 29th, 2008 08:26 pmFor as much time as we spent in middle school discussing prejudice and reading stories about prejudice and racial tension, I would expect that word to be in the vocabulary of every public middle school graduate in the country. I seldom hear it. I've heard people accuse others of being racist, but never prejudiced, in all seriousness. Until tonight, anyway.
The family went up to the Chinese buffet on Cactus for Granddad's 86th birthday. As we were exiting this mildly-scruffy vaguely-ethnic man asked us if we could "help him get home". Mom said "No, no", and the rest of us politely ignored him. Usually this sort of response is met with a crestfallen "Thank you; God bless" or something of that sort, or at worst, a little nagging, like that guy on College Ave who asked me for change every single fucking day and half-heartedly yelled "Come on!" after me when I had none.
This guy, on the other hand, started yelling "What, are you fucking prejudiced? Can't help a guy get home, you mother fuckers?", etc, the entire time we walked to the car. In my infinite patient wisdom I thought it wise to yell "Extremely" over my shoulder, but Dad told me to shut up. Clearly, this guy was just loaded off his ass, and in retrospect it isn't wise to provoke people who may be hopped up on PCP or meth or something. The guy tracked us awkwardly on the sidewalk edging the parking lot as we walked diagonally to the car, and after the seventh-or-so "Mother fucker" or something like that, Granddad stopped and faced the guy, reaching into his coat. Dad and I called to him, and for one crazy second I wondered if he was going to bust out on this guy, which, while suicidal, would have been immensely entertaining. I've never seen him mad before. He makes me look vile-tempered in comparison. Granddad finally turned around and asked us if he should call the cops, and Dad said it wasn't worth it, which is true. Guy hadn't assaulted anybody, and I'm not sure if the police would appreciate being called out because some guy dropped some f-bombs around us. Were that qualification for being arrested, I would never be here on the outside. He finally quietly retired to the bus stop.
I wonder if he's gotten anybody to turn around and give him a ride home by accusing them of being prejudiced. Even my upper-middle-class white guilt has its limits.
The family went up to the Chinese buffet on Cactus for Granddad's 86th birthday. As we were exiting this mildly-scruffy vaguely-ethnic man asked us if we could "help him get home". Mom said "No, no", and the rest of us politely ignored him. Usually this sort of response is met with a crestfallen "Thank you; God bless" or something of that sort, or at worst, a little nagging, like that guy on College Ave who asked me for change every single fucking day and half-heartedly yelled "Come on!" after me when I had none.
This guy, on the other hand, started yelling "What, are you fucking prejudiced? Can't help a guy get home, you mother fuckers?", etc, the entire time we walked to the car. In my infinite patient wisdom I thought it wise to yell "Extremely" over my shoulder, but Dad told me to shut up. Clearly, this guy was just loaded off his ass, and in retrospect it isn't wise to provoke people who may be hopped up on PCP or meth or something. The guy tracked us awkwardly on the sidewalk edging the parking lot as we walked diagonally to the car, and after the seventh-or-so "Mother fucker" or something like that, Granddad stopped and faced the guy, reaching into his coat. Dad and I called to him, and for one crazy second I wondered if he was going to bust out on this guy, which, while suicidal, would have been immensely entertaining. I've never seen him mad before. He makes me look vile-tempered in comparison. Granddad finally turned around and asked us if he should call the cops, and Dad said it wasn't worth it, which is true. Guy hadn't assaulted anybody, and I'm not sure if the police would appreciate being called out because some guy dropped some f-bombs around us. Were that qualification for being arrested, I would never be here on the outside. He finally quietly retired to the bus stop.
I wonder if he's gotten anybody to turn around and give him a ride home by accusing them of being prejudiced. Even my upper-middle-class white guilt has its limits.
