OF ALL THE SENSES ~ THE ONE THAT WE LET BETRAY US IS THAT OF SIGHT

I know there is racism. I've experienced it although I am white. It's just that when I was "told" that all people were equal when my mother was raising me ~ I actually internalized that value before I learned that those were just "words" and my mother didn't really mean it. I'm glad my mother taught me this value, even though now I see the hypocrisy and that bothers me. A lot.

But because I have had the opportunity to a have black man in my life, I was able to have my understanding grow. My family provided the first life canvas to learn about racism while I was still innocent in my white upbringing-world. But it was also noticeable when we were at "open houses" on the market, at car dealerships, restaurants, walking down the street together... Now that we have a serious Presidential candidate who "looks" black, although he has a white mother and a black father, I am watching the racism issue having "undercover" comments, that are presented as something other than racism. And then there are the overt comments. I am a Barack Obama supporter, although it is not because he is black, but because of what kind of character I believe he has. I especially like that he wants "We the People" to be a very participatory part of our country and government. Not dismissed as we have been, during the Bush reign. And I notice the other candidates present what "they" will do, how "they" will solve "our" problems ~ without making the clarion call to "us" to do "our parts".

Today, I caught *Sidney Poitier in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", writing by William Rose. The scene at the *link includes Mr. Poitier's words that are the same as words that I have written about my mother. Particularly the part that includes that the character playing Sidney's father doesn't know him.... The reaction of the two sets of parents is interesting to me. I don't think it is so much different today for many families. My experience with my significant other's family was not exclusive, but inclusive. It was just my family that handled the situation with bigotry. *Katherine Hepburn in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" shines in *this scene. "It's not that I don't want to know you, although I don't..."

In a very special video Katharine Hepburn reads her letter to Spencer Tracy.