How to be a racist for only .25 cents

This is a subject that I should probably not approach but here I go. The other day I was having breakfast with my wife when we left the restaurant and headed down the sidewalk to the car. Let me preface this by saying that we live in a “colorful” part of Dallas and by colorful I don’t mean black or white. Pretty much every color of the rainbow (including gay) is proudly represented within a (5) square mile radius of our home and frankly, we like the diversity. That said it’s actually a nice upscale neighborhood but poor zoning introduced liquor stores sometime ago and where there’s liquor, bums are sure to congregate. So anyway as we walked towards the car a black guy asked me for $0.25 cents. My default reply is not to give money to people who ask for it on the street. In fact I’ve heard every story you can image to sucker me into paying for their buzz. The thing I’ve found that works best to fend off bums is asking them for money before they get a chance to ask you, works every time. BTW if I sound indifferent towards homeless or down and out people, in some cases I am, others not so much. In the case of a responsible person who gets laid off, can’t find work and is finally forced into the street but keeps trying.. I’m on his side. On the other hand, the bum who has no idea what day it is, only cares about the next buzz, is a burden on others, throws trash in the street, harasses people, makes no effort to help himself and has for the most part “thrown the towel in”, good riddance I say.

So anyway I told the guy “no you can’t have $0.25 cents” and he said “thanks allot asshole”. I said “what did you say” and he said “you’re a racist”. So for him the difference between a racist and a non racist is only $0.25? Anyway I suggested he attempt to procure gainful employment (AKA get a f*cking job) and he said “I have one”. Then I said “so why are you asking me for $0.25 cents” and he said “because I didn’t get paid today.. mother fucker”. I literally busted out laughing which I’m sure he didn’t appreciate.

Now this is the truth but I don’t care if that guy was white as a ghost and dressed in a Armani suit, I still would have said the same thing. So he walked off with his middle finger in the air and I laughed my way back to the car but when I got in the car I started thinking about the much larger issue. About his life and what made him hate me the way he did. I’m pretty sure he didn’t hate me over $0.25 cents, so it had to be something else. Then it occurred to me that I really didn’t care because I try not to generalize and am pretty sure that guy didn’t represent anyone but himself, and that he was just another dumbass. It was sad to see him so bent out of shape over $0.25 cents and ready to get into a fist fight because he assumed I hated all black people when he appeared to hate all white people.

So where does that leave us? Who knows and who cares.. I voted to Obama but agree with tax cuts for the rich (because they create jobs). I’m liberal but I believe in people taking responsibility for themselves and I support the death penalty. I’m tolerant but think we should lower the boom on people who milk the system from wall street execs to food stamp abusers. I’m a non believer but respect religion and feel that it has a valid place in society.

We all have a long way to go..