I once had an aunt who was a lovely lady but she was particularly fearful of non-white human beings in groups. She didn't have a dram of prejudice in her towards any one person of color but the minute she saw two or more together, she started worrying about race riots and gangs and people pulling knives. "Pulling knives" was a particular concern.Someone should have asked Auntie to "Let the Sunshine In."
There's a story about her that I know sounds bogus but knowing her, I tend to believe it. It took place around the pool of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in the late sixties.
She and my uncle were hanging out there on vacation when she noticed some black people gathered, talking loudly and acting a bit rowdy. I don't know if she overheard some remarks or just what it was but she was suddenly seized by the fear that even though they were wearing swimsuits, they were about to pull knives and do something ghastly. Nervously, she hurried over to a Security Guard, pointed the black people out and suggested he keep an eye on them.
The Security Guard took a look, then told her, "I'm going to be watching them tonight in the showroom, ma'am. That's The Fifth Dimension."
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Mark Evanier Throws His Aunt Under the Bus
From Mr. Evanier's blog:
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2 comments:
I call bullshit. That's an urban myth that's been circulating for as long as they've let black folks into places like the Sands.
Cheryl,
In fairness to Mr. E, the sentence immediately preceding my excerpt read: "There's a story about her that I know sounds bogus but knowing her, I tend to believe it."
And my experience with stereotypical white folks of a certain age is that they tend to live up to the stereotypes of white folks of a certain age.
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the incident recounted by Mr. Evanier actually occurred -- with different white and black characters -- more than a dozen times during the 60's.
Of course, the ubiquity of a story about race doesn't necessarily mean it's true -- but it doesn't necessarily mean it's false either.
-- SCAM
so-called "Austin Mayor"
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com
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