For the sake of Democratic Unity, if not for Humanity, let's *look within?*

[ShortnFiery]

Has anyone else HERE felt grossly embarrassed by being racially insensitive?

<crickets chirping>

OK, I'll go first. Back in the early 1980's when I was a young, attractive junior army officer stationed in Northern Japan I found myself going "bar hopping" with a group of other military members to include two Japanese Pilots.

Here's my stereotype: *Many* (not all and perhaps not most) Japanese men go literally "ga ga" over pretty blond women. :nuke: Probably because simply, we're different - real different in looks. Now, I'm not a racist but this stereotype can be softly held without guilt.

These two young Japanese Pilots were totally fixated on me and were asking me several questions in quick succession. I was asked where I was permanently stationed and replied, "On the Island of Oahu, Hawaii." Then I was asked "Where on the Island."

Then I immediately replied BEFORE THINKING "Do you know where Pearl Harbor is?"

The instant I asked that question I blushed RED and cast my eyes and head down. Do you get it? Asking Japanese Pilots if they know where Pearl Harbor is?!? However, the two young men smiled and said, "YES!" We continued our conversation.

To this day I will never forget how rude that comment was albeit I did not mean any harm. :blush:

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Don't you think that we can realize that Obama is HUMAN and made a gaffe? I'm so disgusted that MSNBC is still regurgitating this AS IF it was TRUE that Obama was being dismissive of White People.

Shame on the M$M.

And BTW, Anyone else Woman (or Man) enough to share their innocent gaffes that can be seen as racist with the rest of us?

[ShortnFiery]

1. One kick, just in case.

:dem:

[TooBigaTent]

2. Not a truly innocent one. Several years ago, sitting on I-95 in northern VA

in en enormous traffic jam. Stuck for over an hour, barely moving. Suddenly, a Cadillac comes tearing up the service lane, passing all of us that had been sitting in the hot sun, almost hitting my (and other) cars.

I noticed that the driver was a large black man in a suit.

Out of my mouth comes, "That god-damned black asshole." Two out of three ain't bad, but that third part was unnecessary - and racist.

Luckily, my wife called me on it and I admitted that she was correct.

[irish.lambchop]

3. My car broke down on I-95 several years ago

at around 2 in the morning. I was without a cell phone and was hoping for a trooper or an officer to stop. I was standing outside my vehicle when a car pulled in behind me. A large man in a trench coat exited his car. He happened to be African-American. I felt fear rise up within me - much to my shame. He took a look at the engine, did something - have no idea what, but my car started - and then followed me off the next exit to ensure I made it to a station from which I could use the payphone.

I know the exact age I was when prejudice/stereotyping was instilled in me. I was madly in love at the tender age of 10 with a school mate and our favorite thing to do was collecting unusual rocks. We were inseparable - until I invited him to my house. After he left, my mother informed me that she didn't think it was a good idea for us to play together anymore and when I asked why, she explained that he was black. I had absolutely no idea that he was any different than me. I never noticed. He was my best friend and I still think of him to this day (Hi Chester, if you're out there!) I will never forget how she made me feel that day . . . stained is the best way I can describe it.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Sort of in the same theme

A long time ago I was working night shifts as a cab driver in NYC. I'd get off early in the morning - around dawn, take the subway to my disgusting east village apartment, sleep a bit and pretend to be an aspiring artist until it was time to channel bob deniro again. One predawn morning I exited the subway and there was one other person, a black man, going up the stairs as well. Of course I had all my loot on me and the situation was a deserted 4am east village street, so I was a bit nervous. He was in front of me and we were both headed the same direction. We continued for a bit and then suddenly he freaked out, turned around, was clearly scared out of his mind and started screaming at me 'why the fuck are you following me!'. I nearly died laughing (internally) as I re-assured him that I meant him no harm and was just going home. My own fear of mugging by him was repeated in his fear of mugging by me, and in that one brief moment we were just two fellow new yorkers having one of those odd 'oh you too' moments.