I was brought up in Central NYS in the turmoil of the 60s' and 70s'. Cortland had 20,000 residents and SUNY @ Cortland. We also had only 1 black family and we embraced them. He had no choice but to date white girls and we thought nothing of it.

I remember driving to Cape Hatteras in 1971. We stopped at a restaurant at the Chesapeake Bay area. The owners flat refused to wait on a black family, and I was livid. My Dad could not get out of there fast enough. I always thought he should have said or done something for the family.

I was raised that saying anything inflammatory towards the black people was okay. On my own volition, I quit when I was old enough to understand....or rather NOT understand WHY people continued using this degrading term. [I was made fun of in high school for being a geek and supposedly fat.(133 lbs!) I bought into their rendition of me and it took its' toll on my self esteem...I did not want to participate in this kind of behavior towards anyone....EVER.] I sensed people were *afraid* of the Jewish community....nothing was ever said except when referred to them...it was always "Oh..they are Jewish". Amazing.

As the Universe is my witness....I simply don't get it. I am incapable of this mentality.