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Thursday, March 13, 2003 Page: 3A
OPINION
My wife and daughter were dressed for a hockey game when they walked up to
Boscov’s jewelry counter Saturday.
The customer who stepped up a minute later was dressed for a night on the
town. Guess who was waited on first?
It may have been an honest mistake. My wife, who almost walked away, is
convinced that she was a victim of economic profiling. I’ve seen it before.
I was an occasional customer of a Chinese take-out restaurant that always
kept the cash register drawer open.
When I wore shorts and a T-shirt, the owner would calculate the bill by
hand on a notepad. Then she would make change without ringing up the sale,
allowing her, I assume, to pocket the money.
But when I wore a suit and tie and looked like a revenue agent, she would
run the shrimp fried rice through the register and pass along the taxes.
This is, perhaps, the mildest form of discrimination.
It was hinted that I exhibited the most serious form – racism after writing
a tongue-in-cheek column about Toyota competing in the NASCAR stock car racing
series.
A reader referred to it as the rantings of a “babbling idiot,” while a
copy editor, who is white, questioned whether I was being insensitive to the
Japanese by using terms like “kamikaze kids” and “harikari moves.”
Previously, I called the French, most of whom are white, a “bunch of snail
eaters.” Nobody complained about that.
It’s unfortunate that we’re only allowed to laugh at ourselves, and those
exactly like us. I would make fun of all people equally, but I guess I’m
limited to picking on thick-headed, pudgy, middle-aged white guys like Mayor
McGroarty and me.
It’s time to watch yourself
Racism is most evident during wars, and we’re on the brink. The possibility
of reprisals by terrorists on our soil makes the situation even touchier. But
we’ve got to be on our best behavior. No joking.
After 9-11, things got a little crazy in this country.
We plastered everything with American flags. Betsy Ross and Wal-Mart made
millions.
Singer Lee “Proud to be an American” Greenwood started playing stadiums
again, as patriotic music filled the airwaves, and was piped into the Public
Square.
President George “Quick Draw” Bush fired back, and garnered his highest
approval ratings since the Supreme Court elected him.
And Islamic Americans came under attack from misguided patriots who don’t
understand the meaning of “liberty and justice for all.”
Nationally, in scenes reminiscent of past wars, government officials
rounded up the usual suspects – people of whatever race we’re fighting against
– for questioning.
In Luzerne County, according to a crime prevention specialist with the
District Attorney’s Office, some residents reported their Islamic neighbors
for simply being Islamic.
This time, we have to behave, and remember that we can only pick on
ourselves, and those like us.
So instead of taking out their frustrations on Islamic Americans, the
irrational people among us should pick on the mayor instead.
Call Jones at 829-7215 or e-mail caseyj@leader.net.