It's difficult for me to look back even as
near as 50 years ago and pin the term
"racist" on anyone. Certainly, it was
racist behavior. But the times were
drastically different. Remember that
1950 was only 85 years after 1865,
the official defeat of the South in
the American Civil War.
85 years is only 2 generations later,
not much time at all to radically change
ideas and behavior.
I now live outside New York City and
have occasion to regularly travel to
Columbus, Georgia, the deep, deep
South. And I can tell you, it's like going
back into time 50 years in some ways.
This country could still be called racist,
but that's such a broad term to apply.
The Northeast is certainly far less racist
in hiring, treatment, etc. than the Southeast.
But even here I hear racist comments.
I ramble, but my point is this - Not as much
has changed as we would like in the South.
And a lot has changed in the North. But
we are still fairly racist as only 137 years
has passed.
137 years from now, I'm sure all will look
back absolutely appalled that we frowned
upon interracial marriage. How backwards
of us. How racist. But in my very bones,
I am against it. And that is probably a racist
feeling. 137 years ago, some in this country
felt as strongly about their circumstances.
And I'm sure those in charge of Australia
felt as strongly. But it's more the result of
the environment they lived in. Change
comes incrementally. And slowly.
Were the powerful in Australia wrong to do
what they did? Not necessarily when they
did it. I think it's very difficult to judge the
past with views generated in the present.
Steve
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