[Beth]

Ok, I agree that the minority groups do feel the oppression of the majority group. I am well aware of racism and rather agree with the article from Tim Wise that Liv posted. I just do not put up with it from any side.

I have experienced slurs from black girls in a predominately black school. I was transferred there after attending another predominately black school in the projects where I had tons of black friends, the girls would take turns plaiting my blonde hair, we would cut up, I would marvel at their hair and at how cool it was that it would just stay in place in a braid with no need of a holder...the hair thing was the only asthetic difference we took note in and we loved that difference. Other than that, we were just giggling girlfriends. (I might also add that before this school, I had only known a few other black girls, one in my neighborhood, and a few from school.)

When I transferred to this other school, it was hell from the start. In the locker room, on my first day, I was pinned by a group of black girls using every slur that I imagine can be used for a white girl. They threatened me, tripped me, and told me that they were gonna push me down the stairs one day if I did not change my stuck-up honkey attitude. This went on constantly. In the halls, I would be tripped by some black girl for being a honkey, I would have black boys threaten me with knives, or until I became the resource officer's assistant. I, not once, adopted a racist attitude, never decided that my oppression and the hatred I was dealing with justified the way my family spoke of the black people and it helped me understand some of the hatred black people do experience from whites.

My son is now in a predominately black middle school, he was given a concussion by a black boy a few weeks ago because my son is a cracker. My son tried to avoid the boy, to be the better person and sit at his table and behave and the kid decided that he would hit my son in the back of the head. So after this racially motivated incident that the school ignored (until I threatened filing complaint with the school board), I decided that when another child a called my son a cracker with a hateful and racist tone that I would make sure the offender was punished. Especially because of the last incident and since it is a violation of the hate crimes act in Florida and that is a punishable offence by the school board, I felt I should not just ignore the racism just because my son was white.

I understand the vileness of the 'n' word. I never say that word. I did once as a child until someone explained to me the meaning of it. I also accept when people call me a cracker, although I am not one, because it is basically like calling a northerner a Yank. Just a term, no really bad connotations and I usually make some sort of joke. I accept black people calling me a cracker or using 'you crackers' as long as there is not a hateful implication there and yes, I can tell the differences.

I think that we must say enough.

Now days, I rarely face any sort of racism.I smile widely to both blacks and whites or just ignore them equally. I am kind and polite and usually feel at ease in black neighborhoods (except for one area). I can understand that most in racial minority groups are not honestly able to say that they rarely continue to face racism. Because of this, I accept that the "n" word has a history of oppression and really is not exactly the same as cracker. But, to me, both words can be used in hate and to reopen racial divides that we are trying to mend through education down here. So these inciting words should not be tolerated.

I think that the racial tensions in this nation will not ease until the south no longer has those alive that remember being oppressed by the law or those who remember being superiors to those oppressed. I do not think that until those who felt what it was like to be forced to stand "n" the back of the bus or to use a different toilet or to use a different water fountain or to be refused service simply because their skin was a different color, or those who felt the empowerment of suppressing that group and relishing the good ole days when the whites were legally superior to the inferior black man pass into the annuls of history that any racial divides will truly be bridged.