12, I got my first real job, working
after school and Saturdays clerking
AGE 36 at the local camera store for 50¢ an
hour. Once hired, I ran home with the
good news.
2010 / P
“What’s your boss’ name?”
Y
asked my mother.
“Sam Sherman,” I answered.
Prejudiced? Me?
Alarmed, my mother declared,
“He must be a Jew.”
FEBRUAR
nism and all things Russian that my fa-
altogether. Like so many father/son re-
To which I said, “He can’t be,
ther openly suspected his son of pinko
lationships of yore, we seldom spoke
Mom. He’s a nice guy!”
tendencies when I took a comparative
anyway. It was mostly a stern father/
Actually, that was the day I
government course that included the
dumb son relationship.
learned about prejudice. If there
Soviet Union.
At the time, I saw my father as a
was nothing wrong with Sam, then
Most of all, my father hated Frank-
bigoted fool.
just maybe there was plenty wrong
lin Roosevelt, whose first name I share.
I myself had no prejudices. It was
in my parents’ evaluation of Jews.
My grandfather was a Franklin, named
with my pure, prejudice-free voice that,
Haven’t you had such an epiph-
after our 14th President, Franklin Pierce.
as a college freshman, I carefully ex-
any? The result is that ours is a less
To please my grandparents, my par-
plained to a black man who’d gradu-
bigoted generation than our parents
ents named me after him, a decision
ated from my university years before
and grandparents. It’s not that we’re
By Frank Kaiser with which they were never comfort-
— in fact, the first of his color to do
wiser. Just that we live in more afflu-
Ask my parents, born almost able.
so — that it was important that we as
ent times.
100 years ago now, if they were Once, after graduating from a uni-
a country avoid interracial marriages.
When the Germans, Irish, Chi-
prejudiced. They’d have flatly re- versity paid for in no small part by my
So ashamed am I now, this is the
nese, Italians, and the rest immi-
jected the notion. father’s sweat and thrift, I casually in-
first I’ve ever revealed this incident. To
grated, they took scarce jobs for less
R
E
Yet, I grew up in a house hat- formed him that Roosevelt had saved
anyone. Today my wife’s and my best
pay and were fiercely hated until as-
P ing Jews, suspicious of Catholics, capitalism.
friends are a mixed-race couple. Even
similated. As a Kaiser during World
A
P
barely tolerant of “colored folks,” After this particularly offensive blas-
saying that falls lame next to my words
War I, my grandfather had rotten
S
and so abhorrent towards commu- phemy, Dad stopped speaking to me
and thoughts of 48 years ago.
cabbages thrown at him.
W
And that’s the whole point. We
E
seldom recognize our prejudices until * * *
When You Need Help
we’re through with them.
Suddenly Trivia:
Giving Care...
I hear blatant bigotry daily. Just
how dumb, crooked, arrogant, corrupt,
What year did the Supreme
ADULT DAY CARE lazy, inept, they-should-all-just-go- Court rule against the
ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE
back-where-they-came-from (choose
doctrine of “separate
one or all of the above) are the Cu-
ALZHEIMER’S CARE
bans, Mexicans, blacks, Anglos, Jews,
but equal” schooling?
NEIGHBORS N
CAREGIVER SUPPORT SERVICES
gays (choose one or more). Listen a) 1864 b) 1941 c) 1954
Caring Is Ageless
closely and you hear most everyone
If growing older is indeed a time
hating everyone. Yet not one admits to
of reflection and the betterment of
prejudice.
our souls, we must dare to examine
Sun City/Menifee Valley • (951) 672-9536 29995 Evans Rd., Sun City
Where does this stuff come from? our own prejudices.
Adult Day Services
Riverside • (951) 509-2500 4130 Adams St., Suite B, Riverside
Our parents, I’d guess. When I was Last week did you, as I did, cross
Quality Care Since 1978 online:
www.careconnexxus.com • email:
info@careconnexxus.com
the street to avoid a peaceful group
of black teens? That’s prejudice. And
those boys saw it for what it was
long before it bubbled to my mind’s
surface.
They were guilty of “standing
around while black.” There was dam-
age done between the races, bigotry
between souls.
Next time, I hope to do better.
When I’m again in that position
— and I will be, for that’s the way
the Universe works with important is-
SS
S S sues — I hope to demonstrate both
SS
S S
EE
E E
the courage and consideration not to
NN
N N
prejudge.
LL
L L
Think how good I’ll feel about
LL
L L
EE
E E
myself. It’s not every day that you
can make the world a little bit better.
W
W
W
W
Or is it?
dd
d d
nn
n n
Suddenly Trivia Answer: c) 1954
a
a
a
a
HH
H H
TT
T T
LL
L L
H
&
AA
A A
EE
W
E E
HH
H H
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