Way to kick Martin Luther King Day in the balls, Grandma

[ginalin]

This is basically a rant against people who think they're not racist, but in such subtle ways they don't recognize it. Especially around my kids, who thankfully are grown enough to give people who are racist a big eye roll, even if it's their grandmother

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[ginalin]

My mother in law isn't quite that openly racist,(or she's just savvy enough not to use the N word in public...her mother was a school teacher and she went to college) but I've seen definite signs of discomfort around black people (especially men) and anyone who isn't distinctly white, middle class looking.

It's that subtle stuff that really bugs me sometimes...I'd like to see someone who is better educated and who lived in two of America's major cities update their mindset a bit more.

We were watching a TV drama the other day that had two men kissing and she freaked too...in front of her gay son. We watch hetero couples kissing all day long (metaphorically, I don't watch that much TV) and never once seen it bother her.

I was so "You're not OVER THAT YET?"
But she's constantly bragging about how open minded she is about homosexuality now...except watching expressions of it, I suppose.

I'd be less aggravated if she said, "I still have problems with racism and homophobia because of the way I was raised." than this phony baloney pretending to be when in reality she's still shocked and frightened of anyone different.

Oh, I get to hear comments about Jews all the time too...so glad we're moving out in a few weeks.
I won't miss any of this stuff, and neither will my kids. They've lost considerable respect for their grandmother in some ways, sad to say.