So I'm sitting in the Gardendale Library while my son attends a class, and this evidently is a hangout for some kids from the Gardendale school system while they wait on their parents to come pick them up. I get John to his class, look up a few books for him, and while I'm doing this, I notice 4 black boys, probably 12-13 years old, maybe older, sitting in the kids section, occupying a table that's for the kids. They're being semi loud, but no louder than anyone else, so that's not a problem. One of them is talking on a cell phone, when not even 5 feet away, there is a sign that says "Please refrain from the use of cell phones in the Library- (place on silent) If you must take a call use the lobby. One of the employees asks him nicely if he'd please move to the lobby to finish his call. He sits there for a minute, then gets up, immediately grabs the side of his pants to hold them up, and walks towards the door. A few minutes later, he returns, having completed his call, but holding his pants at the waist line just above his crotch.
I was sitting a few feet away from where he rejoined his friends, and was on facebook at the time, and made a status update saying "dear Young Black America:
If you'd buy pants that fit, and learn how to tighten your belt, you wouldn't have to walk around holding your pants up as you walk, meanwhile they're showing your butt off in the process. Just a friendly little tip from your pal Hammer" more or less due to my frustration of seeing a rather annoying site.
One of them evidently was looking at me as I posted it because he turned to his friends and said something about the guy talking about black people on his computer. He turned and asked me why I posted that. I replied "well, belts were made for a reason, and that's to keep our pants up, and your friend obviously doesn't know how to use his." Out of all the things he could have argued or got mad about, this was not it. He replied, "no man, the thing about "BLACK" America...
I asked him what he'd prefer to be called, and his reply was the stereotypical "African American". I asked him where he was born. He said right here in Birmingham. I asked his friends in return, where they were born. 1 in Gardendale, one in Birmingham, one in South Tennessee. So I asked, why would they want to be called an AFRICAN American, if they were born in Alabama, with respect to the one having been born in Tennessee. He looked at me rather annoyed, and turned back to their friends. He replied "I don't like being called black". This argument could have continued had I chosen, me stating I don't like to be called white, and I really don't like the word 'Caucasian'. But that's my personal feelings. What should I be called? Tan? Olive? Multiple colors since I have various shades of complexion from my body and it's various exposures to the sun?
My point is, I think we've gone too far with political correctness. I think the racism has gone too far. When I was in school, kids were called that white kid, or that black kid, and nobody had a problem with it. How could a 13 year old kid know about racism? Why would his parents teach him about things like this?
It's pretty sad. This could turn in to a very long rant or posting about this topic, but I'm not going to do that.
I don't understand how people can still take offense to something that started over 200 years ago, something that has no direct affect on ANY generation today...
I don't think I would care to be called a Arizonian American since I was born in Arizona. I don't think these kids should be called Birminghamian Americans since they were born in Birmingham. We've painted ourselves in to a corner with the political correctness. Where do we go with it? Why do people have to be so offended over such stupid, minor, trivial stuff?
So, does my thoughts and feelings on this make me Anti PC? I hope so. Racist? I don't think so. Against kids who wear their pants down to their knees because they obviously don't know what a belt is and the proper use for it? You bet your bare butt I am.
Just another senseless rambling from your friendly neighborhood Hammerman.
amen.
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