Racist

 Is poking a little fun at people racist ? I think it is a slippery slope to tread upon. I guess I just can't help it but I often do. I do try to limit it to those I am closer to, those that know my personality. One has to be cautious these days. I'm certain it has to do with the time and place I was raised. I've written entire blogs about that. Funny how we locals tend to think of certain folks as " characters " but non-locals are just kooks. Is that racist ? I would say it was based on a prejudicial judgement of their perceived character. It doesn't always concern their race. I would say it has to do with ethnicity. What's the difference you say ? Race is a matter of biology and ethnicity deals with culture. We often confuse the two. It is my thinking a whole lot of people confuse the two. When I am poking fun at people it is because of their ethnicity, not their race. It is true that certain races may have certain ethnic traits associated with them but that is not disparaging to the race. It is the source of humor. That is why it is important to be able to laugh at yourself. If you can't understand and recognize your own ethnic background how can you possibly understand another's ?
 I began to think about this because of a joke I saw on Facebook. I've shared it several times now and some of you may know it. It is a picture of a pumpkin, carved to be a jack o' lantern. The joke is the eyes are slanted and it is wearing a coolie hat. The caption says, he is a Jack O Rantern. Ha,Ha the joke is the way you are supposed to read the sentence. Is it racist to say that Chinese folks replace L's with R's in learning to speak English ? No, it is an ethnic thing. I'm quite certain many foreign language speakers do the same with English speakers. I get teased about having a New York accent all the time. Do I care ? Not one bit. I will admit it can be annoying when they feign they can't understand what I am saying. That is also something I'm sure those foreign language speakers share with me. I mean, each of us know what we are saying. Another favorite of mine I see often on Facebook is the Mexican word of the day. They are the same type thing, poking fun at an ethnic group.
 Yesterday I made a Jack O' Rantern for my grandson. I left it on his side table in his bedroom. It gave him a smile. I asked if he had shared it with anyone and he said no. His concern was that it was racist. You see that is the world he is growing up in, the world of political correctness. Some would argue that it is just being sensitive to the issues. I can see that but disagree. I think it is important that we teach our children the difference between racism and ethnic differences. The idea is to blend all the cultures together, not to separate them. That is why we call America the melting pot. Ultimately we will all be one big ethnic group composed of many races. Yes it is a subtle difference but one that should be taught. It is my belief we must learn to be comfortable with other before we can form lasting bonds. One thing at a time. I think the best way is to keep it light, respectful but light. When we learn to laugh with each, at each other, discussion can begin. The funniest things are often funny because of the truth they expose. If we teach our children to handle some good natured ribbing is that not teaching them to listen to the truth as well ? Yes there are boundaries, I understand that. I'm not talking about being a bully. The thing is you have to cross the fence every now and again to know what is on the other side. You can't travel with blinders on, that is unless you wish to be led.

Conscious say : raf it up, rife too short to be sad