OPIE moving south

“A lot of good thoughts on this thread, expressed in a variety of ways, but all taking a strong stand and saying the right things.

I'm proud of all who stood up and said what needed to be said.”

“Oh gosh, my baby's thread has gone from talking about prince to racism. What will be next?

Well I just got home from helping move him back down to south Alabama :( Of course just like everytime you move it rained on the way down there and his stuff got a little wet. I don't think anything major got ruined or I hope not anyway. But he is now at home with his parents until he figures out what he wants to do. I'm going to miss him so much but hopefully we can get everything figured out soon. I've also got a friend I'll be able to ride down there with on the weekends she goes home.

*hugz to the best boyfriend in the world that I'm going to miss tons*”

“G/L to you!! How is the job search going?”

“Miss Opie, we were talking about John Prine, NOT that goofy little guy that changed his name to a symbol for a while.

John Prine is one of the best songwriter/singers popular before your young time.

Geez, didn't UA teach you anything? ;)

We did go back to Opie before the thread was racially hijacked.

I wish the best for the two of you.”

“Just sitting here chatting with Miss Opie on IM. I'll keep a close eye on her for ya Opie. Real close.

LOL

Just kidding, you kids hang in there.”

“ok maybe i need to get my eyes checked. sorry about that steve stomper. i didnt even read all the lyrics to the song, i just glanced over it when i saw it wasn't abour opie.”

“To: All the folks that are experts on "racism".

Have you ever lived, or worked with people that are from a different "race"*?

*Note - I hate this term, because we are all part of the human race.

List of comparable stereotypes:

1. black v. white
2. SEC fans v. Big Ten fans
3. Conservative v. Liberal
4. North v. South
5. Down v. Synthetic
6. Christians v. non-christians
7. Men v. Women
8. Leno v. Letterman
9. Lightweight v. whatever category bbinkley is in.
10. Dog lovers v. Cat lovers
11. OJ v. State of California
12. Rich v. Poor
13. France v. USA
14. Joe v. Volcano
15. bacpac v. lizs
16. homosexual v. hetrosexual
17. stripper v. dancer
18. tarp v. tent
19. biz v. her strong feelings for me
20. music v. the backstreet boys”

“Ill take stripper,music and down-its no contest.”

“Going down south
Going down south
Going down south
Going down south
Where the wind don't blow”

“thebackpacker.com vs backpacker.com. ;-)”

“Opie returns to LA. I will trade places with you anytime.”

“To: All the folks that are experts on "racism".

Have you ever lived, or worked with people that are from a different "race"*?


I really do not count myself an expert on racism. I have indeed lived and worked with people of other racial backgrounds. My downstairs neighbors are Rick and Cleo. Cleo is from Trinidad, and Rick is mostly African American with some caucasian blood. My good friend Gary is mostly caucasian with some African and Indian blood.

I have gone to summer camp and drill team meets with a largely African American Junior ROTC unit to report on them. I have followed those kids for years, and to see the effort they put out in that program has been nothing short of amazing. They are making something of their lives through that program, and the way they interact with people is refreshing at the least. I'd rather be with those kids than the mostly white honors students at the same school. The Junior ROTC kids have learned respect for both themselves and others. The honors students don't have a clue.

I spent an evening with a group of disadvantaged kids from the neighborhood we cover Sunday a week ago at the Cirque du Soleil. Those kids had a great time, and they were better behaved than a lot of adults at the show.

The point of all this is that these kids are working hard to achieve something in their lives. I think those kinds of efforts are being made around the country. I will not stand for someone short-circuiting what they are trying to achieve.

Back to Rick and Cleo: they are the most delightful couple you would ever want to meet. They are caring, upbeat, embracing, non-judgmental, and supportive.

When it snows, Rick often has the driveway shovelled before the rest of us can do much of it. During my recovery period, Cleo and her mother Joycelyn cheerfully did my laundry, and Rick and Cleo pitched in to do my shopping for me, carry out trash, whatever else I would have asked. Without their efforts I don't know what I would have done. But they are my friends as well as caring neighbors. I won't stand for people calling my friends derogatory names.

And it is not black v. white. It's not a contest or a fight. It's putting a crappy past behind and joining together to learn.

We all have a long way to go in that regard. I was raised in a racist environment. As a kid on the farm, we paid black workers to come up from the city to help dig pototoes when the crop came in. Our family was poor, but these people were even poorer. But we kids had nothing but the clothes we wore.

One day an old black man came up to the house with a Mason jar, asking if I would fill it with tap water. I did, and he thanked me profusely.

Afterwards, an aunt scolded me, saying "Those ***** will steal from you!"

Stolen what? There was nothing to steal. It was then, and still is, fear, mistrust, and judging someone else on the basis of skin color alone without regard to what and who that person is.

Somewhere along the way I outgrew all that. And no, I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. None of us are, but I hope everyone who reads these words will stop and reflect. It is not easy, because whenever someone of a different color does something negative, the old stereotypes come to mind. It is amazing though, that when somebody of the same skin color does something wrong, we don't react the same way.

It's hard, but you just have to keep working until the day you die, and perhaps raise your kids with more understanding. But I can tell you that the effort is worth it, because what associations I have had with African Americans have enriched my life and continue to do so.”

“Hey Ope -
The Conecuh isn't THAT flat. I was somewhat surprised at it's semi-hilliness. It is, after all, only a short distance from FL's highpoint... :o)
I bushwacked to, and along, the Yellow River. Thick stuff. High bluffs... low sloughs... wicked environment.


I won't bore youn's with my Resume de Tolerance, yet suffice it to say that I find it refreshing to travel to regions where I am among, shall I say, "my kind".

My AfAm friends say (and do) pretty much the same thing...

So what?”

“There is a war between the rich and poor,
a war between the man and the woman.
There is a war between the ones who say there is a war
and the ones who say there isn't.

Why don't you come on back to the war, that's right, get in it,
why don't you come on back to the war, it's just beginning.


Well I live here with a woman and a child,
the situation makes me kind of nervous.
Yes, I rise up from her arms, she says I guess you call this love;
I call it service.


Why don't you come on back to the war, don't be a tourist,
why don't you come on back to the war, before it hurts us,
why don't you come on back to the war, let's all get nervous.


You cannot stand what I've become,
you much prefer the gentleman I was before.
I was so easy to defeat, I was so easy to control,
I didn't even know there was a war.


Why don't you come on back to the war, don't be embarrassed,
why don't you come on back to the war, you can still get married.


There is a war between the rich and poor,
a war between the man and the woman.
There is a war between the left and right,
a war between the black and white,
a war between the odd and the even.


Why don't you come on back to the war, pick up your tiny burden,
why don't you come on back to the war, let's all get even,
why don't you come on back to the war, can't you hear me speaking?”

“Good luck with your move Mr. Opie. Here's hopin' you and Miss Opie get it all together real soon.”

“gojo..you bushwacked the yellow river's banks..you poor soul. We tube it from time to time and end up having to cut through some NASTEEEE stuff. yellow flies the size of fighter jets, horseflies the size of horses, and dear god at the gnats and mosquitoes.
There are tons of Indian artifacts if you know where to look for them along the Yellow River..but it changes course so much it's hellish. Gojo you didn't read my post about FL's highest point actually being on land we own..it's a pasture land right now!!
Chili...lets trade QUICK!...oh wait..going to the GOLDEN NUGGET and the MATADOR CLUB this weekend...wait till next month!!”

“Do I need to send money for bail?”

“Please don't use the term hick as if that means you must be a racist. There are racist all over the world of all colors and not just people in the South. Racism=ignorance, and that is everywhere. People seem to need someone to blame for their problems. Always has been that way and probably always will. Unfortunately.”

“Steverino is gonna be movin' South, way South. I can't wait to congratulate you Steve boy.

Don't even consider repenting or apologizing or you might miss out on the prize!”

“that is the box that I always check. If I can, when Im asked what race...I always say "human".

As far as Im concerned...the only real problem in the universe is "ignorance"...and frankly...when you all start talkin race stuff...black, white, native american...american...chinese, italiannn...that still shows seperation and racism...Im human and so are all the rest of you. If you aren't then...something is seriously wrong.

Ignorance to the fact that we are all stuck on this rock and are all made up of the same molecules and things is just plain rediculous. Human is human...and race has no place in an enlightened society...but we haven't evolved to that level yet...and talk like what has been goin on on this thread is criminal behavior at best. you all elevate yourselves above someone just to make yourselves feel better only proves how small your minds truely are. Only God can create...and last time I looked not one of you can create what God has. Im not a religious nut...not in the least...but I have traveled and seen enough of life to know that God is the sum of all things...and that includes the likes of me and you...so Steve Hiker and the rest...talk about seperation..of anysort and you yourself are included in the ignorant, the small minded, the tragic humans of the world...

Get real...its a small world...and only YOU can make it better...I love to ask the question..."can one person change the world"...my answer is YES...over and over again, I see the world change...around me and in me...so get over the prejeduice...get over the hate, get over the ignorance and start living...we are all one on this planet...we are all the same.”

“except some of us dont drag a boat over 8 miles of broken rock on a dry river bed.....

;)”

“but thats another thread and don't belong here...so, Im draggin my story back to where it belongs...Opie and miss Opie...so sorry that your thread became a nasty place

Hope to meet ya MO...and see ya again Opie.”

“ohhh i guess its between me or the golden nugget *sticks tongue out* must be a hard decision!”

“it's a VERY HARD decision...lmao

or is it a decision that's made when hard?”

“Bhudda-
I have lived and work with many people of all types.
The Racist, once known a Steve Hiker, used a word that is derogatory to an entire race-a universal statement cannot be proven-thus it should be dismissed.
I understand he is a lawyer,it would be interesting to know what his specialty is.
I'm betting he does not work for the ACLU.

To paraphrase-I dream of a day when a man will be judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin...”