a close encounter of the racist kind

I've always loved this Norman Rockwell painting. It evokes so much in the heart of the beholder: the ugliness of hate, the purity of childhood innocence, and the shock that you experience when you see these things juxtapositioned.

I've been thinking about racism today. Not that I wanted to! Unfortunately, the thought was rather rudely thrust on me this morning when I pulled up behind a van in a turn lane. The light was extra long, so I began to take note of the bumper stickers on the van...got a little nervous when I saw the Confederate flag (never a good sign) but then I read this and about had the wind knocked out of me:

"Earth's Most Endangered Species? The White Man. Preserve Our Race."

Um, what's that you say??? I had to read it 3 or 4 times before the message even sunk in, I was so horrified to be reading what I was reading! Then I started to consider the message in that lovely little line. And it dawned on me...hey, wait a minute! That is talking about intermarriage among ethnicities and the procreation of children of mixed heritages! I was offended before that moment, but when I realized that I, a woman proudly married to a man of another race (he's a hottie Hispanic, I'll have you know), was the target of that bumper sticker, I felt road rage of a whole new variety.

So when the light turned green, I sped up a bit so I could be parallel with the driver -- I just had to get a look at this foul, hateful person. And of course, it was absolutely classic, almost cliche. The driver? An ancient old guy, wearing a hunting cap (with ear flaps no less), and a face that looked like he'd sucked on a lemon and it froze that way. I just stared at him, shooting daggers with my eyes. The sad part? He was probably thinking, what's that good, God-fearin' white girl doin' lookin' at me? I wanted to shout, Hey dude! My last name is Mancilla, and it's pronounced like tortilla!!!