On Monday, state Rep. Pat Garofalo apologized for a controversial Twitter comment, saying, "I don't have a racist bone in my body." We often do not see our own racism. We think our thoughts are just facts. We believe that our thoughts and comments are innocent, harmless and just an explanation away from being nonjudgmental or nonprejudiced. As long as we continue to hold negative beliefs about a group of people, as a whole, we will continue to be racist, spread untruths, deny opportunities, exclude. If you agreed, smiled or nodded at Garofalo's tweet, I challenge you to question your beliefs. The trouble with racism is that the racist is often blind to the truth.

Laura Angyal, Shoreview