The bus stopped for the night in Wauseon, Ohio, and after filling most of the rooms at the Best Western motel, the whole load of passengers descended on the local restaurant – Smith's – for dinner.
We filed inside, a tired group bundled in wool coats, hats and scarves. Several people wore Obama caps or sweat shirts. While a group consisting mostly of African American women settled in at a table, one of the white waitresses serving the bus load scurried past. "I voted for Obama," she looked at them and blurted. "I just want you to know that. I'm a registered Democrat."
The comment passed with a few chuckles and strange looks. But at the table later, as the meal was winding down, the group – Jerry and I included -- got to discussing racism in America; How African Americans often get asked in casual social conversations about movies starring black actors, about music by black musicians.
The waitress's comment came back into play. Did she volunteer her voting preference to try to endear herself a group of customers that was almost entirely black? Or did she say it because she wanted to connect with them over her admiration of Obama?
When is something insensitive and when is it received too sensitively? As the nation is about to inaugurate its first non-white president, will we as a society talk about this more?
A break and some thought-provoking discussion
When is something insensitive and when is it received too sensitively?
January 19, 2009 at 5:01PM
