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Letter of the Day (March 12): State Rep. Pat Garofalo

Be honest with yourself: What was your immediate reaction to Garofalo's tweet?

March 11, 2014 at 11:54PM

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, faced banks of cameras at the Capitol on Monday after his 140-character comment sparked a harsh backlash. “I take back my entire tweet. I completely apologize,” he said. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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.