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Farewell
Dear Larry: You are the sanest man in America! I look forward to your columns because I ALWAYS agree with your answers. Great work! Thanks for speaking the simple truth about all issues — racial, political, parental, common sense, etc.
I often …Read more.
Hate Groups
Dear Larry: I want to forget for a moment that it is their constitutional right, because I detest the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and all other groups that preach hate. A long time ago, they came into cities across America without any protest. Now …Read more.
Troubles With Raising Teenage Son
Dear Larry: I am African-American and a single mother with three children, ages 15, 10 and 8. All of them are boys. I am having a lot of problems with them, especially the eldest.
He argues with me about almost everything. He thinks he is the man/…Read more.
How To Get Race Relations Back on Track
Dear Larry: So many of my friends are upset with the way things are going, especially race relations. They are not saying anything openly, but among themselves there is constant complaining and fear. There is something simmering and brewing that …Read more.
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Ethnically Speaking, February 20Dear Larry: I am a 42-year-old mother of two teenage boys. We are not a minority, but my children's two best friends are African-American boys, ages 14 and 16. We are also neighbors, and the kids are schoolmates. I have known my children's friends almost their entire lives. They are good boys, and I am thrilled they love to spend time in our home. About a year ago, I found out their mother and father were having problems. According to their children, the father got involved with another woman, who happens to be white. The mother has said some very harsh words about white women. Her children are very shocked because they never knew their mother was a racist. I asked the boys what happened and what the circumstances were that caused her to use such words. They said that they and their mother saw a picture on the father's cell phone of this woman performing oral sex on their father. They said their mother "went crazy" and used a lot of profanity laced with many vulgar words against whites, especially white women. Larry, I see the boys' mother almost every day. We speak together, but we're not bosom buddies. I don't know what to say to her. Do I offer her sympathy, apologize or pretend I do not know anything? The boys told their mother they told me about the picture, her tirade and the racist words.
Dear Ruth: I would not jump to the conclusion that your neighbor is a racist or that she does not like you. Don't base your conclusion upon what the boys said. They could have added to or misunderstood the actual words. I have learned over the years that one's words are not always a good basis on which to judge a person, especially when anger is in the mix. Have your boys ever told you in the heat of an argument that they hate you? Have you ever heard someone say, "I could kill that person"? Have you ever said, "I wish I would die"? These kinds of statements come out when we are angry, hurting, upset and in pain. It is obvious this applies to your neighbor. I would not confront your neighbor with any accusations. I would say this to her: "The boys told me you and your husband are having problems. I'm sorry. If you want to talk about it, I am here for you." This will open the door, and if she starts to talk and confide in you, you will know very quickly how she feels about your being white. I never get upset about words, only the meaning behind the words. Here's another thought: When parents become dysfunctional, their children suffer. These boys will need you. Do not abandon them, because their mother is hurting. To find out more about Larry G. Meeks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
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