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Ethnically Speaking, May 30

by Larry Meeks

Dear Larry: I am a 46-year-old white woman who is soon to be married to the most wonderful man in the world. He happens to be black. Over the years, my extended family has made a big issue of having the biggest wedding my small town ever has seen because I have been single so long.

I left my hometown when I went away to college. I only returned for special occasions and family visits. I met my future husband in the big city. No one but my immediate family knows my intended is black. Th ...

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3 Comments | Post Comment
Posted by: HaHa
Comment: #1
Fri Jun 5, 2009 10:03 AM

To the first letter-writer: I agree with Mr. Meeks. That "secret" needs to come out--before the wedding. Let your family have a little time to accept the idea of a man of a different race. Unless you want to have a huge scene at your wedding. To the second letter writer: You might be a little racist. Why would you support the promotion of a less qualified person due to their race? It's nice you give minorities the benefit of a doubt. I hope you do the same for everyone. Just recognize that minorities are just people-- not a special group to be treated with kid gloves because they can't handle normal life.

Posted by: Ariana
Comment: #2
Sun May 31, 2009 9:47 AM

LW1 - I don't get it. What's the big deal? Why exactly is your fiance's race "a big secret"? I mean, I could understand some other things being a big secret, such as that your fiance is an undercover FBI agent investigating a child prostitution ring or a drug cartel or that he is the witness protection program. You wouldn't want to out him then because that would be dangerous for him. I could understand you keeping his social security number a secret. Most normal people don't share it with just anybody. But his race??? That's just bizarre. Would you keep it a secret if your husband-to-be was white with brown eyes and dark hair if the majority of people in your small town were blond and blue-eyed? Would you keep the fact that he is 5'10" if everybody in your family was either taller or shorter? Or are you, basically, saying that your extended family and friends from your home town are racist, and nobody will show up for your wedding if they know you are marrying a non-white guy, and you really, really, really want that big wedding bash because you missed out on it when you were younger? In that case, shame on you.

Posted by: Matt
Comment: #3
Sun May 31, 2009 9:54 PM

LW2: Now you know what it feels like to be a conservative who opposed Obama from the start. Yes, the president's defenders include people who use reprehensible "debating" tactics. It's an outrage. Get used to it.

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