Thursday, September 17, 2009

Everyone's a Little Bit Racist, Sometimes

FYI - my subject line is a song from the Broadway Musical Avenue Q, no nasty comments please :)

It is true, whether we like it or not.  Things pop into our heads.  Don't think you do it?  I am sure you mutter a few words under your breath when you are driving in Richmond.  Even the Engineer does, and he's Chinese!

Anyways, it's not about us.  Or me.  Or the Engineer.

It's about Mr. Mop.

He has recently become a little bit racist.  

Lately, he feels the need to growl and bark at some people during our walks.  At first I thought it was just during our night walks when he felt extra protective.  But no, now it's all the time.  And it's very very random.  

It's also only ever directed at:  very large African American men OR the Latino guys working at the shop on our street.

Nothing is more embarrassing that having a very nice, friendly man say hello to us only to have my little white dog snarl at him.  

He also does this to select children (okay, just found something more embarrassing).

The dog I grew up with, Molly, was at least a predictable racist. 

Like Mop, she was a small white dog.  And she HATED anything that was dark:  darker skinned adults, dark skinned children (who so wanted to play with her) and dark dogs.  Anything that was not white got a little growl and a sneer.  She once jumped on a Schnauzer because he was grey.  

Don't think I am not trying to stop this habit.  He has to lie down when he does that to an adult.  And with kids?  He gets a treat when he walks by them and doesn't react.  Or kids get to give him treats.  But then that is a whole new level of creepy:  come here little boy, I have a treat for you . . . . 

Anyways, as the song says, "everyones a little bit racist.  Sometimes"  And that's Mop in a nutshell.

Oh, here's the song attached so you can see it isn't just me being bad 
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/avenueq/everyonesalittlebitracist.htm

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