Casual Racism

You’ve heard of casual dress, casual dinin’, even casual sex.  Now add: “Casual Racism.”  Sadly it’s all around us to the point where we barely even notice it.  Let Tea Pain tell you about his brush with casual racism today.

Tea Pain was eatin’ lunch at the Golden Chopstick Chinese Buffet, easily the swankiest place in Harrison, Arkansas.   Tea Pain was mindin’ his own business, enjoyin’ his chop suey and cashew chicken when he overheard two ol’ boys in the next booth talkin’ about “that Obama.”

Here’s a snippet of the convo…

Bubba: “I know Trump had to say it to get elected, but you know Obama ain’t no citizen.”

Burford: “You got that right.  He wasn’t born in Hawaii.  Everybody knows that. He claims he’s a Christian, but he ain’t.”

Bubba: “He said he went to Harvard but I don’t believe that.  He wouldn’t even disclose his transcripts.  If he won’t show his transcripts, you know he’s hidin’ something!”

At this point, Tea Pain couldn’t resist, so he leaned over and dropped a clod in them boys’ churn.

“Do you fellers think Trump should release his tax returns?

Bubba cast a jaundiced look Tea Pain’s way and chimed in, “Nope.  A man’s entitled to his privacy.”

Tea Pain let Bubba’s words lay there for a minute hopin’ he’d smell the hefty irony over his chicken with garlic sauce, but all Tea Pain got in return was a dead-eyed mackerel stare.

Nobody called anybody the “N-word.”  There was no white-pride stickers on their trucks.  They’ve never even darkened the door of a KKK meetin’,  but them two fellers just stripped a man of his dignity and equality based on his skin color.  Sadly, it makes perfect sense to them that Trump is entitled to privacy just because he’s white (well, orange).  They genuinely believe Trump is a good Christian, but not Obama, even though both have made the same confession of faith.

Seein’ no victory to be won here, Tea Pain quietly finished his meal and opened his fortune cookie.  It said, “Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.”