you ever screw a black chick?” | looked at my cousin and his brother-in-law with enough disgust that they both looked away. They continued to talk to each other. All sexist jokes were given up for racist ones. It was as though | was partaking in a white su- premacist camp with only the swastika * banners missing. The fireworks were begun and everyone turned their attention to that except me who could only think of how | could leave without anyone noticing. | decided her unnecessary verbal the most “impressive” fireworks that diarrhoea and the smell of pig was are some black kids who go to school with my children. They get along great.” everyone loved were the mock military getting to me. | tried to start up a conversation with my male cousin. His eyes were staring with contempt at the woman who arrived next door. Without stopping from staring at her he asked me, “Hey, Jerry, does your brother still go out with the black chick?” “You know, he’ll come to his senses soon.” My cousin-in-law inter- jected. | stayed silent because | couldn't : think of anything to say that might re- : motely make any sense to these half- wits. My brother had long ago de- tanks that shot small fireballs at the crowd. There were also American mock nuclear bombs. At this point | was scared that if | tried to leave they might grab me and throw me onto the pyre of fireworks and set fire to me for not joining in the festivities. Instead, | was subjected to the village People’s rendition of “San Francisco” to wel- come me home. | had been living there for a while. The song was choreo- graphed to pink fireworks. | waited until the end of the song and quietly said goodbye This article was not written so that cided to not partake in these family | could get on some soap box about gatherings. |, unfortunately, thought blood was thicker than the evils of racism and prejudice. My biggest wish would be that | would not water. | felt like | was inthe movie jave to write about this gross encoun- Sammy and Rosie as kids ran ter | had. There was something in me, around with sparklers and social however, that said that | had been and moral decay was all around. silent enough. So many times we've all “Hey Jerry, would heard about inequality but | seriously believe we haven't heard it enough. It’s obvious from my experience that we haven't. there are so many things that are changing around us. The land- scape is being altered, the environ- ment is in trouble, the media culture is here to stay and so on. We forget though that humans of any colour, sex, religion, or sexual preference are the ones that make everything happen, including changes that can be negative or positive. It is not an exclusively uptight WASP world, even though the beer commercials will have us believe There is currently a song that the Neville Brothers sing called “Sister Rosa”. It is about the black woman who wouldn't move from her bus seat when told to move to the back. this took place in the sixties in the States. The incident gained national attention because of a resulting boycott of the bus system by all blacks due to the woman being arrested. Too bad Sister Rosa didn’t come with me to attend the barbecue in Aurora in the 1980's. Whitey country is definitely alive with blatant prejudice existing in many of these new home developments. All over Canada such areas exist. You know, | keep thinking there used to be secret meetings of the Klan out in the bush. That’s all been replaced with barbecue parties in outer suburbia. Jerry Stochansky you ever screw a black chick? Hooked at my cousin and his brother-in-law with enough disgust that they both looked away. They continued to talk to each other. All sexist jokes ‘were given up for racist ones. It was as though I was partaking in a white su- Premacist camp with only the swastika banners missing. ‘The fireworks were begun and everyone tured their attention to that ‘except me who could only think of how. | could leave without anyone noticing. ‘The most “impressive” fireworks that, everyone loved were the mock military tanks that shot small fireballs at the crowd. There were also American ‘mock nuclear bombs. At this point | was scared that if | tried to leave they might grab me and throw me onto the pyre of fireworks and set fire to me for ‘not joining in the festivities. Instead, | was subjected to the village People's rendition of "San Francisco" to wel- come me home. | had been living there. for awhile, The song was choreo- {stayed silent because | couldn't graphed to pink fireworks. | waited until think of anything to say that might f€- the’end of the song and quietly said motely make any sense to these hall- oogpye aie ypeeter edliong a0 ce This article was not written so that cided to not partake in these family | couig get on some soap box about eeecstherings:|juntonunston, the evils of racism and prejudice. My 1 thought blood was thickerthan biggest wish would be that | would not water. | felt ike Iwas inthe Movie have to write about this gross encoun- ‘Sammy and Rosie as kids ran ter | had. There was something in me, around with sparklers and social “however, that said that | had been ‘and moral decay was all around. silent enough. So many times we've all “Hey Jerry, would heard about inequality but | seriously believe we haven't heard it enough. I's are some black kids who go to ‘school with my children. They get along great.” I decided her unnecessary verbal diarrhoea and the smell of pig was getting to me. | tried to start up a conversation with my male cousin. His, ‘eyes were staring with contempt at the ‘woman who arrived next door. Without stopping from staring at her he asked me, "Hey, Jerry, does your brother still go out with the black chick?” "You know, he'll come to his ‘senses soon.” My cousin-in-law jected. ‘obvious from my experience that we haven't there are so many things that are changing around us. The land- scape is being altered, the environ- ‘ment is in trouble, the media culture is here to stay and so on. We forget though that humans of any colour, sex, religion, or sexual preference are the ‘ones that make everything happen, including changes that can be negative or positive. It is not an exclusively uptight WASP world, even though the beer commercials will have us believe ft ‘There is currently a song that the Neville Brothers sing called “Sister Rosa”. It is about the black woman who wouldn't move from her bus seat when told to move to the back. this took place in the sixties in the States. The incident gained national attention because of a resulting boycott of the ‘bus system by alll blacks due to the ‘woman being arrested. Too bad Sister Rosa didn't come with me to attend the barbecue in Aurora in the 1980's. Whitey country is definitely alive with blatant prejudice existing in many of these new home developments. All over Canada such areas exist. You know, | keep thinking there used to be secret meetings of the Klan out in the bush. That's all been replaced with barbecue parties in outer suburbia. Jerry Stochansky