I Was 'King Coon' Until I Hit Back

[Burma Jones]

31. I grew up in the DC suburbs, remember Dad taking me to the roof of his office building

near the Corner of Georgia and Eastern Avenue Avenue during the 1968 riots - I was 8 years old. We watched the smoke rising from 14th street and saw the Maryland National Guard lining up across Georgia Avenue to keep anyone from entering Maryland from DC, thank you Governor Agnew...... We lived in the Rock Creek Woods apartments in Rockville, the corner of Viers Mill and Twinbrook Parkway. The apartment complex was integrated and we played together and spent time in each others' apartments etc. Later that year, Dad took me down to Resurrection City and we talked to people there.

I say this not to have people think "oh what a good boy" but to say that it takes some conscious parenting to raise children to understand racism and to recognize it in others as well as themselves when it inevitably arises.

I kind of look at this appeal to the basest part of the base coldly, as a political ploy designed to get votes from incredibly despicable people, and it makes me despise Gingrich (like I needed any more reason) but even more so the people that would vote for him.

What you experienced was good old suburban racism which is based on the fear that certain people will depress house prices, diminish the schools, increase petty crime and just result in all sorts of unpleasant discomfort. I hope you didn't experience this in my neighborhood, but it wouldn't have surprised me.......