Old White Folk Story

[tularetom]

30. My brother was an old white man when he was 17

He's now 68 and his worldview, attitudes, and biases have not changed one iota since 1964 when he graduated from high school.

He still wears the same type of clothes he wore as a kid and he watches TV on a 17" tube type set that's at least 30 years old (he'd be watching Fox but he doesn't want to spend the money for cable).

It isn't like he hasn't been exposed to the outside world. He was in the Navy in Vietnam and he had a job before he retired that required some travel. I'm guessing that he doesn't know one black, Latino, Asian, or gay person.

He's a voracious reader but his reading is mostly confined to the Wall Street Journal which he devours from front to back on a daily basis. So he isn't going to be exposed to any kind of progressive or controversial ideas.

I used to kid him about being so cheap but he got very defensive so I don't anymore. Our sister could tease him without pissing him off but she passed away 20 years ago.

He's financially fairly well off so it isn't like he can't afford to expand his horizons a bit. I think he's afraid of any challenge to his long held belief system.

Oh, he never wears shorts.