How big a problem is "cultural appropriation" in the United States?

[Blue_In_AK]

157. I didn't vote in this poll

and have generally stayed out of the discussion. People who voted that the debate is "ridiculous" obviously did so from different perspectives, since I see that Bravenak is among that group, and I know how passionate she is about this.

I was taught not to discriminate from a very young age (Quaker heritage, abolitionist ancestors) and never really experienced institutional racism until I moved to Pasadena, Texas, in 1962. My high school was lily white, but I went to the Unversity of Houston the same years that UH got its first black athletes, Elvin Hayes among others, and we were friends. I always found in those days that the black people were much more accepting of these relationships than my white "friends" were. It was a pretty tense time in 1966, interracial relationships, even friendships, were certainly not accepted in Houston, Texas, then. I got called a lot of names, and there were some fearful times as police riots were going on at Texas Southern, a few blocks away.

I hate that now, almost 50 years later, we seem no closer to closing this racial gap. People are people, we're all the same under the skin, and all the hate and prejudice just makes me sick.