Teach your children well

[onpatrol98]

3. It is exhausting...

I've got one heading off to college...and one in elementary school...

The thought of dumping all of this on the little one, one day, makes me sad.

But, it was a constant drill with all of his brothers. It's survival from day to day. It's a never ending conversation. By the time they're 13 or 14, they've already experienced overt racism...name calling, possibly by adults, more so than children. The soft bigotry, they've heard for years. But, this is the stuff, if left untold...can easily cost you your life.

Yes, we do talk about troopers. We talk about cops. We try to meet and know AND like all policemen. So, that by the time he sees your 14 black male...he knows him by name and is familiar enough to call him by name.

Walk through No neighborhoods at night. End of story. Eye contact. Graduate from high school, go to college...and go far away. I have no idea how far. With my parents generation, it used to be up north. Now, I don't know. I just don't know.