Still Dreaming the Dream

"I have a dream that one day my children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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I had a very frustrating experience today. I was on my way to take some cakes to the church for the annual fall festival and as I was driving through the school zone near our home I noticed some kids playing some dangerous games.

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It appeared that they were playing truth or dare...or something of the like. There were three kids lined up on the very edge of the curb and as traffic began to get closer, some of the other kids would shove the kids standing onto the curb into oncoming traffic! I just knew someone was going to get hurt! I went a bit further down the road where another group of kids were standing and one kid was taking violin cases and sliding them across the road as cars were approaching! At that point I picked up my cell and called 911 thinking someone could get really hurt--the kids or the drivers...or maybe both.

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I explained the situation to the emergency worker on the phone. Then the worker asked me if the kids were black or hispanic. That sort of caught me off guard as I sat there in stunned silence. The emergency worker asked if I was still there. I finally told them that the kids shoving the other kids into traffic were black, but the kids throwing the instruments across the street were WHITE.

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I guess it just frustrated me that "black and hispanic" were the only choices offererd to me by the emergency personnel. Trust me...white kids can be idiots too!! I know...I was one!!

On one hand I KNOW the officers needed to know some identifying characteristics if they were going to stop and question some of the kids...but it just bothered me that they simply did not ask what race the kids were rather than just assuming they had to be black or hispanic!

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I'd like to think we have come a long way since the DREAM was first spoken of by Martin Luther King, Jr. But there are days like today I wonder if I am just kidding myself. Even today when I went to vote at a city office, I looked at the free literature rack when I was leaving, and I know whoever left this was NOT given permission to do so, but there was a pamphlet about the local neo-nazi group looking for new recruits! I was torn between wanting to take it and trash it before some kid got a hold of it and being horribly embarrassed if someone saw me take it! UGH!!

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I wonder what progress the lady above thinks our country has made. She is one of the original "Little Rock 9" who were integrated into Central High by order of the president and under protection of the national guard!

Are we making progress? I'd like to think so....but today, I stopped and really had to wonder.

Does it ever concern you that our police officers are trained to use their weapons at the following targets?

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I don't know about you...but as the wife of a black man, I don't like knowing that police officers are trained to shoot at black targets!

How about we bless the police departments with human silhouetted purple-polka-dotted-targets.

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Just something that crossed my mind today when I was asked if the kids were black or hispanic that were involved in the mischief today.

Dawn