SHAME: Don’t judge people by their race

Last night my wife and I were returning from an outing with our metal detecting club and the local prospecting club. Every year, after the demolition derby at the fair, we go and pick up as much metal in the arena as we can. Hopefully this keeps it from harming any of the animals that use the arena.

But that’s not what this letter is about. We stopped for ice cream on the way home. As we were paying for our treats at the drive-through, the young man asked how our night was going. We said fine, and I asked him how his evening was going. He said not so great. A lady earlier had asked him if he was Hispanic. He said yes and she said, “Then I don’t like you.” It had kind of ruined his evening.

My wife and I could hardly believe that someone was cruel enough to want to cause pain to someone she didn’t even know. This young man, who spoke like any North Idaho native, had obviously lived in America his whole life. He seemed like a kind young man who was just doing his part in society by earning some extra money serving people.

This woman, I can’t say lady, should be ashamed! She had no right to make someone else feel badly. But she probably feels like she was being a patriot by letting those immigrants know they weren’t welcome. And, shoot, she had to get back to her own kids and teach them what racial slurs to yell out the car window at people who don’t look like her!

DUNCAN BELL

Rathdrum