Dr. Laura

In case you don't know, Dr. Laura is a stupid but successful radio talk show host who, yesterday, used the "N" word repeatedly on the air in order to demonstrate, I suppose, that a White person can use a term that is used by some Black persons. She felt it necessary to do this because she is, after all, a racist--Dr. Laura has a history of related episodes.

I mention this because I know a four-year-old who is genuinely repelled by dark skin. She talks about it openly. She did not pick this up from her parents (progressives with advanced degrees) or her teachers. She did not get it from Sesame Street. And this has not been an easy matter to fix. Her family, friends and teachers have not made much headway.

You might ask where this prejudice came from. The answer, I think, is that the election of President Obama did not erase racism from the American scene. Racism is in the water we drink, where it goes almost unnoticed. But a tot can see that Barbie is a blue-eyed blonde. We swim in a lake of cultural biases that progressive adults have learned to get beyond (we hope), but under the surface lurk unseen carnivorous fish.

I'm not talking about the rampant racism of the Tea Party Republicans. I'm dumbfounded that racism reaches down to wonderful children in some unknown way.

----Gary Goss