The blond Lab scampered across the street on his way to the park with a stick in his mouth and his owner by his side, totally unmindful of the fact his right hind leg is missing.The woman entered the uptown 104 bus. She wore fringed calf-high boots over jeans, a fake sheepskin jacket almost hidden by long grey curly hair. On her arm, a carpetbag and in her hand a plastic white cat carrier, or so I thought. When I got a better look, it held a green parrot! People watching in the Big Apple offers great diversity.
At the airport I had a similar experience of diversity. In Newark when I landed, I was struck by the fact that everyone was dressed in drab black, gray or brown colors, the only bright color was the chartreuse safety vests with orange stripes of the security personnel.However, the shades of color of the people were varied. When I left Arizona, the airport was filled with people wearing brightly colored clothing, but the skin tones of the people had little variation.
What does this tell us about our country? About discrimination, acceptance of people who look or act differently from the majority? I am very proud of our country because , in the space of my lifetime, we have begun to be more inclusive of all people. We have a long way to go but we are moving in the right direction. Let's let this holiday week stretch for us to work for freedom not only for ourselves but for all people. Not only religious and political freedom and equality, but financial freedom as well, so folks who are willing to work and to better themselves can attend school and earn a decent wage to support their families.
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