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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
That's not the same point being argued. The title of the article is "Walking While Black". On top of the gun being pulled he is adding the element of being black, branding his son a victim of racial/hate crime. Having a gun pulled on you is no small matter, I agree. But the memory will fade with time, and eventually it will be something you remember but file away with your other miscellaneous memories. It certainly won't define you as a person or change your path in life. But the author will not let this happen with his son. He has and will continue to parade this around publicly, remind his son that it happened, narrating it within the context of racial inequality. He will not let him forget, he will not let him heal, and he will place this burden in his son's life, shackling his mind permanently until it becomes a part of who he is.[/quote]Different poster here.  I'm assuming you put all unjust incidents which victimized you behind you.  Would you give us an example of how you did that?[/quote]

I'm the PP you are replying to. I've never had a gun pointed in my face, but there are a few things I remember:

- After just coming to the US, we were living in DC. Our family of four was out walking after dinner, and my brother and I were playing hide and seek with our parents. We ducked behind a bush under an open window next to the sidewalk, giggling. Our parents walked closer and we sneaked around the corner of the short 1 story building. Some seconds later, a black police officer came out and stopped us. He asked us a bunch of questions, claiming that my sister and I were spying on their meeting inside the police station. We were questioned for a solid 10 minutes. It was my first encounter with the law in the US, I didn't speak much English was really scared. Coincidentally, I just drove by that place this past weekend and saw that the station has been torn down. The library is still there but taped-off for demolition. I am going to miss that library.

- I attended a predominantly AA middle school in DC. I was constantly made fun of because I didn't fit in. One day I stood up to a bully who was pushing me from behind as I was walking up stairs. I got beat up. People were standing around pointing and laughing. Up until then it had only been words and gestures.

- In high school, there was a Korean clique who didn't like my kind. One day standing in the hall way waiting for class, they were taunting me like they usually do and finally one of them came over and straight punched me in the stomach. I went to the principal. Seeing that I didn't speak much English and had a very meek demeanor, he proceeded to tell me that the country I came from fought on the wrong side of the war, and therefore he thought the Koreans were right to punch me. Told me to behave myself.

There are other episodes, I am sure, but I don't remember them. These events are part of my past but they don't define me. I don't dwell on them or wear them like a badge out in public. I never begin my sentence with "As a [insert race]..." I stayed away from ignorant and foolish people, worked hard to better myself. I am successful, respected, and I contribute a great deal to the positive cultural image of people who look like me. I tell my kids that because they look a certain way, people will have a certain opinion of them. But I remind them that those impressions are only skin deep. As soon as they interact with others, people will see them not for what they look like, but how they speak, how they act, and what their capabilities are. I teach them that they need to focus on being a good person, being strong, and not be pigeonholed by what others may think about them from 10 feet away.

All of this is of course anecdotal.
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