Reply to Do you excuse sexist or racist behavior from a older relative because of their age?

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Reply to "Do you excuse sexist or racist behavior from a older relative because of their age?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No for 2 reaons. 
1- My family doesn't have the luxury of excusing it because they are usually on the receiving end.
[b]2- "Back then" is not excuse. People in their 60's now were teenager or twenties in the 1970's. Granted it was still no racial paradise then, but they are old enough to know better. It's a choice.[/b][/quote]

Are we really talking about people in their 60's, though?   I am 43, and my parents are in their 70's.   They are not racist and definitely don't say these types of things.

But THEIR parents?   Absolutely.   And they died in the last few years, so their behavior is relatively recent.

An example:   Some other family members had my grandfather (age 92) in a restaurant for lunch.   An interracial couple walked in.   My grandfather very loudly said "I don't like that!" while staring at them.

So what's the proper way for grandchildren (in their 30's/40's) to handle that, with a man in his 90's?   Is it really possible to "educate" him, at that stage of his life?

I wasn't there at the time, but my thought is maybe say something (loudly enough for the couple to hear, since they undoubtedly heard HIS comment) like "Well, you don't have to like it.   They didn't ask for your opinion and they seem to like it just fine!"[/quote]

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