When we moved to Florida in '57 I was old enough to understand a little more than WesleyS, but far too naive and ignorant to see things as I do now at the age of 65. (perhaps I should say I'm his older brother??")

I used to drink from those "colored" water fountains, more from a sense that those who would post a sign like that were idiots than any other motivation. I was 12yrs old and hadn't any grasp of the significance of the unfolding civil rights movement and the morality of those who would oppress and those who would liberate.

I can understand someone feeling that strangers are more dangerous than a family group. "Us versus them" has been a non trivial way of seeing things for most of our evolution from apes to man.

I think the difference between a bigot and anyone else, is that a bigot wants to harm the "other" rather than be neutral or freindly.

I don't want to harm anyone until you have proven yourself to be a direct threat to me and mine. If your skin is alabaster or green with pink poka-dots, I couldn't care less. I simply want innocents to live a good life and bad guys to be frustrated. To quote a guy who had some bad luck in this regard, "Why can't we all get along?"