When you first posted Azizi, I didn't know or care what color you were.

Now that I know, I would like to say that I still don't care, but that is not the truth. I care very much that you are here. You are a great asset to Mudcat and I wish that there were more people like you here. I love your postings and really treasure the childrens songs that you post.

We need more collectors of songs. We need more people from different backgrounds. We need more people from different cultures.

It is difficult for me to feel the 'race' issue in America as I was raised in England. I can understand the issues but can only see them as an outsider. Personally, it doesn't matter to me what color a person is.

When I was small I never even saw a black person. When I was a teenager a black man came to live with our family and stayed for two years. He became a favourite uncle. So I know that the color of one's skin doesn't have anything to do with what a person is like.