How sad

A recent story in the local paper said that an outstanding HS football player from Illinois had eliminated the University of Tennessee from his final choices of the schools recruiting him because of his concerns about racism in the South. His comment had Volunteer fans scratching their heads. The Vols have black players from all over the country. Blacks have made up the overwhelming majority of their team for many, many years. In fact, there is probably not another college football program in the country which regularly attracts as diverse a group of players as UT (recent teams have had players from places like Hawaii, Alaska, Canada and Germany in addition to the annual influx from California, the Midwest, the South and the East).

Besides, they wondered, this is Knoxville and the year is 2005. What in the world is this kid thinking?!

All I could think was -- how sad. I expect 17 year old kids to have ideas that are sometimes a little screwy. What I don't understand concerns the adults in this young man's life. Where are his parents, teachers and coaches? What kind of nonsense have they been teaching him?

Racism in Knoxville? I guess I'll have to discuss this with my next door neighbors from India. Or the family next to them from Nigeria. Or the Jewish family across the street. Or the Chinese couple next to them. Or the Thai lady next door. Or the black family behind us.

Because I don't see it. And neither do my neighbors.