That Thing He Said

Two years ago I ended a 35 year relationship with my best friend from childhood because he's racist.

Some of the lowlights:

2007: "Dave Chappelle is the one who's racist by talking about race and using the N word so much."

2010: "I finally met a Black dude who didn't have a chip on his shoulder."

2015: "Do you live in Oakland just so you can talk about Black people all the time?"

And the deal clincher:

2018: "Are you not willing to entertain the idea that Black people are intellectually inferior to White people?"

Are you fucking kidding me?

The ignorance, the smugness, the casual White supremacy. The unwillingness to even discuss his racism.

I told him I was done. He was surprised. Why couldn't I just have said "that thing he said" wasn't cool?

As if "that thing he said" was just a one-off comment.

As if "that thing he said" was just a minor irritation.

As if "that thing he said" could be brushed off.

As if it would go like this: He would apologize, I'd accept, we'd hug, and we'd go eat tacos.

It doesn't work like that.

He could not and would not understand that racism is more than slavery and the KKK and MLK being assassinated.

He is a "good person". He is "nice". I have the race issue.

Meanwhile, in 2020 in Georgia and Kentucky and Minnesota and. . .