A SIMPLE COMMENT CAUGHT - YET SO VIOLATED THAT IT LEFT
me dazed and shocked that such a comment could possibly be so flippantly made. With a quick look around to ensure that no one within the room were all white god-fearing folk. You know the look. Their head ducks down, and the neck disappears ( I almost expected them to hold out a glowing finger and sprout "E.T phone home") however what I hear when they have turned back to their conversation is nothing other than the remainder of a sentence. "... they were pakistani family who did ..." and all I could think was "does it really matter?"
Does stating their race change the context of the story, or give us unknown insight that might make whatever they did acceptable? Unfortunately no. However by mitigating it to race as they did, they remove the possibility that a white is capable of such an act. What the act was - really isn't that important.
Even more to my surprise was the lack of reaction by those whom were involved in the conversation. This comment passed as perfectly acceptable.
Today labels are thrown around so easily that when one is made, despite being factual, it can - as what I witnessed - be nothing more than a politically correct racial slur.
They are used for everything - and even I have done the same. However (and right now I should probably on my knees saying 20 Hail-Mary's hoping the following statement is true) I don't throw race into the picture unless it has cultural significance. Who knows.
Until being hit by the ton of bricks that is realization or enlightenment - it's possible I have done the same. It's something I'll have to be aware of - another on my long checklist of self improvement. I don't think they make scrolls long enough.