Change

The New York Times has a great article today about a blue collar town in Pa that has undergone a signifigant change. A solid town, with solid people. The sort of town whose sons filled the ranks of the Army and Marine Corps during Viet Nam. Whether they wanted to or not. A town whose people could reasonably expect a good job. A town that is white. Very white. In fact a post WW2 town whose builder refused to sell to blacks, thus ensuring that many could grow up with only cursury actual knowledge of others, but ripe for engrained bigotry. Not the cross burning type. Worse. The subtle bigotry of ignorance --- by far the worse, not only because it is learned behaviour, but because very few who hold these beliefs would consider themselves to rascist. And , for the most part would fiercly deny it. Unlike Billy Bob from the holler with Confederate Flags on his pick up truck. Heck, BB isn't the problem because he wears it on his sleeve for all to see --- and judge.

This town overwhelmingly voted for Barack Obama. They voted their economic interest, not their views. And that is a good start and a harbinger of changing attitude. There is no point trying to change Billy Bob Redneck. But there is hope that a new generation of children in Levittown will grow up and wonder what the fuss was all about. Good stuff and good for all.

One small caveat here --- amongst the many hats I wear in the Military is being an instructer in a relativly new program intended to express the importance of living with, and accepting a diverse environment. I fully intend to incorperate the article below in my lesson package.

Learn more here......

The Nation - The Transformation of Levittown - NYTimes.com