Johnstown, Land of Immigrants and Racists

I grew up in this town, a place usually noted for their famous floods. During the time I grew up here in the 1970s, I knew kids who had parents who were 1st- or 2nd-generation immigrants. They came from Europe – Poland, what was known as Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Ireland, etc. – and they worked in the now defunct steel mills. I had a wide education in various ethnic foods, religions, and belief systems as I grew up, as it seemed every other house was full of new wonders. But, these kids and their families – they all were white.

When I attended school in the Johnstown area, the black students lived in town and went to Johnstown High. The whites lived in the suburbs, and few, if any black students attended those schools. In my senior year (at a suburban school), one black student moved to our suburb and attended high school. I didn’t know him, but I remember him as he walked down the halls alone. I’m ashamed of myself for begin afraid of him, but I had never had contact with a black person before in my life, other than seeing black people from a distance.

This is one reason why I think that people react as they do in the video shown below when faced with something that is ‘foreign’ to them. They haven’t experienced the ability to reach beyond their boundaries to learn something new. And, the unknown is fearful. I know, for a fact, that many of the kids I knew in high school have remained in this town, and some have never ventured beyond the state’s lines. All they know is what they see and what the McCain camp has fed them, and Obama must seem very exotic and scary to these folks.

With that said, I’m still ashamed of the actions shown in this video, so I’m showing it to let people know that the ignorance shown here does not represent every soul who lives or who has lived in this area. It’s enough to make me realize that I never want to go back (glad I didn’t waste money on class reunions!). And, if any one of my former classmates wants to comment with some hateful remarks, just know that I have the finger on the delete button here. You, my friend (to quote John McCain), are powerless in my territory. Unless, of course, you’d like to lend a hand and your voice to help make this world (and your teeny-tiny corner of it) more tolerant and respectful. Then, I’ll be happy to renew our acquaintance.

Thank heavens, Rep. John Murtha (Johnstown) is backing Obama. I’m not a huge Murtha fan, but I respect his bravery in standing up for Obama in the racist western portion of this swing state.