Good morning, Netizens...

In this March 30, 2007 photo, Michelle, right, and James Cadeau play ball with their children, Elliot, 2, left, and Justin, 5, in the backyard of their home in West Orange, N.J.. The surge of interracial marriages and multiracial children is producing a 21st century America more diverse than ever, with the potential to become less stratified by race. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)

Now let's take a look at this tasty demographic, particularly from the perspective of life in the Inland Northwest. Since we do not, at present, have the results from the census currently being taken, we do not have a valid, current benchmark to determine how many interracial marriages nor multi-racial children we current have living in the Inland Northwest, although I suspect the numbers are up from previous years.

We also have an ongoing issue with racist organizations in the Inland Northwest, if not other areas of the United States, although various sources would have us believe otherwise. Within the last twelve months, we have had several ugly situations where racist activities were recorded in the police logs on both sides of our state line with Idaho. To sum it up succinctly, ignorance and racial hatred is still hard to kill and it isn't dead yet.

Experience? I can speak to that. Over forty years ago, in the San Francisco Bay Area, I met and became enamored of a woman of color, a teacher in the Oakland School District, and we nearly became a serious item. However, even in the so-called liberal bastion of Northern California, neither of us were willing to bring interglacial children into that environment.

I want my grandchildren to have the security to marry anyone of their choosing, without fear and without reservations based upon race. I do submit that might still be a generation away, but I could be wrong. The only step is for everyone to embrace diversity. Will it happen in my lifetime?

Dave

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