EXCUSES

Inda and I had a recent discussion over e-mail about making excuses based on race. Me, being Canadian and ignorant to the United States and you all's culture (or y'all as your Southerners say), Inda informed me of a few things and here is what I learned:

1. You are not allowed to make excuses based on race.
2. If you can't get somewhere because the CTA does not run in your neighborhood, okay that's VALID. But if you can't get to wherever you were going because you didn't feel like riding the CTA, that is INVALID.
3. If you have responsibility for a child legitimate (or illegitimate) and you can barely take care of them, but you are making all the payments and are there for them and you are trying to put that child first -- COOL. But if you know it's yours and you would rather not take care of it and pretend it doesn't exist -- UNCOOL.
4. If you commit to a group of people and you say you are going to do something and that group of people are depending on you otherwise the project will be compromised, but then you die -- that's ACCEPTABLE. Now, if you renig on your commitment because of an unspecified family emergency for the fourth time in two weeks -- you're a lying ho and that's UNACCEPTABLE.
5. Finally, if you lived through the Civil Rights Movement and have tried your best and protested like hell and were willing to die for change and were still oppressed and studied up on the legal system and tried to evoke change, and influenced other Afro-Americans in a positive way -- you deserve respect. But if you complain about White people and are not doing anything to change your situation, and you pretty much invalidate what those during the Civil Rights Movement did -- that is DISRESPECTFUL!

But I'm a rational Canadian. What do I know?

- Kevin