This old white guy hopes ‘Kansas City nice’ can be more than just skin deep

American ideals

I hope Kansas Citians are ashamed at the behavior of our neighbors toward the California family that recently moved into our area and faced overt and brazen racism in a neighborhood near Parkville. (Aug. 4, 1A, “KC answers racist attacks against biracial family”) I know I am.

For some of us, the thin, superficial veneer of “Kansas City nice” becomes downright putrid when it comes to how we treat our neighbors of color.

I hope that when such despicable, unkind, cruel behavior toward fellow human beings came to light, when the entire city read about it in the newspaper, the hate-filled racism within the racist heart skulked back under the rock from which it came.

Unfortunately, the cancer of racism in our country is a virulent strain, surviving, even still thriving.

I wonder, when our racist neighbors saw the newspaper, did they recognize themselves in the reported behavior and could they see how reprehensible their behavior comes across?

Let’s make America truly great by living up to our highest civic ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, building a beloved American community where all people — especially our neighbors of color — are welcomed and treated with the dignity they deserve.

Sign me, “an old white guy.”

- Joe Potter, Shawnee