Kids say the darnest things....to gang bangers.
Okay, so my hoard of relatives (I have 12 cousins ages 1-10), all live in Snowflake Arizona. It's a quite, mormon community which means it is well segregated. The majority of the town are all white old folks with names like Ethel, Walt, Agatha and Marv. So, needless to say my young cousins hardly get any minority interaction which can make even a little trip quite the culture shock.
Take for example, my cousin Cooper age 4.
One of my aunts lives out in Phoenix Arizona, where her sister came to visit with Cooper in tow. Now Cooper was enjoying the big city thrills and chills, and taking it all in with wide eye wonder. He is a naturally quiet kid, and a good one too. But every time he does open his mouth, it seems to spout off some interesting observations. This particular culture shock observation happened when he was under my care at the gas station.
Since I do play favorites, I was letting Cooper pick out a candy bar and a soft drink as his brothers sat in the car and slowly roasted to death. Now we were the only two people in the gas station aside from the attendant but then we got company: An enormous black guy who could have been the poster child for the Crips. Dressed in baby blue, complete with Dorag, the guy had to stand at least six five and weighed in at like 300lbs of muscle.
Well anyway, I was locked in the debate between which Sobe flavor to get and not paying much attention to Cooper (my bad, I wasn't meant to be a baby sitter anyway). Well Cooper, upon seeing his first gang banger (and let's be honest, this was probably the first black guy he'd ever seen in person) was experiencing some culture shock.
Apparently staring at the black guy wasn't good enough. So, innocently as ever, he walked over and began tugging on the gang banger's pant leg. I turned around to just in time for the black guy to look down at my cousin with the perpetual scowl that all gangstas have. Then my quiet cousins speaks.
"You sir, are black." Cooper informs the gang banger, as if he weren't aware.
Okay, now I'm not sure what to do. I wanted to laugh, but then again would probably get in an argument or worst over being called a racist. But still, I'm stumped. Do I run over to my cousin and apologize for his observation? Does his childish comment even deserve an apology? Or is this banger just gonna be pissed no matter what.
Well I got my answer as the black guy throws back his head and laughs. I mean, this guy began to laugh so hard he started crying.
"Yes, kid, I am." The banger agreed after he stopped laughing, then collected his purchase and exited the gas station.
After we get back in the car I inform Cooper that such questions might be considered rude...but all in all it was a pretty funny experience.
