You are radical; a lot more of you than I realized. [you don't have to answer any of these reviews, I just want to read you because I realized just how long and deep you've been going into this!]
This so contemp and original. Sounds and looks great too.

So, let us try to un-twist it...then..

We write the rules and sometimes we write (and hold) them badly. When we finally realize that we are only the human race and study separation no more we will live and love in peace.

Ron

"If a great white shark nips at your surfboard, get up and ride the wave. Show that dumb fish some style." ...Surfside Johnny

First of all.....fantastic title!

I like to see through your wise eyes......Ed said it for me...

Ty, Dani

Excellent observation. Well done.

As with most things, the more you see of something, the more accepted it is.
So since there are more of the latter, this makes it seem more acceptable.

Joy and sunshine
HH

You did an excellent job presenting this question, Mitzi! To keep from being repetitive and writng a book here, I'll say that I agree with Nordette and _Aberjhani's comments. Peace and best wishes...~Z~

well at least in my eyes, the difference is the same ...



powerful social statement ...

Gee Mitzi, This is a tuff one. I guess the best way to answer it is to say that thousands of years ago human, and animal sacrifice to the Gods was the way of the day. We look back now and claim it to be wrong. Prople used to place their kingdoms leaders above God. We now look back and say that it was wrong. Some say God created man in different races for a reason. It's far from my intelligence to wonder why. Some say it's not justifing our ancestors beliefs in our family trees to intermix. Me I can only say one thing. The future, and only the future will make it apparent as to whether we made a statement, a cause, a belief, or a mistake. A for my personal way of thinking, Why does it work one way and not the other?

I don't think the question should be an issue anymore. I don't think the booger man would get me if I dated a black woman. My wife would probably get me, but not because the woman is black, you know what I mean.
People are going to do what they want to do these days regardless.
There will always be prejudice from all races. I belive mixing is more acceptable now.
Everyone should just leave everyone alone and let people live their lives regardless if their a mixed couple. Thanks for sharing...

Mitzi,

An intelligent, thought provoking write; thank you for penning this one. I, too, am sorry the question has to be asked.

(((HUGS))) and love, Karla. :(

It's really too bad that question has to even
be asked but it's this society and others too
I guess. So much for freedom.

A very interesting question and a lot of different answers. Rascism exists every where, in different hues. American thinking and the thoughts of others, all are so different.

Here in India, our people are, though catagorised "brown" in general are in reality a mix. There are really fair people, some brown and a lot of black skinned people as well. The general thinking is a black skinned person is of lower class (caste, in our way of speaking)while the fair skinned are high class (caste).

Naturally the lower class is shunned. When it comes to gender, yes the general thinking is a black skinned man with a fair skinned woman is more acceptable than a black skinned woman with a fair skinned man. My humble opinion is women are more tolerant while men are not.

You have touched a very sensitive subject and I am glad to see different view points given with intelligence. I hope you got your answer.

Love from India - Joel -

I think you have to ask the children of either marriage what they think. It seems to me that a handsome man and a beautiul woman white or black make for wonderful partners. It may be awhile yet before people stop raising their eyebrows and let love take its course.

As far as the answer to your question goes, I would have to agree with Nordette. Her perspective on both the historical and contemporary aspects of this issue are pretty accurate from where I stand down here in the real deep South. I would probably get a bit too long-winded if I respond further but will suggest that you take a look at my article INTERRACIAL INTERACTION AND THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE in my encyclopedia on the HR (the encyclopedia is probably at your library.) Also: there's a new movie coming out called GUESS WHO? which is a modernized version of the old classic film, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER. In the original film, the controversy revolved around a black male doctor meeting the parents of his white fiancee. In the new remake, the racial roles are reversed and we have Ashton Kutcher meeting the parents of his black fiancee. It might be interesting for you and your friends to watch the new film then check out a video of the old and discuss the similarities and differences.



I think that more important than who does or does not approve of such relationships is that the people involved in them approve of and love each other. As far as your poem goes: another good provocative read.

Lots of interesting and thought provoking reviews here, Mitzi. But I think it's extremely sad that race is still even an issue in relationships in the year 2005. But maybe it will always sadly be.

I live next door to a black female. Has a good job. Is very actie sexually. She doesn not seem to know the difference between white lovers and black ones. I think some brilliant college professor from Harvard or some other prestigious think-tank, should venture down here in the "racist" south and study the woman. Surely there must be something wrong with her. You are getting everyones old gray cells a workout here on AD, Mitzi.

I sure can see your angle. My sister has married a coloured bloke.

I've dated a couple of Africans, I found if she didn't care, no-one did, but the first was paranoid, trying to get in to other peoples head, and if her patents saw us, she pretended not to know me.

Maybe men just say what the heck, where as women maybe a tad sensitive.

As one finds the world treats them as one thinks..

I will pass with this one if this could bring me trouble but

being me I am proud to say....being brought up the way

I was...I will be in deep water with my answer!!

But anyways here I go...have mercy and don't kill me okay!!

I am no rasist...when it comes to sharing things...but not even

God allowed X breeding...in the animal world...humans

started to fiddled with that and created a "New World" of

sub-species with bad results!!

Like a X between dogs.....no pedigree the end result!!

Okay to your question...I think White male and black female

are more common than the other way around!!

Love Tinka

Mitzi, this a truly excellent write and the question that you raise has many deep seated issues involved. Everyone that has commented has made some outstanding points. However I have through my own personal observations seen a mix of tolerance defined almost wholly on social status. My own personal views are simple...we are to love all in equal measure and judgment is not ours to make. Love is the foundation on which we should all stand and the platform from which we preach. If love is there, it makes no matter to me what the color a person is or is not...but love must be present in all things.

Allen

I believeyou are exploring some really interesting material here Mitzi and it is showing in your latest work. As for the gender/race issue I believe that in that is also a lot to do with how you were raised, where you lived and your age group. Those of us who lived through the sixties, integration, the riots, etc and came out with minds intact accept but still may have some old racist feelings slinkin somewhere like an evil fungus. Go back to an older age group the answer would be neither. A younger age group and they are a lot more tolerent to the point that a lot would not recognize or understand the question. Interesting points though and great write.
Felix

well what i am talking about me and a few people were together mixed bunch about sixteen of us some were for mixin and some were against it but the question was raised if had to choose which would we rather see a black man with a white woman or a white man with a black woman every one in the room had choose to see a white woman with a black man, everyone written down on a piece of paper only knowing after the fact that we all picked that way why? my reason was because knowing the history of rape I am sensitive to that notion being woman I am sensitive to how I would have felt if I was a white woman and my husband kept a mistress....so I do understand Eileen what you are saying, In some ways I feel that the white man and the black woman are held to certain heights and that vice versa today the others are or have to fight harder for recognition (my ideas not marked in stone)
good point Nordetta

Hmmm, I'm not so sure it works that way, Mitzi, unless it's a recent thing. I'm from New Orleans, home of the quadroon balls. It was quite the thing for white males to have black mistresses, a way of life that established a black middle class in New Orleans before the end of slavery. However, a black male with a white female was sure to get himself killed. And as Hollywood stars came up and black singers, you were still more likely to see a black female with a white male than a black male with a white female. Eartha Kitt, Lola Falana, Diana Ross had known white lovers and took more flack from the black community for it than they did from the white community, while black boxer Jack Johnson went to prison for transporting his white fiancee across state lines. It's only been with the rise of black athletes making outrageous sums of money and black males breaking the entrepreneural corporate ceiling to be more common on the millionaire scene that we've seen more blondes on the arms of brothers and it deemed more acceptable. I suspect, as is everything else in America, it's a dollars to sex ratio thing. The color is green.

And then there are those brothers who know they're in demand. They're like so getting on my nerves. LOL I don't know what's going on in the midwest, but in Jersey everybody's hitting on everybody, but the brothers are kind of snooty. ;-)

Mitzi ,another fine write, as to your question dare I be blunt? We white women also used to ask that question. Why is it more acceptable for one than the other? This is only my opinion. I think it stems from the old ways of thinking, that the man is more important than the woman. Remember some cultures when they threw girl babies away , and women used to walk behind men. We tend to forget those times and some youth today never even heard of it.
But the fact that a woman can be used in any way but a man is King to be prized, so somehow society resents the white man with a black woman since women to begin with are the lesser ones, but men being the kings a black man deserves the woman of his choice even if white. Does that make sense to you? I should have thought this out first, to make sure I got the meaning clear.;-)Anyway that's the gist of it. Eileen

Actually I find this rather soulful and it does not matter what others think. I like how you did this. A very on target poem.