The riots

I basically live on the northern edge of the 'black area' of San Antonio, which is east side all the way to NE side. I see and interact with black people any time I go out or go to a grocery store or Target or any other place really. I have not seen one incident of friction between people. Not one. People still hold doors for people, regardless of race, say thank you when they do. People have always done this to the point I often wondered 'what is the distance a person has to be from you they have to hold the door' because I've seen some take it to an extreme. The reason people do this is, is they don't want any mistunderstanding so they go out of their way and it's been that way since I moved here nearly 20 years ago. And my son noticed then when he moved down here from ..Minneapolis...that people were more courteous here and said 'thank you' and 'you're welcome' more than he had seen.

He called me on fathers day and we talking about this stuff going on and Minneapolis. He said, 'Black and white people don't hang out together or mix together up here like they do there. They aren't used to being around each other. As many things as I don't like about Texas there is one common thing that binds people together here and it can wear on you...but people identify more with being Texan than they do anything else. Even being American in a way. Their attitude is 'everyone else is fucked up' ...we're Texas...fuck 'em we don't care. Right or wrong. It's kind of why I identify with Canadians and 'get it'. It's that 'fuck everyone else' attitude. We're us, we don't care what you think...you're fucked up, we're not.' That is the bond and it's stronger than you realize. It doesn't have to be true it doesn't have to be right...it just IS. And there is something to be said for that. It binds people together. Right or wrong. I'm telling you, people are nutty about Texas. It kind of drives me nuts but it has it's plus's. A lot of that identity I don't even like, but it's there. There is a strong shared identity, regardless of everything else and part of that is you just leave people the fuck alone for the most part.

The attitude is well known. 'We could leave and fuck all ya'll.  We're not you.'  (pointing to the rest of America)

All I know is, nutty as it is,  I'm appreciating it more now than I did 2 months ago.