“Why do they (blacks) hate us so much?” a gray-haired white lady at the Shepherd Senior Center asked earnestly after I’d finished speaking about my book.  I was in Columbia, South Carolina.  I didn’t know what to answer, but I knew she wasn’t looking for a historical perspective.  Her question was heart felt.

     She continued, “They push old white people in the mall and they knock us down.”  I asked who and she explained that it was young black people who were terrorizing the marketplace.

     I’m afraid of what this means about our culture.  Bullying in schools is a crime and bullying the elderly is a disgrace regardless of color.  Understanding what causes the bullying is not an easy thing.  What are we to do about this?