Deliverance Country-Up Close and Personal

Sometimes you just don't know about people until you spend time with them. I learned that this weekend.

To protect the identities of the innocent, I won't mention names or identifying information, but let's just say how frightening it is to realize you have a Neo-Nazi on your property.

This person has been nothing but nice to me (and knows that I'm gay too, which is weird), but there is something unnerving about talking about "white power" and "swastikas", jokingly telling this person not to say that too loud (we're in a very diverse neighborhood), and have this person say "I don't see anyone around who is going to challenge me."

Yeah, not a person I want to piss off, especially now that this person knows where I live.

Now, one would think that maybe this person just went through a phase and is over it now. However, I think the references to "ragheads" (for Middle Easterns) and "slant eyes" (for Asians) tells me otherwise.

Why am I okay? I don't know. Maybe 'cause I don't have a penis or maybe 'cause upon realizing his prejudices I was too afraid to challenge him. Who knows?!

I do know I was freaked out. It's one thing to know someone is a Republican and even a bigot, but "white power" and "swastikas" makes you wonder just how deep does the hatred go and if you're not careful could you end up on the wrong side of it.