Recent rants

Recently , Michael Richards, Isaiah Washington and Mel Gibson have made public racist or homophobic remarks.  These are professional actors with long histories of working with all kinds of diversity.  But when under stress or the influence of chemicals, their inhibitions have been lowered and they blurted out racist or homophobic statements.  My question is; do most of us have a racist, sexist or other similar denigrating statements hiding right under our professional and controlled exterior?  If so, are there ways to examine our potentially hurtful expression before they are uttered?  Do most of us say racist things around our close friends and acquaintances where we feel comfortable but hide them around others?  Do we all have a long ways to go to begin to really communicate equally and openly with others who are in some measure different?

I would like to hear comments from all readers.  The opinions you share are more valuable than books and treatises on the subject because they are from a spectrum of real people.  I will express my opinion after I hear from you.  Please stay with us for the next post where I will pose questions about your experience and perspectives on diversity in the work place.