archie bunker

was archie bunker a racist
i don't think so.

was he a misguided fool of the 50's
yes, he was.

did he epitomize the godfearing man who
went to church and worshipped a god,
but didn't want the black man moving into
his neighborhood.

or his children paling around with his best
friend joe's kids when they came to a business
function and who just happened to be his
friend at work, but whom you didn't asswociate
with outside of work.

what about the godfearing woman who was the wife of
archie bunker
whose kids didn't know you weren't supposed to yell
out the colored kids classmates name when you met in
macy's and the two children ran to each other with
outstretched arms and smiles as big as could be

what do you do when you stand in macy's
one woman white and one woman black
two good women
but awkward
in the moment
each knowing their place
and their kids knowing their place better.

and then its time to go
and the two girls do a dance and
say, see ya in school cecilia,
see ya doris.

and the two women look at each other
not knowing what to say and being
uncomfortable in the moment
do you call that racism?

i think not.
i call it the fifties.