Inheriting a Racial Bias (op-ed)

Hulk Hogan is no longer employed by the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) because he said the N-word in a private conversation eight years ago.  Hogan was recorded without his knowledge and the tape was recently released to the public.
On Good Morning America Hogan apologized, asked for forgiveness, and said, “I’m not a racist.  I never should have said what I said.  It was wrong.”
    
When asked if he inherited a racial bias Hogan nodded and mentioned the neighborhood he grew up in was rough and very low income.  He also said, “People need to realize that you inherit things from your environment … The word was just thrown around like it was nothing.”
    
The interview ended with Hogan dedicating himself to raising awareness of the impact of racial slurs.
    
With that said imagine a Black child eavesdropping on an adult conversation.  The adults mention Hogan.  The child, not a wrestling fan, never heard of Hogan, but realizes Hogan was popular when the adults were young. 
    
Hogan has no defenders.  He is universally condemned, not because his actions contributed to any discriminatory practice by the WWE, his childhood fans were disappointed.
    
But the child is confused. 
    
The adults use the word frequently.  The child even uses the word but not in front of adults.  The child knows there’s something inappropriate about the word but its different meanings in dialogue remains a mystery.
    
Then the adults make a distinction. 
    
They didn’t accept Hogan’s claim of inheritance.   Hogan didn’t use the word like it was nothing.  Hogan used the word to degrade and it was unacceptable because Hogan’s white. 
    
So the child concludes the n-word can be used in a disrespectful way by other races but when it’s used among Blacks no harm is intended, so it’s acceptable?  The child also concludes blacks must not be able to offend other blacks with the n-word?
    
As the child ponders the complexity of adult logic and wonders if Hogan’s use of the n-word really offended anyone (besides the percentage that could possibly be offended according to the marketing department of the WWE) the adult conversation changed to politics, specifically the republican presidential primary.
    
Now the child doesn’t know anything about politics except household basics, blacks are democrats and republicans are rich, and the word republican is more inappropriate than the n-word. 
    
Then the adults mention Ben Carson.
    
The child pays closer attention.  The child knows Ben Carson from Black history month.  This is the first time the child finds out a man from Black history month is running for president.  It is also the first time the child finds out that Ben Carson is a republican, and even worse, Ben Carson is called an Uncle Tom. 
    
And the adults continue demeaning Carson in ways that would make Hogan’s use of the n-word a compliment.
    
Now the child is even more confused than it was about the n-word.
    
But the adults change the subject again.  This time they praise the movie Straight Out of Compton and the cultural contributions of the group N-words with an attitude.
    
Question: When this child becomes an adult do you think it will inherit a racial bias, but which racial slur will have the most impact?
    
Another question: What’s worse than being discriminated against by another race? 
    
Answer:  To be ostracized by your own.
    
Proverb: A wise man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.
    
Unfortunately so do fools.
    
First published by the New Pittsburgh Courier 9/9/15