America the Beautiful

One of the many reasons I love New York is all the different people you meet. Taxi drivers are some of the most interesting characters. Every race, religion and personality is represented at the wheel. Today I spent the better part of the afternoon in Riverside Park watching Zach play soccer. It was a perfect day...the sky was blue, 65 degrees and the sun beaming. Unfortunately, they lost, but it was still a fun afternoon.

I grabbed a cab home and knew the minute I got in I was in for a ride. Driving the taxi was a white man in his early 30s with a southern accent and a shaved head. We exchanged pleasantries about the weather and then he started the story he was obviously wanting to tell. Late last night he was driving in Times Square when two very large men got in the car announcing they were going to the Bronx. As he told the story I could sense his fear. He said he couldn't find a policeman on any block and decided to deal with it himself.

All the while he's telling this story with his strong southern accent and all I can think is he's racist. He tells me that he decided to stop the cab and tell the two men he was not going to the Bronx and to get out of his car. Which he did....and they did. He gave me a quick armchair shrink analysis of why they left..surprise, shock, off guard.  Unfortunately, he then launched into some of his political views. This was America at its finest.

You can't trust government and politicians because it and they are corrupt and every American should be armed. If the 6 million Jews that died had guns, they would have defeated the Nazis. Something told me this wasn't the time to tell him I'm Jewish. And then it dawned on me...mid-30s, male, white, shaved head. A skin head in NY. I know they're here, but this was a first for me. I've always admired Morris Dees and supported the Southern Poverty Law Center and the 20 minutes I spent in the taxi confirmed why I do.