My paternal grandfather moved into a house in Malden, Massachusetts sometime before 1920. The neighborhood was an upright white Anglo Saxon neighborhood. He and his wife were Irish Catholics. This was at a time when the Irish were reviled. The neighbors complained that soon he would bring in other members of his family with multiple families living in one house and they would take over the neighborhood. So they applied pressure for him to sell the house and get out. Eventually he conceded and said he would leave as soon as he could sell the house. He placed an ad in the newspaper "House for sale. (specifics). Only blacks or Jews need apply". The neighbors where at his door that day asking him to stay.
When we were living in North Carolina, around 1954, we went into town and into a department store. Following my parents around while they were shopping I became thirsty and went in search of a water fountain. I found one, but it had a long line of people waiting for water. With the impatience of youth I looked around and spotted another fountain with no one in line. Wondering why no one was switching over I went over and got my drink. About the time I got back to my parents the manager of the store meet them and asked us to leave. My parents asked why and they were informed that I had taken a drink from the Colored fountain and that was against the law. The law specified that there must be separate fountains for White and Colored, which there was even though Colored were not allowed in the store.
These and other incidents in my life continue to show me that when you allow prejudice and its accompanying fear ascendancy you loose control. You become very easy to manipulate and control for whatever means I have in mind. You are now victims!
