Dino Baskovic Can’t Lose

Get this through your head now: there is no room for racism. Not in 2010, not ever and certainly not on my Wall.

Yesterday, I posted the following status update to Facebook:

Dino Baskovic just sent in his U.S. Census form. Have you?

I was pleased to see so many "yes" responses. Then one of my friends asked why the 2010 Census form uses the term "Negro" when asking for one's race. It was a legitimate question that has raised some ruckus in recent months, which led the Census director to blog about the matter back in January. Agree with it or not, that is what appears on the current Census form.

Being an open thread, I wanted to see whether any other respondents would offer an answer, even a mere link to a Census site FAQ. I went back to work, only to regret having left the thread open as long as I did. An otherwise good soul left an unfortunate, racist remark in bad taste (I won't honor the comment by reposting it here).  I immediately deleted the remark and later offered an apology to the thread, going so far as to "unfriend" the individual in question.

I felt the remark was in poor taste and wholly offensive. Perhaps in some areas of the country, as we can be painfully reminded that times have not a-changed, such speech is acceptable. To me, that kind of schoolyard "humor" ended after recess a long, long time ago, and it wasn't even funny then. Truthfully, it was shameful then as it is now.

Such are the perils of social media. From time to time, you invite the occasional, unintended numbskull that you so badly want to sit down with behind close doors, smack them on the back of the head and ask, "what on earth were you thinking?"  Of course, you have a reputation to protect, even if they themselves don't. My advice? Act swiftly. Apologize profusely for the action, as I did, and make no apologies for removing said comment, even banning said poster if warranted.  

Luckily, the respondents appear to understand what was an isolated incident. It saddens me to no end that someone who is otherwise a nice person would think in such terms--or not think as it were.  Sure, we all make mistakes and I have expressed myself online in ways I wish I could take back in retrospect. But some lines you just don't cross.

Some forms, however, you do cross. At least fill out, like the Census. There's still time to do your part, no matter your race.