Mike Cox

For the first time in several decades, I've started planning my evening around a TV show. Good Eats , starring geeky Alton Brown, comes on at 7 pm. A few evenings back, he made sushi rolls and such, using those little rice paper sheets. The show was entertaining. I didn't realize how much effort went into those things. It doesn't make me want to eat sushi, but I am impressed with the process.

On Valentine's Day, I was at Publix, waiting for some tuna, and got interested in the Publix sushi guy preparing his wares. He did the same thing Alton did but seemed more proficient, probably because he was Asian.

Isn't it interesting how our prejudices come into play in a positive way where some things are involved. Every home repair TV show has a guy with an Australian accent. At least one announcer from the British Isles is required on golf telecasts. Black guys just look faster on a football field.

A sinister, controlling movie villain who speaks with an aristocratic southern accent is more believable than someone Midwestern. Holistic medicines are considered more effective if they were discovered by Native Americans rather than Swedes. A German engineer is immediately considered more competent than one from Texas.

Yet we as a society are trying to eradicate prejudice and insensitive attitude by preaching we are all alike. We deny our differences. Humans are genetically programmed to feel secure in a group. In order to be a part of a group, we must find another group to exclude. We can't help it; it's in our nature.

Yet the least bit of perceived insensitivity gets people stirred up. New Alabama coach Nick Saban recently drew negative press for using the term coonass. I'm no Cajun expert, but I've known several boys from Louisiana. I've heard that term countless times and never knew of anyone who considered it derogatory. Yet national sports reporters demanded Saban apologize.

The story died quickly and no one from the Cajun Defamation League surfaced to demand Saban pay them off, do community service, or meet with Justin Wilson to explain himself, so no harm was done.

And last week, Illinois mascot Chief Illiniwek was fired because the NCAA decided Indian mascots are offensive to Native Americans and can no longer be part of a team's entourage. Stealing their land, eradicating entire tribes, and forcing them to live on reservations is still okay.

As America struggles with guilt over our mistreatment of minorities and women, we've become schizophrenic about what is considered offensive. Some of the inconsistencies are ridiculous. The political nature of presumed prejudice is hard to predict and harder to explain away. Some things are accepted while others explode.

Joe Biden thought he was complimenting Barack Obama recently; instead, a poor choice of descriptive phrases probably killed any chances for high political office. Obama seemed unaffected, but the damage was done.

I feel sorry for the first guy who makes a reference to Hillary's looks during the upcoming campaign. He's dead meat.