He asked,

"Are you going to sell your house to white folks or

black folks?"

I said,

"I don't know, just whoever wants to buy it."

He

responded, "I hope you sell it to black folks `cause

I don't like white folks."

I laughed

and hugged him. His heart was colorblind but the words of

his mouth had been tinted by his exposure to racism. He

was oblivious to the fact that I was white folks.

Just as we

can't legislate morals, neither can we legislate common

sense and decency that requires people to treat each

other with respect. I believe only a commitment to a

changed life in Jesus Christ can clean up our hearts! (I

am sure this statement will offend some!)

Rocker was

treated very poorly by the people in New York and he just

had not reached the level of maturity to throw off these

insults as part of the job. He was hurt, embarrassed and

angered on a very personal level (spit on, beer-drenched,

objects hurled at him that could have caused considerable

bodily harm.)

He is a

proud young man, thrilled beyond imagination to be in the

Series. He had worked for this position since he was a

young boy. Cocky, maybe, but aren't most young athletes

who have made it to the big time? Just ask "Prime

Time" and Dennis Rodman.

John didn't

receive recognition or respect for his hard work but was

treated with gross disrespect. Can you imagine the stress

placed upon this young man in trying to do his job

against such odds - he was always upbeat and gave

his team and the Braves fans the best he had to offer and

I don't think his baseball career should be called into

jeopardy because of hastily spoken words that has caused

no real harm to anyone. He is repentant and he has

learned a great lesson. Let it go at that!

His remarks

were general, not to a particular person; but he was

attacked personally - his wounds were deeper. He has

apologized and rightly so - I think the city of New

York (particularly Yankee fans) owe him an apology as

well. Did they not have enough confidence in their team

that they had to resort to harassment?

As far as

his "monkey" remark, I have the most beautiful

little 4-year-old granddaughter in the world, and I call

her "monkey-face" - she giggles because

she knows that she is not a monkey!

Athletes,

and men in general, fling obscenities at each other as a

way to be macho, and bad as they are, they seldom cause

such an outcry. We all agree: Rocker acted like a

"pooh, pooh head" (oops! I apologize to all you

poohs out there), he apologized, so let's accept it and

play ball! Or, let us get Ken Starr involved and subpoena

every person involved and have them swear under oath that

they never made an error in judgment with their mouth

against another group of people.

Or, maybe

we could get the "Hustler Man" to put up a

reward for "snitchers."

Let's face

it, folks - you can call me a door knob all day

long, but until I start acting like one and someone turns

my cylinder and it opens a door, it just ain't so!

I don't

defend Rocker's statements but I defend his right to say

them. John Rocker needs to learn the lesson I am sure his

mother tried to teach him, "If you don't have

something good to say, don't say anything at all."

But long as people have mouths and feet, they will

occasionally converge and as long as we don't have a

national disaster going on, the media will make it bigger

than life.

Come on

people, let's get back to the serious stuff like feeding

the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick,

fighting crime, and playing Braves Baseball! "Let he

who is without sin, cast the first stone." "If

you don't forgive, you won't be forgiven."

Patricia

D. Walston

Fayetteville