Come on now. The operative phrase in the original post was "...an
attractive, older African-American couple..." I am only 51 years old and was
involved in the second year of court ordered busing in 1968 as a junior high
student at Harry A. Hunt in Portsmouth VA. And, I do not consider my self an
older African American. In addition, I am old enough to remember places in
Portsmouth and Norfolk where we could go, especially Ocean View Beach, the
Commodore Theatre to name two. 

And racial discrimination is not the only reason to leave Virginia. There
are some fine persons of all types of ethnic backgrounds in Virginia. I left
not because of racism. I left in 1979 because the better engineering jobs
outside of the military industrial complex were not in Virginia.

As for racism, the Commonwealth of Virginia was not and is not the worst. I
have seem far worst in the Deep South but nothing compared to the covert
racism practiced here in the State of California. Most don't realize that
until the mid 1950's in California it was state law that Asians could not
legally attend school with either Caucasians nor African Americans. And
Latinos were not considered sanitary.

So in the final analysis, I would leave the Quaker Oats commercial alone.
There are plenty of reasons to leave any place. VIRGINIA IS truly FOR
LOVERS; but, economic concerns can cause one to seek a ticket out.

Glenn Gregory, Graduate
Old Dominion University, BSCE, 1979
Woodrow Wilson High School, Portsmouth VA, 1974
Publicity Manager, Student Government Association, WWHS, 1973-1974