Linda, here's a thought, but first a little background. In my twenties I was 
a member of a radical civil rights organization and actually left the 
country in early 1969 in disgust at the lack of progress. However, more 
recently in my sixties, after twenty years of reading Virginia's court 
records, wills, etc., I have come to see just how much progress has been 
made.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, my reading of the court records and wills 
showed me very graphically just how degraded African American slaves were in 
Virginia society--absolutely nothing but property, little different than 
farm animals. Of course, none of this was in any history book I had read. 
(And I have yet to see a history book that is really honest about it).

Now, over sixty years after the Civil Rights Movement, you might say that I 
was right to be disgusted as there are still many things about this country 
that are racist and that we have a ways to go. On the other hand it is truly 
amazing that we (whites and African Americans) have been able to change our 
culture in such dramatic fashion. Racism was "as American as apple pie."  It 
was what made us what we were.

Culture is something we regard as sacred, like the respect we have for our 
parents and grandparents, our religion, our family values, our patriotism, 
etc. It is amazing that so many whites have been able to look at their 
cuture in an objective manner and reject it as being immoral.

Could it be that before mankind learned to read and write we needed culture 
so that we did not reinvent the wheel with each generation, but in modern 
times it no longer serves such an important function?
Paul