Born To Be Loud: Boomers Behaving Badly Diploma Debacle DeBunks Decorum Dr. David J. Demko, Editor-in-Chief AgeVenture Syndicated News Service

A high school graduation. Proud parents waiting with thirsty ear for the sound of their child's name. Called to the graduation podium to receive the coveted high school diploma. Sounds like your everyday, warm and fuzzy, dewy-eyed, all American event. Well, not exactly. Five graduates were denied their diploma. But not because of anything the five graduates did. The five graduates were denied diplomas due to the rowdy behavior and vitriolic outbursts of their parents and friends during the graduation ceremony. The level of mayhem made it impossible for the other 99 percent of the graduation audience to witness anything that looked or sounded like the dignified, solemn ceremony they expected to see and hear. Another "Kodak Moment" down the drain. Immediately following the diploma debacle, there was one remaining order of business. The diploma-deprived graduates must perform community service to atone for the dysfunctional behavior of their boomer parents. What will the students learn from this unfortunate event? To respect the rights of others for the mutual benefit of all. That's what equal opportunity is all about. After all, these students are not the only victims here. Everyone present was deprived of enjoying this once-in-a-life-time slice of family history. How can future repetitions of this fiasco be avoided? Those who disrupted the ceremony must accept responsibility for their outrageous behavior. Learn from the experience, and move on. Ironically, that is not likely to happen. Dysfunctional parents are crying racism as the basis for the tragedy. The excuse? All five of the diploma-deprived graduates happen to be minorities, Black and Hispanic. A response very typical in America today, ducking responsibility. When caught red-handed, don't hold yourself accountable, blame someone else for your shortcomings. Why would grown-ups take such an immature stand? Simple. The strategy works. Many of America's high-profile race-celebs make a comfortable living roaming the country as Don Quixote defenders against pseudo-racist conspiracies. And racism is everywhere, say these pundits. Their logic is clear. No conspiracy means no need for race celebs. They would have to get real jobs and work for a living like the rest of us. My friend laughingly tells me that the game of billiards may indeed be racially suspect. After all, the whole point of the game is for the White Ball to knock all the Colored Balls off the pool table. It's enough to make wonder? "Why are the black keys on every piano so much smaller than the white keys?" "Why must the black keys always be set in the back of the keyboard?" Damned if I know. Does it all appear unquestionably racist to you? If it sounds like I am disgusted by all this nonsense it's because I am. Racism pretenders call into question every legitimate claim of discrimination, undermining years of social progress achieved on the basis of genuine civil rights issues. That's more than wrong, it's unethical, and downright destructive for any one who dreams of ever achieving anything close to a colorblind, equal opportunity society. "You're civil rights are gonna be violated tah-night," the traffic officer said to the young African American driver who was made to pull off the road for no other apparent reason than the color of his skin. "He let me go when the other officer recognized me, because it had happened before." "Where in the hell, did you steal this car." "My son," recalled the Haitian mom, "brought home a straight A report card, so his father let him borrow the family car, a Mercedes Benz, to take go for a short ride with his friends." The short ride was abruptly cut even shorter by the police who instructed the son and his passenger friends to spread-eagle over the car's hood. "First, the security guards held us, then the cops came and handcuffed us." "All my friend and me were doing was buying a tool to fix his car." Store security, and later the police said "We looked like some bad guys." Later, the parents of the African American youths drove down to the police station to take their sons home. It was all a big mistake. I can go on listing these genuine real-life racist events like these. In fact, I've learned enough of these human tragedies to fill a book. It is shameful that racism exists in America. And it is despairing that many people find it in their best interests to make sure pseudo racism persists. Racism hurts us all. But, pseudo racism deprives us of the hope to end genuine racism. This is the lesson we can all learn from the recent graduation ceremony. A lesson on the importance of personal accountability. For some, a bitter pill to swallow. But, nevertheless, the best medicine for fulfilling the late Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of a equal opportunity America.

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