On Discrimination

One would never think that a white girl from suburban Ohio would understand what it means to be discriminated against, but today I got a taste of just how crummy it feels. Up to this point, I've had to deal with the typical "men are treated this way" and "women are treated that way" nonsense -- frustrating but not too difficult to manage. Today, though, I wasn't allowed to walk into a hospital because I'm white.

I was going with Bandol and Boley to visit Boley's cousin who is in the hospital because he's having a special operation done on his thyroid. About three years ago his body started degenerating and no one knew why. He grew up perfectly healthy, then around the age of 14, his bones started growing in different directions. Now every joint in his body -- arms, legs and even ribs -- are messed up, forcing him to walk with crutches. The hospital that we were visiting him at has linked the problem to his thyroid, so we were going to see him before his surgery tomorrow.

Well, as we were walking into the hospital, I was stopped and told I'd have to wait outside. So I sat on a stoop in the heat while the guys went in. It turns out, the hospital is bitter toward white people because instead of providing the hospital with funding, the white people criticize the quality of its services. So they keep all the white people out -- what a great way to build a reputation...

So I guess I need to start laying out in the sun more and perhaps invest in a dark wig. Tanning and faux locks -- the all access pass to Cambodia.