My parents were red-neck cracker bigots. Once I realized how ignorant they were about other topics, I discounted virtually everything else they had to say about all minority populations and decided I would figure it out on my own. Besides, it takes up a lot of energy to hate people.

I think racism is based primarily on ignorance, and secondarily on stupidity.

P.S. - All of my siblings and myself ended up marrying racial or religious minorities. Our family now looks like a rainbow, and this generation is WAY cool, and our children are gorgeous and smarter than the prior generations!

:-)