Mar 14, 2024

Was I wrong for yelling at my racist grandfather?

Image Source: Shutterstock

A young man is asking whether or not he overreacted after revealing that he yelled at his grandfather during his 75th birthday celebration after the elderly man greeted his new girlfriend with a racial slur.

The post on Reddit’s famed “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) forum has sparked intense debate, shedding light on the sensitive dynamic of racism by older people often being dismissed due to the prevalence of prejudice during their formative years.

In the post, a 29-year-old man told readers he was in a long-term relationship with a 26-year-old woman named Lana.

The interracial nature of the young couple’s relationship had never been a point of contention for anyone in the family, however, everything changed when Lana was invited to attend her boyfriend’s grandfather’s birthday.

While Lana was met with warmth and hospitality from other family members at the birthday party, the mood took a drastic turn when the grandfather, upon meeting Lana, loudly called her a racial slur which silenced the entire room.

The young man revealed that Lana began crying after being subject to the slur which then prompted him to loudly berate his grandfather in front of all of their family family and friends.

Despite the anguish from his grandson, the 75-year-old grandfather continued to play down the severity of his words before telling his grandson outright that there was nothing “wrong” with what he said.

Following this horrible incident, The young man and his girlfriend Lana immediately left the party.

However, much to the young man’s surprise, he received a call from his aunty a few hours later who began yelling at him for screaming at the grandfather at his birthday. She then downplayed the 75-year-old’s culpability in the incident because he grew up in a different time.

Astonishingly, the young man revealed that the majority of his family agreed with his aunty and felt that screaming at the grandfather was a step too far.

Following this backlash from his family, the young man wants to know if he was within his rights to act as he did, or did he take things too far by yelling at his grandfather for his archaic and prejudiced manner of speaking?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Go Gentle Australia: The Right to Choose What Happens in the End

Polls show that more than 75% of Australians support voluntary euthanasia and would like to see the introduction of new laws regarding it. Which is why television and radio personality Andrew Denton has founded the advocacy group “Go Gentle Australia”. “Go Gentle Australia” believe that it is the “right of all Australians to have a... Read More

Older people in the media: a moment or a trend?

  For far too long, there has been the established fact that, in the mass media, older people are most likely to be invisible, or negatively stereotyped. But if the last few weeks are any indication, that tide may be turning, in both ways. To my delight, and keeping to the oceanic metaphor, there has... Read More

Five Ways to Get Healthier (and Happier) With Your Pet

Did you know pets can be more than just cuddly companions? Find out how pets can help reduce stress and even foster friendships with other people. Read More
Advertisement
Exit mobile version