ZOOS- In the Southern part of the U.S. A. I don't think prejudice of both races is in the "minority " as you stated. I think it's a very common thing that happens WAY too much in the South. . You stated that there were multiple white men in your office that feel , " when crimes committed by blacks hit the news the boys at work are quick to judge the entire race on the stupidity of the black offender. " But you hear crickets from these racists when murders by a white man happen towards blacks as it just did there. And the comment by a co-worker, " The sad part is there were so many empty seats " ? Wow, just wow. Disgusting murderous attitudes of people who have allowed hundreds of years of Southern prejudiced attitudes to corrupt their minds.
I can honestly state that you would RARELY if ever hear those kind of malignant , prejudiced comments out here in the state of California in public places like offices, restaurants, around children by adults in public , etc. Sure- we have prejudice out here, but it's more of a private back and forth between people- the prejudiced attitudes between races is outwardly CONDEMNED in our state as being unacceptable.
My 30 year old son and his girlfriend just traveled through South Carolina and North Carolina on a road trip and while sitting at a restaurant in North Carolina they were appalled to see a white lady in her late 20's just very casually use the word " nigger " in conversation while talking quite normally at her table with her white friends. Something like , " Oh, it's just some dumb " nigger " lady. "
When you see people of any race using disrespectful, prejudiced words like this it is a throwback to the times of slavery when those attitudes were prevalent and permeated the American Society. Have we as a country really NOT progressed at all in over 150 years since slavery was abolished ? I think we have not unfortunately. I think people are just as prejudiced and ignorant as they ever have been, perhaps worse. And it's like a dormant volcano in the South where these pent up aggressive, violent attitudes towards blacks just keep brewing until one of these hate crimes by a white comes out and everybody wonders what happened. Wake the hell up people. It's been brewing for years sadly, and the only thing that can change it is if parents change the attitudes THEY have which were handed down by their ancestors and we begin to teach OUR children true acceptance of any race, color, or difference