Death Threats Over Inter-Ethnic Marriage

It is so bizarre to me to think that even in the year 2007, there are people out there so offended by the idea of love and marriage between people of different ethnicities, particularly black and white, that they would call or write in death threats to the couple. But that is exactly what happened over the last few weeks leading up to the wedding this past weekend of a black Boise State football star and his white Boise State cheerleader fiancee, now wife. Apparently, the couple and their families had to hire extra security for their wedding due to these threats. People really do need to get a grip. By the way, thankfully the wedding went off without a hitch.

The only reason lots of people even knew about this pretty normal wedding (in terms of numbers of inter-ethnic marriages) is that the proposal took place on a very big national stage. Immediately following Boise State's incredibly dramatic upset of Oklahoma last year in a nationally televised bowl game, the football star ran to his girlfriend and proposed to her in front of millions of people as the television cameras captured the whole thing. Her acceptance and their subsequent embrace and kiss must have sent shudders through many a racist watching the game or the numerous replays on news shows. I guess it was their worst nightmare, the athletic black sports star taking "their" beloved" white cheerleader, for many the ultimate symbol of the girl everyone wants to marry.

So, many months later, they were still furious. Enough to try to stop it. What nutcases. Congrats to the newlyweds. And to those who couldn't stand the thought, get over it. There is nothing you can do to stop the fact that love across ethnicities is stronger than bigotry.