Racists of any stripe are anywhere from annoying to disgusting in my playbook. And, of course, I run into them from time to time--as we all have, unfortunately. Here's a (head-)case which stands out in my mind.
I had four career fields in the USAF--three while on Active Duty and one while in Reserve status. Two of my AD careers involved foreign languages, specifically German and Russian.
Sometimes, when I mention that last fact, I will get skeptical looks. During my Reserve stint, one co-worker even expressed outright disbelief. He questioned me as to my Technical Training and my pertinent duty stations. He even went to our boss and complained that I was lying about my past military record. Boss suggested that he ask for my DD Form 214--as she told me later. After I found out that he complained to her, I began to carry a copy of the document in my wallet, but he never did ask for it. I would have presented it had he (politely) done so. Instead, he kept trying to trip me up in a lie.
I didn't have to wonder too hard as to why he refused to believe that I might have the mental tools to learn and manipulate two rather difficult foreign languages.
Oh yeah, did I mention that he wasn't white?
