Our conversation did not start exactly amicably. He questioned me about my reasons for coming to the island. “What dirt are you trying to dig out now. Hasn’t been enough already,” he asked hotly. He was referring to the events of about a year ago and a case of vigilante justice that ended in a long trial of several people from the island. I know a few things about small islands and I am sure that there is a lot more to that story than we are ever going to find out. (Even a year later it’s still making news.)

Anyways, Jerry and I eventually came to like each other and soon had another couple of people join the conversation. One of them winked at Jerry and said that one thing he is keeping silent about is that he’s quite a ladies’ man. “Oh I don’t do that any more,” says Jerry with a sheepish smile. Right on cue, a well dressed lady from Quebec, about Jerry’s age, walks up to him and asks if she could have his lighter for a moment. “You can have anything you want,” he says offering to light her cigarette gallantly. She smiles, “I am not sure I could afford you.” Jerry flashes a smile and lowers his eyes in mock sadness. “I am cheap these days.” From there on they continue their conversation in French ignoring the rest of us.

Via Dawg’s Blawg, a truly horrendous story from Louisiana about a young, black man who could face 22 years in prison for hitting a white student after the moron repeatedly uttered racial taunts and slurs. It is to be hoped that the President will commute young man's sentence as it is obviously too harsh.

Stupidity, racism and hate know no borders, of course. Just look at Croatia where a singer can make a profitable career and create quite a following out of playing the nazism card. It is disgusting.