[jstone78]

{"....A black woman with very high standards of behavior and a strong work ethic, who doesn't see race, just character...."}

My in-laws are Italian. I wonder how Italian-American freepers would react, if I described one of my female in-laws as "an Italian woman with very high standards of behavior and a strong work ethic, who doesn't see ethnicity, just character"?

I would be implying that high standards of behavior and a work ethic are somewhat unusual among Italians - why else would I praise my Italian in-law for having those virtues? And I would also be implying that the general trend among Italians is to see ethnicity rather than character - and thankfully, my Italian in-law is an exception to that cultural trend.

The vast majority of blacks in this country (75 percent) are middle-class. That fact does not get much attention in the media. Condy Rice wouldn't look out of place in the black community, which is mostly middle-class and hardworking.

But of course, Condy Rice is also a person of very high accomplishment, having attained greater personal success than the overwhelming majority of people of any race. For starters, she has a PhD degree. Less than 1 percent of all American adults, have PhDs. She has also published books, been the President of Stanford University, and has sat on the boards of large corporations.

[lady lawyer]

If you were comparing one of your Italian relatives to a high-profile Italian, she probably wouldn't be insulted at all.

I must point out, however, that when the majority of black children are born out of wedlock, it would appear that very high standards are less prevalent among the group than the group might wish.

[lady lawyer]

BTW, I consider my daughter in law exceptional among young women of any color. She is just an outstanding person, who happens to be black, like Condie Rice.