"I'm white because people tell me I'm white and I believe them." — Stephen Colbert

The vision of America as a place given by God to "white" people who tolerate folks who don't quite look like them is rapidly changing. Population growth among northern European inhabitants in the U.S. slowed to a standstill a couple of decades ago, but the growth in population among peoples of other skin tones has continued to grow, and now the groups are intermarrying without the virulent stigma of the past. Today's New York Times reports that one in seven marriages in the past couple of years has occurred between mixed racial couples.

For my money, the great revolution of my time has not been seeing a man walk on the moon, it's been the shift from the anger and fear that existed between the races to the easy acceptance of one another. Certainly, the lion has not lain down with the lamb yet, but the change in attitude and acceptance is remarkable when considered over the brief space of one man's lifetime.