After scoring the two goals in Italy's 2-1 defeat of rival Germany recently Mario Balotelli is now welcome for dinner in the home of most Italians. It is very likely that many an Italian father would now be proud to have his daughter date the new Italian hero. By my personal observations and life experience many an Italian father has expressly told his son or daughter, "'never disrespect me or your grandfather by bringing home a moulie." This is not to suggest that every Italian shares these views. That is not my point. Anyone who disputes this sentiment is ill-informed or unwilling to admit the truth or unable to handle the implications flowing from the truth. The truth hurts sometimes.
As a rights litigation lawyer I am always fascinated by how the arts and sports has a way of causing us to bridge the racial divide and bring about orgasmic-type happiness. It appears that the joy of the moment and the immense sense of national pride has the effect of - if not deleteing the feelings of discrimination and bigotry from our consciousness - at least intoxicating our spirts to the point where we overcome our fear and bigotry.
Are there any life lessons here ? Absolutely ! Mario Balotelli is no less Italian than any other player on the Italian team. His race and colour are totally irrelevant considerations with respect to any assessment of his worth as a person. The Italian father who believes that it would bring him disrespect for his children to marry a person of African descent needs to sit down and look inside himself and try to find out - why ? Racial discrimination and bigotry are both morally and intellectully bankrupt. That father should ask himself - would I feel the same way if Mario Balotelli asked for my daughter's hand in marriage today ? I am not a scholar. I am not an expert. I am just a little guy who thinks a lot. It is my sense from my life experience and observations that many, many Italian parents would now welcome Mario Balotelli home for dinner !
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