If you met a person at random on the street and they told you, "You don't belong in this country," how would you handle it?

My youngest grandson, Zeke, almost 14 years old as of March 9, 2026, likes his long dark hair. I sometimes call him "Tonane," after a character of that name from Stargate:SG1, season two, episode thirteen. Zeke was born in Burnsville, Minnesota, and the farthest he has traveled so far in his young life is Indiana. He has never been outside the United States.

Zeke has a talent for music and likes to play drums, piano, guitar, and any other musical instrument he can get his hands on. He likes his music loud. Because he's a teenager. He also likes languages and is teaching himself Spanish.

This afternoon, while riding his bicycle about two miles from home, he played a Mexican song on his Bluetooth-enabled speaker, titled, "DUALIDAD" by Los CogeloNes. He had to help me spell that. Zeke sang along. In Spanish. Loudly. Because he's a teenager who likes music and languages.

He passed a lady about 60 years old with light-colored hair, walking. In an earlier draft, I called her Karen, which offended at least one person really named Karen. But since I don't know her real name, I'll call her BA. BA is a slang reference from an old TV show and probably a better fictional name for her. They both stopped at the red light. Here is how the conversation went.

BA: In an accusing tone. "Are you Mexican?"

Zeke: She's about to get racist. I'm not gonna say no. But if I say yes in English, I'm just putting myself up for trouble. "Si."

BA: "You don't belong in this country."

Zeke: Ya know, if she's gonna act this way, I don't want to put up with this. But losing my cool will only make things worse. "Que? No hablo inglés."

BA: "Can you even understand me?"

Zeke: I need to be more insistent "Que? No hablo inglés."

BA: "YOU....DON'T... BELONG... HERE!"

Zeke: "Tu es un pendejo."

The light turned green. Zeke rode away.

BA: "YOU DON'T BELONG IN THIS COUNTRY!"

As I compose this a few hours after their dialog, she is probably offering opinions to her friends about a Mexican on a bicycle she met on the street who doesn't speak English. I really really really want to offer lots of commentary about her attitude, but the more I think about it, the more I think Zeke summed it up better than anything I can offer.

Google Translate told me that "Tu es un pendejo" means, "You're an idiot." Zeke says the actual translation is more colorful. BA had no clue.

Score one for Zeke.

After reflection, and after helping me with a draft of this blog post, Zeke offered this.

If I had the chance to do it again, I would, without a doubt. But, when I think about it, I may have been stupid to do that because of the state of the world. For all I know, she could have pleaded self-defense or called the cops. Either way, it would have been a situation I would have not wanted to be in. But no matter what, I will not cower under somebody's false accusations. My heritage is Mexican. There's nothing I can do to change that and I will not pretend to be something I'm not.

After composing this, I decided I am proud of him. He found a creative way to handle an idiot on the street looking for a fight.

Posted with permission. Zeke helped me write this.

A few days after I originally posted this and advertised it on social media, my friend, Tim, offered this comment. I thought it was a good one.

Greg, you missed a perfect grandfather opportunity to teach wisdom to your grandson. Instead of praising him for continuing the confrontation by insulting the other person (albeit in a language the other person didn't understand), you should have told Zeke he should have politely continued the conversation by responding with something like, "Thank you for noticing my Mexican ancestry. Looking at your blue eyes and blond here (I'm obviously also making an assumption), may I assume that you have some Scandinavian ancestry?" By responding in a polite manner that still points out the problem with making assumptions based on external features, it brings the conversation to more neutral ground. There is an excessive amount of divisiveness in our society today. It would be a better place if we would teach our grandchildren (and us) to be respectful instead of insulting, and, thereby continuing divisiveness and actions that are impolite. Of course, that goes for us 'adults' as well.

-- LinkedIn, March 20, 2026.