Thread by @TimInHonolulu

1. When I was a boy my dad, the AP photographer in St. Louis, covered the St. Louis Hawks. Missouri, a civil war border state, was caught somewhere between the North and the South. But, my dad was an Massachusetts Irish Catholic liberal and a stone cold abolitionist.

2. I had a little autographed basketball signed by Cliff Hagen an Bob Pettit. They were the Hawks' star players.

I recall, a few years ago, an interview with Bill Russell who, for me, was among the greatest athletes of all time. He told a story of an NBA All Star Game that

3. I think was played in St. Louis. It was either in the 50's or early 60's. Both Bill Russell and Bob Pettit were from Louisiana and after the game Bob Pettit's folks offered Bill Russel and his folks a

4. ride home to Louisiana. The senior Mr. Pettit was making small talk and was telling the senior Mr. Russell how proud he must have been of his son. Bill noticed that after a while he saw tears running down his father's face. Bill Russel later asked his father why he was crying.

5. The senior Mr Russell told his son that Mr. Pettit was the first white person to ever call him mister Russell.

@JoeBiden, I support you mostly because you have been long time civil rights advocate. That is your record. And you've earned the respect it deserves.

6. But the Irish never really felt the cruelty of racism based on the color of our skin and none of us can fathom how it is to have experienced it. We need to just give folks some space & sometimes say we're sorry. And @CoryBooker sometimes a phone works best to send a message.