By Sid Roberts / Herald Forum When I was in the ninth grade, I had a crush on a girl named Debra. I was told that she liked me too. She was cute, had a bright smile and her nose was dotted with adorable freckles. However, Debra and I never talked on the phone, and I never walked her home from school. In fact, this relationship was a non-starter. That was because Debra is black and I’m white. The people of my midwestern hometown are kind and good folks. Notwithstanding, while it is hard for me to say and probably...