No! From what you wrote, it makes perfect sense to me. And your strategy in dropping that hot potato sounds like the perfect solution. (My sister is way better doing this than I am.)
My XH's family is from Montana, and some of them are squarely in the camp of your aunt. They're horribly prejudiced against blacks and native americans, and spew hateful, bigoted comments without filters either. It was REALLY uncomfortable for me to be around them. And like you, I started my kids out young in teaching them (well, my D20 since my D17 is a special needs kiddo and doesn't discriminate) not to make generalizations about people. Sometimes the best lessons are the ones that come out at the gate as teaching moments.
I remember once when my D20 was about 8. Her godfather was gay, and we have a lot of gay people in our lives. She came home one day from school and sat down at the dinner table and said matter-of-factly, "How do gay people have sex, and why is this important?" Her dad choked on his food and said, "I'll do dishes and watch youngest while you give her a bath and talk." LOL. Chickensh!t. So up we went to the bath and I debated on how to answer her. I finally decided to go back with accurate information and then asked her why. Someone somewhere (she went to Catholic school at the time) told her that it was a sin and an abomination. She kept her mouth shut until she got more information. Then she said something to me that has stuck with me ever since, "I still don't get why I'm supposed to despise them. Who they love is their own business." And that's how she answered the person who started this a few days later. She's been pragmatic about things ever since.
Her sister, on the other hand, is a lot like your son. She instantly can tell when people are afraid of people who are different. Instead of backing off and letting them be, she pours on the charm. While she won't literally crawl in their lap, she makes sure she puts herself in a light that makes them think about their fear and ignorance. And we're really proud that she wears the R Word t-shirt. So does my D20. The best teachers in the world are those who make those people contemplate their own existence. My MIL was one of those miserable, hateful people. I'm pretty sure she's surrounded by souls who are trying to teach her that we're all part of the human race. D20's godfather had a business card that had a byline on it: "We're all the same tribe, ya'll". True that.
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
