Читать книгу Prison Puzzle Pieces 3 - Dave Basham - Страница 82

Here is a whole can of worms for you; Native Americans and their casino money. We get into politics a bit here. You’ll get some of my opinions that you may not agree with, but don’t worry, I don’t believe running for public office is in my future. I’m getting old. By the time enough people would know who I was and want to vote for me, I’d either be dead or have Alzheimer’s. I’m informing you of these views because they were formed to some extent by my experiences in the prison. Those that weren’t, will hopefully allow you to be able to relate to my perspective, whether or not you agree with it. This book is more about understanding and accepting each other rather than trying to make everyone a clone of each other. It is also about right and wrong and justice.

Remember when George W got ripped for going into Iraq because it was thought they had weapons of mass destruction. They didn’t find any. Not that there weren’t any, but they couldn’t find any. The point that should’ve been focused on for the reason to go into that country was that they had lost the war. They were supposed to allow the US to inspect where ever and whenever the US wanted in order to insure compliance with not rebuilding themselves into a country that was capable of conquering and terrorizing other countries and their own citizens. They were hindering and refusing to allow these inspections. If you are not doing anything wrong, what do you care if someone is watching? That was the reason that should’ve been put out there for going in. They lost the war! They were acting like they had won the war! They were dictating to their conqueror!

How does that relate to the Native Americans? They lost the war! They are acting like they won! They are dictating to the United States the way things are going to be.

I sympathize with the atrocities that their predecessors went through, but that’s the way wars are. They perpetrated the same atrocities on their rival bands of Native Americans before Europeans ever came over here.

It is long past time for all American’s to pull their heads out of their asses and realize that if they truly want equality for all, which is what our country was first based on, it can happen instantly by realizing everyone has to stop demanding special privileges and drop the past. We have to be aware of the past so we don’t allow it to happen again, but we must no longer allow that kind of behavior in our country.

The natives have been given special rights. They may have reservations, but the laws of the United States should apply here too. Natives demand equal rights when they are off of the reservation, those same rights should be applied equally when they are on their reservation; like having their criminals arrested and not having to deal with the additional politics of their “Sovereign Nation.”

It’s like when kids draw a line in the dirt and say you can’t cross it.

The Natives have effectively received rights in the prisons that other inmates are restricted from. Casino money used to manipulate the courts has made this happen. This has made them the most powerful group in the prison; that, along with how ruthless they are.

They have been allowed to have pipe and drum ceremonies and sweat lodge from the courts on religious grounds. How many of these criminals do you think would be attending these ceremonies if they were running around living their lives outside of these walls?

These ceremonies are where they can all get together, organize and make plans. This is where inmates get the honor of being assigned to whack someone. Casino money allows them to be able to afford what others can’t while they are in segregation. Canteen items are money in prison. Money is power in prison.

They are allowed to smoke in these ceremonies. Smoking is banned for all other prisoners. Why are these criminals getting special rights? Aren’t criminals supposed to be deprived of some of the rights that law abiding citizens are afforded?

Native Americans are allowed to have dream catchers and medicine bags that we, as officers, are not allowed to touch. If a Native goes to the hole and we have to pack their cell, we have to get another Native to either hold those items for them or put them in the storage bin for them. Officers can be written up for touching these items.

If we have to search inside a medicine bag, we must have a Native open it up and show us the inside of it. A tattoo motor was found in one bag. Most officers won’t hassle with checking them, so it is a good place to hide things, on religious grounds of course.

The way we look at the Natives inside these walls should change. The way we look at the different races inside these walls should change. We should look at them all as people who have committed a crime and are here for that reason. No group should have special rights over another. They should all be in the same category.

Religious freedom is one thing; special treatment is another. Anyone of any religion can pray to their superior being without getting special treatment that actually aids them in their criminal pursuits within these walls.

I have nothing against any race. I had good relationships with people of all races behind those walls. Not knowing what most of them had done, I was able to have respect for those who showed respect for others.

I’ve always said that we all have more in common than we don’t have in common.

People have referred to me as a white man and Native Americans as the red man. I disagree with these labels. I believe that I am more of a beige man and that most Natives are more beige than I am. The closest I have ever seen to a red man was a severely sunburned beige person.

I have seen a few black men, but not many. Most are just a lot more beige than the supposed red man. Some are so heavily beige that they appear brown.

Asians, Hispanics and everyone else I have run into seem to be different shades of beige. Even albinos don’t seem to be 100% white. It seems to me that we are all just different shades of beige. The way inter racial mixing is going on, in another century or two we may all be the same shade of beige and we will have to find some other feature to discriminate against.

Actually, let’s change it now. Let’s stop discriminating against race and discriminate against those with bad body odor or bad breath instead. Discriminating seems to be more of a hassle than it’s worth. Maybe I’m not a racist just because I’m too lazy to put forth the amount of effort it takes to be a racist. Or maybe I’ve just chosen to disregard the statements of the numerous ignorant self righteous people that profess to be better than someone else.

And to wrap it up; that’s how I view one race having special rights to casino money over any other race. If one race has that right, all of the others should too.

If it’s not clear, that’s OK because it would take another book and more to fully attack this issue.