The Jailhouse

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Racial Slurs Finally Removed!

I have made note those racial slurs slung at me,
at my family, at my peoples, have finally been
removed. Took a bit of time but this is good.

However, I have also made note the racist who wrote
those racial slurs still participates here, has not
suffered any consequences for his racial slurs directed
at an entire population of peoples, my peoples.

Another note I have made is the racist continues to
spread discontent and hatred at this website.

Rather curious racism appears to not be a rule violation.
I am sure racism is a serious rule violation but it is
rather curious acts of racism do not earn consequences.

Racism has very deep effects on people, especially upon
children. Racism is not inherent, racism is taught to
children, is spread through children. True victims of
racism are children.

Deep effect, indeed. As a child, being born penniless
and ignorant in a back bedroom of a rural Oklahoma farm,
delivered by a "Chahta ohoyo alla eshi apistikeli" a
Choctaw midwife but much more than just a midwife,
being born of color, as my family, as my peoples, I have
well experienced racism during my life, just as my family
and my peoples have experienced racism.

Decades back, when a child, I was dragged along with an
uncle, who is an Anglo, yes, I am a half breed, dragged
along for a mule and wagon ride up to Broken Bow, maybe
twenty miles away but a half day ride. Really should not
write "dragged along" because a wagon ride into the big
city, population about two-thousand, going to the big
city was one of the greatest adventures to enjoy! We
were off to a general store to buy seed corn to plant,
a special hybird out of Arkansas, out of Bill Clinton's
hometown. Say, did I tell you my gambling great aunt
Pearl was a good friend to Bill Clinton's grandmother
back in the day? Quite the pair to draw to, I am told!

We stop at a small diner, not much really, maybe a
thousand square feet of building. We order early lunch,
a real treat compared to our sparse diet on our farm.
The owner of this diner comes over to our table, looks
at my uncle, looks at me, "Mister, see those signs up
there 'colored' and 'white' over the front door? You
can sit here but the girl has to sit over there
in the colored section."

Well, a real ruckus comes about, right quick. My uncle
jumps up and clips the man across his chin, knocking
him down, followed by my uncle giving him several good
kicks to his side. That is Oklahoma justice, true justice,
a type of justice rarely displayed these days. This is
a justice in which I admantly believe and administer.

Rather upsetting for a child. Of course I cried, of course
I was distraught, but I was more upset because we missed
out on having lunch; I was hungry for city slicker food!

During my childhood, seems I became accustomed to knowing
there are "places" where I could not go, became accustomed
to knowing there are some to whom I could not speak. This
is, back then, simply an accepted part of life.

Today, however, I know racism is accepted by few just as
I know this memory of violence and missing lunch because
of my dark skin and black hair, will forever be in mind.
I cannot erase those types of memories. Yes, racism has
a deep effect upon children, an effect which lasts until
the grave. I know you, the reader, do not understand
this very well, you are Anglo.

Recently, I engage "grubmaster" in dialog, privately.
We discussed my purchasing a lifetime membership over
at the Silicon Board, until I discovered Silicon and
I-Hub are one and the same. I expressed I have serious
issues about the quality of ethics displayed by I-Hub
and could not, in good conscience, contribute money
to a company with whose displayed ethics I disagree.

Part of my issue with I-Hub is my sitting here in this
virtual jail, sitting on my big fat butt, musing about
this known racist out there on the boards continuing
to spread discontent and hatred. I am not sure but what
I am on the wrong side of the bars.

Why is this known racist not sitting here in jail with me?
Administration has confirmed he is a racist by removal
of his racial slurs.

I really would like to have him here in jail, have him here
in close quarters, have his full attention so I can express
my feelings about his slinging racial slurs at me, slinging
racial slurs at my family, slinging racial slurs at all of
my tribe and my peoples. I would like to express my feelings
in the same manner as my protective uncle expressed his
feelings to a diner owner, forty years back in time.

Why is this known racist not sitting here in jail with me?

Is there a "colored" sign hanging above my cell door which
I cannot see from inside my cell?

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation