The Aryan brotherhood wants to relocate to John Day, Oregon. I wonder what falling out they had with the state of Idaho? I remember years ago when Greg and I were planning to relocate I expressed my concern about moving north. I had a list of places I absolutely would not relocate to...most in Idaho because several "hate" groups had set up shop. Sure not everyone is hateful that live in Idaho and there are some absolutely beautiful places...but not for me.
If you have never experienced racial hatred it will be hard to understand the nausea that I feel knowing a group like that is in my back yard. This type of prejudice is directed at every cell in your body. Very few things can make my hairs stand up but, this is definately one of them.
While growing up in California my parents protected me from racial hatred. Sure occassionally I would "hear" conversation when my parents were faced with it...but as a child I did not understand nor directly feel the hate. It wasn't till I moved to Oregon that I was faced with actual racial prejudice...the in your face...I don't like who you are because of your race. Then some of the childhood memories of my parent's conversations came back to me and I had fear which translated into anger.
It has been several years since I had an "in your face" don't like every cell in your body kind of prejudice...and now I can feel it...creeping into my exsistence. If the Aryan Brotherhood move to John Day it will make Eastern Oregon off limits to me. I love Eastern Oregon...but I will not spend a penny there nor travel through...it will be tainted. I know it is unreasonable on most intellectual levels. I know there are already a ton of prejudice people there but, until you have someone sleep with a knife on his stomach in the hospital to protect his wife from some JAP nurse...you cannot understand the level of my anger.
This is where I plant my stick. Yesterday for the first time in at least 8 years I saw the face of prejudice. I had a very nice gentleman as a patient. Visit going well, then he started to talk about China taking over the US. I started to get uncomfortable. I could hear a second conversation in my head...keep the visit moving, get this guy out of your room before you say something that will create a scene. He was a nice pleasant man filled with prejudice. I started to say something in response but realized this time was about getting him safely into surgery...not educating his prejudicially sorry ass. Then he said all us WWII vets have nothing good to say about the Japanese...so close...so tense...so ready to say...something. But I had to do his labs and give him his instructions...I had to be professional...and I was...he left happy not realizing how close he was to be escorted out of my room into Keith's room which he would not have faired any better in...I am sooooo glad he did not ask me what nationality I was...a simple question has different outcomes.
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