The Otherday I had the news on and what did I behold? Needville Texas and their battle to make some 5 year old Native Kid cut his hair.

These kind of stories never cease to amaze me. I always put them in the folder in my outlook express labeled: "Why I Homeschool My Kids."

Every year I see these stories in the news. Children and their families complaining that local students and administrative staff singling them out due to race, color, religion or creed.

I have seen stories where Jewish kids were told they could not wear the Star of David because its a gang symbol, Pagan kids told the same about the Pentagram. I have seen Christian kids told they could not display the cross {not as many of those stories but they are still there}. I have even seen other stories like this one, over the years where Native boys were told they must cut their hair to attend school.

If there was any doubt in my mind that our public schools are directly responsible for the lack of understanding about the basic rights conferred upon the average citizen via the Constitution of the United States, all I have to do is read the Flavor of the Month Stories in this catagory of religious bigotry, and/or anti-religious sentiment.

As a Vet this sort of stuff pisses me off something terrible. How can anyone learn anything, when all they can focus on is the bitterness that blooms in a person's heart when they realize everyone has basic rights except the person in question, and that derth of rights rests exclusively on their religious affiliation, creed and/or race.

The best part about this story in particular, as I watched CNN interview the locals: When some woman starts saying something along the following lines:

"I know that some people will see this story and think we are backwards. I know that some people will see this story and think we are hicks. But I dont see it that way. That little boy needs to cut his hair and follow the rules. That's how it is around here."

{keep in mind this is as I recall, and not a direct quote}

My thoughts for the rest of the night, here in Oklahoma with my chickens and turkeys:

"Of course not lady. I would never picture you and all your neighbors wearing wife beater tees, and beer helmets while hootin and hollaring at a Nascar event, covered with tattoos while walking your pet racoons cause you done ate all your possums in the last bunch of vittles. I wouldnt dare picture you all skinny dipping in the Ceee-Ment pond with Ellie Mae and her pet chimps. In fact, Your demeanor caused me to picture--not Granny and her Spring Tonic, but Trump Towers, pate`, and weird performance art in New York City...."

NEWE YOOOORK CITY?

Get a Rope!

No I would never picture a bunch of hateful white people in Texas as backwards hicks while they ridicule and target a Native American kid who is a whole Whopping Five Years Old, for following in the cultural and spiritual footsteps of his nation. One of the Five Hundred Nations that other hateful white people tried to snuff out. It would never occur to me, that we would feel the need to force assimilation on a child in this late day and age, as we watch a historical presidential campaign that contained both a Black Man and a Woman as potential presidents.

We Done Grad-ee-ated to the Modern Age. We gots indoor plumbing now and we dont gots to eat no more possums in our vittles with the grocery store.

But we still persecute people who are different. Especially Children. And we do it in institutions that accept federal funding, who pay lip service to the ideal of diversity while taking the hard earned tax dollars of not only those White People, but everyone else too in order to implement their policies. It doesnt take a lot of ciphering and Not-ting to figure that out Mrs Jethro Bodine.

The end result will be one of two things:

The family will successfully sue the school district in Needville for religious and racial discrimination using federal money. Since it looks like a small town, in these hard times, I doubt the town or the district can afford it, though the members of that school district sure act like it. After the family wins, the family will probably have to move away for safety's sake. Because Righteously Indignant people have difficulties accepting their position as being in the wrong, some will feel this is permission to harass this family and their kids. The adults in that family may find themselves unhire-able, or unable to keep a lease, get their mail on time, find a doctor--you name it. I have seen this before in other cases.

Or the School distict will see the legal writing on the law and reluctantly allow Free Expression of this five year old. Meanwhile blaming his test case for every other discipline problem that ever occurs after the fact. He will face harassment by kids, some of it egged on by their parents for being Native, for daring to not conform with WASP standards. Being Bullied or becoming a Bully are his choices. He will find that if he defends himself from being picked on in or after school, he will get in trouble, but that if he doesnt, the feeding frenzy will begin--kids can be so cruel, especially when the adults they look to for guidance practically give them permission to single someone out for "Special Treatment."

Either way its going to suck for that little boy and his family. We will applaud them from a distance for standing up for their rights, but precious little help will arive after the initial hoop-la. They still live there, and the rest of us live wherever we live. Letters of support a nice, but they dont keep the bullies off, pay legal fees or tuition to private schools, or get daddy or mommy hired, etc., And the American Public has the collective attention span of a gnat, so the first time some starlet forgets to wear panties on Rodeo Drive we will forget this and other important issues, because, "Hey isnt that so and so's Brazillian?"

Meanwhile that little boy and his familiy will be learning harsh lessons about our National Character. In that its not all-- people sometimes make it out to be.

That we say this is a melting pot, but we only like you if you melt beyond recognition, that you become the American Equivalent of the ubiquitous Mr and Mrs Smith. Personally, I prefer a stew. I like to know thats carrots I am eating. I like it that I know its a potato. I like America the way I like my stew.

Hearty, Meaty, with big chunks of recognizable vegies and meats. Because the alternative sounds more like something that's been run through a juicer. Though still nutritious it's not nearly as satisfying or delicious as a stew. And Juiced vegies are Kind of gross looking.

But then I guess no one really thinks of it that way. So I ask you; Do you want people or pulp?

One has a spine and the other is just ground up beyond all recognition.

Which do you prefer?

The results of this test will become apparent after the next great depression. People with spines will protect this country and our civil rights.

Pulp will simply take the shape of its container and degrade.

So hurry up and make up our minds already.