Journal #15

After reading "Border Patrol State", my biggest qualm with it is first of all that the Border Patrol is setting up checkpoints so far from the border.  95 miles away is ludicrous. The likelihood they actually catch someone that far from the border is slim.  It is also unbelievable that they stop people based on their color.  In Arizona, Latinos and Native Americans make up about 35% of the population.  If they detain and/or search every "brown" person, they would be doing so to about every third car.  And then there was the incident of Michael Elmer who shot a man in the back and hid his body yet was acquitted of murder on a self-defense claim.  Hearing about these kind of things happening in my own back yard, as I'm sure there are instances of such things in Texas as well, almost makes me ashamed of our government.  Its true that these are illegal immigrants, but they are still people and deserve to be treated as people.  If an officer shot an American citizen in the back, hid his body and then admitted to it in court he would be in jail for a long, long time.  By letting this man walk we are dehumanizing our Latino neighbors.  

I really like when Silko calls the situation of borde crossing as "the great human migration".  Describing  it as a force of nature that cannot and should not be stopped.  The anecdote at the end about the Indians riding in and on the train provided very good imagery to that idea of a force of nature.  

Journal #14

If I were a member of Cross's unit I would of course carry the standard array of can openers, dog tags, rations etc. that every member of the unit carries.  I would also carry some sort of small ball or frisbee that could be used to entertain myself and the other soldiers if there was time.  I might also carry a rubiks cube, cards or books to take my mind off of the situation.  I feel it would be important to have some sort of outlet to get away from it all mentally for a little bit every now and then.  I would carry Forrest Gump so that when the time came he could carry me.   I would definitely carry extra socks, because I have been hiking for extended periods and socks are critical to healthy and happy feet.  I would carry a machete for chopping things.  I would carry pictures of my loved ones so I would not forget them.  I think I would carry a sense of loyalty towards the other members of my unit as well as my country.  I would carry an obligation to protect both of them as they would for me.  I would carry a longing to be back in the states, to be with friends and family, to have a bed at night, to have real food to eat.  I would carry glasses cleaner, cause I imagine my glasses would get pretty dirty. I would carry an inhaler for my asthma. I would carry toilet paper for obvious reasons.  I would carry my own compass, maps and whistle in case I got lost or separated from the group.  I would carry some sort of candy for my own enjoyment.  And lastly, based on the era and the fact that I'm from Austin, I would probably be carrying some marijuana like Lavender did before he got shot.

Journal #13

Zitkala-Sa's story is a personal story of a successful American Dream.  Zitkala-Sa came from an oppressed people, though they were technically oppressed by the United States, obtained an education higher than many white women at the time.  Though her education experiences as a child were unenjoyable for her, she was still inspired to continue her education for the purpose of promoting Indian rights in America after seeing what had become of her people.  "Many schemes of running away from my surroundings hovered in my mind.  A few more moons of such a turmoil drove me away to the Eastern school."  At this point a white education is no longer something forced upon her, but something she is openly embracing for the betterment of herself and her people.  Her education is now important to her and she is proud when she achieves her diploma.  Not only has she become a well educated  Indian woman, but she has proved herself to be among the top scholars of her age by winning multiple oratory contests.