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1. Michael, 17: I am going 2 do this thread, b/c me and Indigo were the most bullied in school. I am finishing my last year of hs online. I want to talk abt adults seeing White teens like the Covington guys as capable of miraculous change & growth. Give me some time 2 find words.
2. I am a big guy in a chair. I have CP and dyslexia. That's OK, but routinely being called a 'fat Indian f---' and the r-word is not. Last major incident, a MAGA type guy put chewed gum on my wheels. So, I couldn't roll it, innit? And everyone laughed.
3. My mom got all this 'unfortunate incident' 'how can we make it right?' stuff. She said, "My son was physically assulated." They said, "There's no evidence of that." She explained that my chair is part of me, and touching it is touching me. Blank stares.
4. Mom tried to explain the history of anti-Native violence. Their response: "Not all the kids laughing were White." Mom and me: "That's irrelevant." More blank stares. So, they take this one MAGA kid with a record in and talk to him.
5. A Black bruh tells me he heard MAGA hat talking to a friend. He said, "I cried and told them I don't know why Michael hates me. I have tried to help him." So much bullshit, and I don't need his help. Then he said: "And they believed me."
6. "And they believed me." See--this is coming from the front lines--they're not just uneducated or ignorant or don't know better. They're not even just anti-Native, racist, ableist. They're cold, calculating and cruel. They may not be legal adults, but they're already sadists.
7. They'll mess up my chair and laugh, they'll treat an elder veteran like garbage. To undo that shit would take years of correction, everyone around them teaching the right thing, and them seeing the light inside. Chances are that's not going to happen. That's why 'America' is.
8. I don't hate anybody. My family & community didn't teach me that. But I'm not letting my guard down. I'm not going 2 pretend everything can be made right by a statement. I am not interested in your evolution. I'm too busy standing with Native crips, elders and queers. ✊🏽
9. Now I need to step back. I hope my words were good & resonate with others and I did @ofglades and Indigo justice. Thanks 4 listening.
10. One more. I need 2 honor Native women and condemned mysogyny, especially against IWOC, b/c MAGA hats were 1st at an anti-abortion rally.
11. Thank you for all the positive response. Especially from those who had similar experiences.. And to people who recognized anti-Native bigotry and ableism, and that the school didn't understand me and Mom and have good answers or solutions, so I left.
12. I have watched the "other" video from the incident in Washington. I am sickened by the insults and slurs directed at many different groups of people including minors by the small group of men at the beginning.
13. I read Nick Sandmann's statement. I recognize in him the same thing that I saw in my tormentors. He even has an answer to the nasty smirk we can all see: "I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked."
14. He says, "I was thankful nothing physical had occurred." Me too. Since there was one Native elder surrouded by a group of teen boys. I can imagine the jokes & laughs back on the bus. I bet other kids at the school know this isn't a "factual account," but are scared 2 say so.
15. Sandmann, who claims to be a victim of racism and homophobia (he was at an anti-choice rally wearing a MAGA hat), can now say to his friends what my tormentor did: "And they believed me." I hope those moved by my story will continue 2 look deeper & support maginalized teens.
