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Archiver > Melungeon > 2001-02 > 0981552817


From: "Elizabeth G. Brett" <>
Subject: RE: [Melungeon] European views on Indians
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 08:33:37 -0500


You are so right Lindsey...

There is a lot of hype and a lot of crime everywhere and a lot of people
like to tell "scary stories." But one should never be afraid of meeting
new people...one might miss out on life's greatest experiences! :)

Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----
From:Mike & Lindsey Matherne [SMTP:]
Sent:Tuesday, February 06, 2001 7:13 PM
To:Elizabeth G. Brett
Cc:
Subject:Re: [Melungeon] European views on Indians

Yes, Elizabeth,

That is what I meant. I just didn't want it to be OK to say the Whites
did all the bad things to Everybody Else without pointing out that
Everybody Else sometimes felt contrained to fight back, or at least
defend themselves. Even AIM has managed to tone down a bit. So has the
IRA (knock on wood). The first time I visited LA I saw an ad for a small
theater production of an Irish play. I wanted to go see it, but half the
people I told I wanted to go told me not to, that the theater was just a
front for the IRA. The other half said that was just hype spread to get
more people to show up to see bad plays with actors who couldn't make it
in the movies. Who's to say the folks in the town where my friends got
chased weren't pulling their legs about how dangerous the Rez was
because it got them lots of tourist bucks from passer's by who wanted
the 'thrill' of being somewhere dangerous, as if the freeway isn't
dangerous enough without hunting up trouble.

One of the friends I was visiting had lived in North Hollywood for a
while. The baby hookers on the corner were three deep and automatic
gunfire was the usual sound of the street after dark. Could have been
anyone from Tongs to local gangs, to who knows. Nobody wanted to find
out. They mostly just buried their heads under their pillows and hoped
no stray bullets found their apartments.

At any rate, that was my point. With choir boys shooting up their own
schools, a few shots fired on a Rez aren't even worthy of notice.
Besides, if they'd really wanted to scare them, they'd have hit
something. I don't think the trespassers would have really been hurt,
but it made for a good take off point for the folks in the town to
really spin some on the tourists too stupid to stop and ask directions.
I wouldn't put it past the guy to trespass again, but his lady sure
won't.

Lindsey

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