Thoughts on Free Papers

While I did understand the majority of the viewpoints in the article "Free Papers," I did think that it was very biased.  The article, to me sort of grouped all caucasians into one cluster.  The writers basically imply that 'the white man' has more power than 'us' as a minority, specifically African-Americans.  The articles go back through time and show the power that 'the white man' has over other minorities.  The writer also describes a situation known to him and other writers who submitted pieces to 'Free Papers' as "a DWB: Driving while Black."  There was an example given of how a collegiate at Brown had been stopped numerous times (17) in a span of two weeks because he fit the description of "'a 5'8''-5'10'' light-skinned black or Hispanic male, possibly wearing a mustache.'"  Even after having shaved his mustache, he continued to be stopped by the police along with two other collegiate friends including "Tyrone, the 6'8'', purple-black, backup center on the basketball team" and John, who "ain't but 5'2''. And coffee-bean colored to boot."  It raised problems for the college boys from the elite Brown University and forced them to walk around with their Brown University IDs.  They joked about carrying their IDs, comparing it to slavery days when "Blacks in both the South and the North carried free papers, which theoretically (though they were routinely ignored) protected them from bounty hunters and others who would sell them back into slavery."  They would say to each other '"Got'cha papers on you, man?"' This to me, was a bit disturbing because slavery is such a touchy subject and if it were not someone of their own race joking about it, it would be looked down upon.  This text drew a very extreme line and to me the most impacting statement was when the writer was talking about the differences in power and opportunity between African Americans and "America for the rest of the world." The text says, "The right to write and, if pen did not prove mightier than sword, the means and privilege to tote both and draw either indiscriminately." That metaphor had a lot of power in it and drew a distinction between African Americans and other Americans.  The text made it seem like 'the white man' had so much more power than everyone else and could do as he pleased.  The part in the text when Mr. S was talking about the Japanese internment camps was really striking, as was the part with the Gila reservation and how the Gila river was dried up to provide water to Phoenix.  I do not understand how it is possible to completely dry up a river in order to provide the water to another people.  The water from the river was taken from the people of the Gila reservation to be given to the people of Phoenix.  Overall, this reading evoked a lot of emotions and thoughts both empathetic and some of disagreement, and it was a good icebreaker to the course.