Bear and Cricket

Young black men are 21 times more likely to be shot by a cop than young white men. One way colonists have of attempting to rebut those who protest a white cop shooting a black man is to bring up the extremely rare incident of a black cop shooting a white man, or similar black on white violence. 

In the mind of the colonist, such things balance out. Fourteen shootings of unarmed black men by white cops in a three month period after Michael Brown's death is offset by a single incident of an unarmed white man being shot by a black cop. Colonists don't recognize the latent prejudice in this, because to them and those who have succumbed to colonization, the life of a colonist is worth more than the lives of dozens, hundreds of even millions of colonized.

Here is a story given me in a dream years ago, meant to address this attitude of colonists toward Native Americans. Given the recent events following the shooting of Michael Brown, and how colonists are grasping at ways to say that it's really the fault of the victims, I think this story is appropriate for all victims of colonization.


Bear and Cricket.

One day, Bear was wandering through a field, gobbling up all the sweet blackberries he could find. He was so intent on eating his fill of berries that he paid no mind to where he was stepping. He took a step as he reached for yet another pawful of berries and heard a faint cracking, then a cry. He also felt something prick his toe.

Bear took a step back. He looked down to see what it was he had stepped upon, and saw Cricket, wounded and dazed, emerging from the ruins of his home. Cricket looked up at Bear and cried,

"Look what you have done! Why didn't you watch where you were stepping? Many of us live in this field, and there's no telling how many you have injured in this way. What are you about, anyway?"

Bear studied Cricket for a moment as he finished chewing a mouthful of berries. Then he took a deep beath, exhaled, and answered Cricket.

"I'm eating berries so I will be fat for my winter's sleep, of course. I have that right. It's not my fault you were foolish enough to build your house in front of the berry bushes, where you should have realized I would be walking. It's your own fault. Besides, when I stepped on your house, it pricked my toe, and it was quite painful."

Cricket as incredulous. "What? How is it my fault that you were so intent on stuffing your belly that you paid no attention to what you were doing?"

Bear puffed himself up. "Because I am Bear, and you are merely Cricket. I am great: you are small. I should not have to look out for you, but you certainly should pay attention to me. You should know such things. Now, you have disturbed my foraging and hurt my toe. What do you intend to do about it?"

Cricket was speechless. Finally, he calmed down enough to reply. "You have destroyed my home, injured me and killed some of my family. Yet you ask what I am going to do for you because you had to stop stuffing your belly and your toe hurts? What are YOU going to do about the disaster you have visited upon me?"

Bear narrowed his eyes at Cricket. "You should be grateful that you are still alive. I could crush you completely you know. Now, hush your complaining while I return to my berries." With that Bear stepped over Cricket and grabbed another mouthful of berries.

Cricket, still dazed and in tears, limped back into the ruin of his home to see what was left to save.