Tonight while watching the news, I heard something that really stood out to me. KXMB was running coverage of the sentencing of 17-year old Jeff Brown Otter for a crime spree a while back. What caught my ear was not the report, but what I heard on the 911 recording. It was played for the court, and a portion of it aired during the KX report. The women who he carjacked had run to a nearby house and called 911, and during the call they exclaimed that it was “Indians” outside.

I’d just like to ask a quick question: if someone forces you to take them somewhere against your will, using a shotgun, and firing a shot in the air as they leave…what does their race matter?

Stating someone’s race to help identify the perpetrator of a crime is prudent, but the voice on that 911 recording sounded to me like they were especially traumatized that the person who had just fired a gun while stealing their car was of Native American descent.

The young man stated in court that he’s seen nothing but violence all his life, and I’m sure he’s not the only one in his situation. A person like that could be more prone to violence, I don’t know. But the voice on that recording didn’t know anything about Jeff Brown Otter, even who he was. He could have been from anywhere, not necessarily a South Dakota reservation. In other words, the voice on that recording didn’t cry out anything other than that there were “Indians out there.”

Obviously there’s no excuse or defense for the crime spree. I doubt that the women could help it if they were more scared of Native American criminals than anyone else. Stereotypes have a way of sticking around even on a subconscious level. I just heard the recording and thought it was noteworthy. It’s sad to report, but I’m pretty sure of what I heard.

This reminded me of the same sort of ear-catching moment I had in high school. Our speech, art, and drama students at Mandan High were getting together for a trip to Minneapolis. We were visiting lots of museums, seeing some plays and musicals, and doing some shopping. In a pre-trip meeting at the school, the issue of safety came up. One of the teachers related an example of a mugging incident in the downtown area. During the course of the story, I remember the phrase “and it was a black guy…” and was flabbergasted. First off, does it matter who mugs you? You still get mugged. Second, I was sitting next to my friend Andre, who happened to be the only black guy attending Mandan High. I couldn’t help but think…how did that make him feel? I was too embarrassed to ever mention it, but I never forgot it.

I have Native American friends who are doctors or other sorts of professionals. I have Native American friends and acquaintances that are some of the most selfless folks I’ve ever met. I can’t help but wonder what some people might think if they saw these people outside at night. Would they be scared? If so, would they even know why?

As my previous writing should show, I’m not a bleeding-heart multi-culturalist. I think “political correctness” is a farce. That’s probably a major reason why I’m a die-hard UND Fighting Sioux logo proponent. But I hate seeing people judged, stereotyped, or feared because of their skin color. In this situation, Jeff Brown Otter was a scary person. I just wish he hadn’t scared someone even more simply by being Native American. That’s what stuck in my mind after hearing that 911 recording tonight.

As always, feel free to comment…but remember, I moderate the comments. If there’s even a touch of racism in a submitted comment, it’ll never see the light of day. I allow comments that are critical of me or disagree with my opinions, as long as someone has the guts to sign their comment. But I don’t allow profanity or inappropriate language and I never will.