Diversity or division and gang warfare?

Back to work, running a prison library and the work flows. Today the Mexicans came up with more requests. My token Hispanic, who calls himself 'Brown' and says he doesn't speak any English was looking out for his brethren. If they speak Mexican they always approach him first, so he comes up with another young man to ask for something about Aztec Dance. They are having their heritage day in September (don't think Cinco de Mayo) for El Grito is 16 September, and want to have the Aztec costumes, music and dance as part of the festivities. I asked if it was going to end with open heart surgery, prison humor, and wanted to know if there was more. They wanted pictures and stories about Ninos Heroes, Villa, Zapata and Benito Juarez. I get waves of this kind of request.

As Juneteenth was being planned I get requests for The Emancipation Proclamation, some Black History and Heroes. I shake my head, the books are there on the shelves, have been all year and have been read - but the men asking for assistance aren't real readers and would like something to hold in their hand and work with. American lack of education system at its worst, grown men that can't read well enough to be confident that they could find the right answers.

When the white men started looking for Viking, Norse and Nordik Religion, myths and History I began to think I was watching the rising of the Aryan Nation again. Sure enough, they started looking for Aryan language and roots. The search is on, and History and Fantasy flows from the books and information found. Now I see a Scavenger Hunt Game on typed sheets of paper - over a hundred tough questions about Norse Kings and their wars in England and the World. New and old Historical Fiction of the period and the Vikings are getting well circulated. I am even asked to give some classes on the Germanic migrations, and the follow-on Nordic. I haven't time nor talent, but I do make sure the best of the books are present for reference and circulation.

I give all the assistance I can in each group's search for truth and its roots. The prison has taken most of their identity away and stuffed them in white t-shirts and khaki pants. All alone they have little power, together with a tradition and a history they become greater than just felons. They know that they can't be Americans any more, they have no Rights when they leave the Corrections system, as former felons they can't have weapons, serve in office nor vote. Unless their civil rights are restored - look it up, the law makes a felon a permanent lower class in America.

I constantly compare my military experience with the prison, and always like the military better - it is an honored (except by hippie peace-niks) profession. And prison is where the felons go, the ones growing pot near a school bus stop (school ground?) and the ones carrying a firearm in public libraries, lots of ways to become a felon - ask Martha Stewart. The military always loses much of its 'honor' when some civilian thinking person comes along to make it less military - luckily they send the armed forces off to fight and the military comes back with a roar, and the ones wanting it to be kinder and gentler are sent to improve the education system or fix voting fraud at home. Anyway, my point is that the military will take the need to be part of the group of gory glory gunners and use it to get the best out of what could have been the worst. The only way I can make a big difference in the prison is with a respectful, challenging but helpful educating of the inmate into what is in the library, what we can bring into the library and what he can do with his new knowledge. He has to do all the work, and he has to survive and he has to spread the word about what he has found. I always like one old hand inmate leading a new guy from the chain around to get registered and shown where the good books are, another one for our side.