CRAIG EDWARD KELSO, Crayfish

 Mexican culture is wildly racist.

And for an African-American male attempting to grow up and learn in a largely Mexican dominated student environment can be a kind of hell.

It’s incredible when you think about it. Professional Mexican-Americans are usually the FIRST to cry and whine about racism, pointing fingers incessantly (as opposed to Mexican-American professionals). Yet the four other fingers pointing directly back at them don’t get much mention. All one has to do is look at Mexico, a country STILL practicing apartheid. If you don’t believe me, pull aside a Mexican man or woman and ask them if their daughter could date a negrito. Glance at Mexican television, and you’ll instantly notice the whitest people on the planet have all the juice. Enough said.

Crayfish managed to navigate his surroundings fairly well, considering.

He was bright, very handsome, and came with an eager and easy smile. This would be hard for anyone to ignore. And when I insisted on constant participation in my classes, weighing grades heavily on such effort, Crayfish raised his hand EVERY damn day. Hahahahaha. He was a point gathering monster. He’d do this despite the eye rolls of his classmates (another annoying aspect of Mexican-American culture is its anti-intellectualism).

Why is it, he asked, whites conquered the world and not the other way around?

Fuck.

What a question!

Social sciences in the public schools being at least fifty years behind intellectual trends, the official answer I could not give him. The government taught all cultures were the same, all cultures were equal. Clearly, not all cultures are good, and not all cultures are valuable. Me being me, doing what I want whenever I want, I decided to engage Crayfish at his level. No, I told him and the class, not all cultures are worthy or valuable. Some are better than others.

Fan and shit meet.

There is no such thing as race, and Europeans have no biological advantage in terms of intelligence. So why the obvious European ass kicking the world over? I brought in Jared Diamond’s thesis from Guns, Germs, and Steel. Diamond’s theory was geography is a kind of destiny. My students were fat and happy because they’d won the sperm lottery. Born only a few thousand miles from where we were, they’d be the little kid with a potbelly, starving. Europe was the beneficiary of latitude. Knowledge, grains, big animals, disease, and people could travel with relative ease. The Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa lay in longitudinal darkness, comparatively.

After a few class periods of me expanding on the idea, Crayfish got it. The rest of the students benefited by our exchange, for sure.

Later in the year, Crayfish’s family would move out of the school’s boundaries. Crayfish’s mother came to me, asking my advice on whether Crayfish should attempt to stay in the community and graduate with friends, or whether he should move to a better school. I know Crayfish at the time wanted me to help him and allow him to stay, but I told his mother moving to the better school would allow Crayfish to blossom. I know I was right.

He went on to a successful high school career, and then earned acceptance to the prestigious Naval Academy. And though I find all things military revolting, disgusting, that sick, gross institution is made one thousand times better by having Crayfish on its side. 

When I was arrested, Crayfish was one of the few kids to defend me. He started an online petition claiming my innocence. Though I was guilty, he managed to put aside his emotions and reflect on the time he and I spent together. He knew the real me, and he defended what he knew.

That’s brave.

That’s a young man of character.

That’s just a good fucking person.

That’s Crayfish.

And I mean it.  

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checalaloskelsos@gmail.com
 
Craig Edward Kelso is the author of Anarcho-Capitalism (2014), a primer on the philosophy of peaceful, stateless cooperation. His curriculum vitae include a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from San Diego State University, and a Post-Baccalaureate secondary education credential in both Social Science and English Language Arts. Kelso taught for nearly a decade in the American public school system, and was voted by colleagues Teacher of the Year, twice in his short tenure, earning numerous accolades from chambers of commerce, mayors, state assembly persons, governors, congresspersons, senators, and even Wal-Mart. Currently he struggles to earn an opportunity to be employed, working as a laborer, dishwasher. He is deliriously happily married to Myra Kelso, living in Southern California with their adorable children.