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You are here: Home / Politics / Kentucky Boys

Kentucky Boys

January 29th, 2019 by Sallie Bingham in Politics, Kentucky 2 Comments

Clip from video

A lot of attention is still being paid, and rightly so, to the incident in Washington on January 18. A group of racist Israelites (so-called) was confronting a group of Native Americans with three hours of shouted slurs. It’s not clear to me why these groups had gathered but the Natives had a permit and apparently were simply drumming and praying in the face of the uproar.

But then a group of white high school boys from a Catholic School in Covington, Kentucky rushed over, breaking through the Natives’ sacred Circle Dance and aligning themselves with the Black Israelites.

The two groups were facing off when a Native elder, Nathan Phillips, walked between them, beating his drum. He was praying, and said later he was only trying to defuse the situation and bring unity and peace.

It was only words. But words have gotten us where we are now.

It’s not clear what happened next, but the Natives felt the white boys were threatening them, going into a football crouch, and sneering and jeering. Somehow this was more distressing than the three hours previous of racist rants, perhaps because the tribes show such respect for their elders.

Nothing else happened but the internet when wild with accusations.

These boys had been bussed from their Covington, Kentucky Catholic school to Washington to take part in an anti-choice rally, wearing Make America Great Again hats.

This Catholic school enjoys tax-exempt status. No one is commenting on the gross inappropriateness of the school supporting a political effort to overturn Roe V. Wade. And the school will suffer no consequences for their students’ unruly behavior.

And then, how does it happen? Boys who are anti-choice?

Reminds me of the bumper sticker, “If you oppose abortion, don’t have one.”

It also reminds me of the casual racism that was a part of these boys’ fathers’ lives—and of their grandfathers’. Those worthies used to boast as kids of hitting black pedestrians with their cars. A certain number of points was given for each African American hit, and the points were doubled if the victim was a pregnant woman.

They never did this, of course. It was only words. But words have gotten us where we are now.

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In Politics, Kentucky

A long and fruitful career as a writer began in 1960 with the publication of Sallie Bingham's novel, After Such Knowledge. This was followed by 15 collections of short stories in addition to novels, memoirs and plays, as well as the 2020 biography The Silver Swan: In Search of Doris Duke.

Her latest book, Taken by the Shawnee, is a work of historical fiction published by Turtle Point Press in June of 2024. Her previous memoir, Little Brother, was published by Sarabande Books in 2022. Her short story, "What I Learned From Fat Annie" won the Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize in 2023 and the story "How Daddy Lost His Ear," from her forthcoming short story collection How Daddy Lost His Ear and Other Stories (September 23, 2025), received second prize in the 2023 Sean O’Faolain Short Story Competition.

She is an active and involved feminist, working for women’s empowerment, who founded the Kentucky Foundation for Women, which gives grants to Kentucky artists and writers who are feminists, The Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture at Duke University, and the Women’s Project and Productions in New York City. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Sallie's complete biography is available here.

Comments

  1. Carol M. Johnson says

    January 29th, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    Not sure we’ll ever know the truth. This version makes more sense than any of the other scenarios put forth, but there are so many versions of this incident floating around the internet and newspapers that it defies description. Truth seems to be a scarce commodity in today’s world. We’ve become so confrontational. Reminds me of the 60’s and 70’s.

    Reply
  2. Pat Clark says

    June 18th, 2019 at 9:03 pm

    Actually i watched and read the details of this incident. The devil is always in the details.
    If you could have collected info from reliable first hand witnessses , ya know like phito journalist did back in the day when not just facts but truth could been seen, ya would’ve come to this conclusion. Im not doing your homework , the truth is out there.
    From memory of gettin down to the bare bone guts of it all here i go. If only i come close to JFK s Friend John Sherman Cooper. whom himself a Rep.but Kennedy a Democrat highly regarded his ability to see a larger picture. I digress.
    Sallie your gut was right on target as far as the Natives keeping their composure and the intent was to deescalate.
    So these boys were on a planned field trip as many with or without tax exemptions do, but good catch Sallie that does afford certain entitlements.
    So…the group of extremist were the black israelite agitators whom WERE hurling threats and criticisms at the NATIVE AMERICANS PRIOR to the confrontation. That they were slaughtered because of their ancestors type of venom was the flavor of the INCORRECT FALSE attack.
    Any how the fellas who were there , the Young boys come out of the building confronted with verbal assaults of extreme hatred it was like a moth to a flame to their own destruction.
    Those extremist coming under the guise of religion had exhibited no CHRIST LIKE emotional intelligence nor did they bring love with their false way if so called truth. Clanging symbols.
    So as the boys responded the Natives did quickly insert themselves peacefully between the group of extremist and the boys. Facing the vulnerable boys head on, not the venomous racist.
    Now the boys having been ramped up approached the natives in a chest butt fashion one would give a bully OH REALLY NO YER WRONG kinda shouts AFTER your big brothers were there to defend you. MIND YOU THE BOY NEVER AGGRESSED ON THE NATIVE PHYSICALLY AND VIDEO PROVES THE NATIVE ” pulled up on him” imo.
    So i was quite impressed with the outcome of all grouos showing themselves to the best of their abilities.
    The boys stood firm and used restraint and the boy in question while smirks, he is quite resolved to not move as the situation is slowly being assessed and addressed by the adult chaperones.
    While no one wants girls dieing in back rooms with coat hangers as Whoopie G. Put it to have abortions, umm nope should’ve never been such societal pressures.
    I believe a person should still be afforded rights to speak as they’re led on matters such as abortion traumas because someone has to count those body parts and catalog the remains.
    CPS in Ky fluctuates between whats best for the child vs family unit preservation trends and its a trickle down politics result. The consequences devastating for the children as i know first hand with caseworkers unable to critically think and RESCUE which is their job.
    RIP Christopher.
    The EPA is virtually non existent isnt it? I mean more power to the states and other organizations to share in the burden of cleaning up or monitoring the abuse and garbage the Feds seem to allow. Who overlooks the RED PENN LANDFILL IN PEWEE VALLEY for trees which should not penetrate the cap dome? Who monitors that site now whuch the toxic water was potable flowing from or to the womens prison as per underground water pipes on maps at the local library of the remediation plans and completion. Local residents of Philanthropist sent in letters of concern with watchdog eyes.
    Anyhow I was impressed with the actiins and non actions of each group in the heat of the moment which could have escalated into chaos. The right to carry a firearm is still a right thankfully. I believe the real issue could be solved of violence wrongly and rightly being administered by having THE RIFLEMAN episodes as required discussion in schools with viewing. Lets get a public opinion on the movie The Song of the South while we are at it. The boy child star who met his demise from neglect in real life. The wonderful role of motherhood nurturing and protection being displayed by the head african descent REAL LADY of the house. That not for release film when viewed through my eyes with the poverty of the little Caucasian girl being befriended by the young boy of entitlement broke my heart. The jealousy of her brothers was horrid. The hired help children playing and the most absent important father figure role being played by Uncle Remis who was rushed to the boys side, whose heartstrings were tied to him as he was blindsided by that literal bull.
    I for one am glad to see this incident was not instigated further. Peace and not polluting the land with blood is always the better option when afforded.
    As a young women i involved myself with the Attorney Generals office in Frankfort to help me protect my children. I also worked with a non profit whose focus was protecting children who were exploited as my efforts saw first hand the children falling through cracks at the Crimes Against Children unit. Actually falling through cracks by the mandatory forced bussing of students and even to more extremes in my own life as personal attacks and abuse do befall children of those who have low to no compassion and take high entitlements to abuse. Using children as extensions of themselves wrongly to consume for monatary gain or worse.
    We have to show an appreciation and reverence for life. There has to be that side acknowledged. Provide, Protect, Support.
    Someone has to do it.

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