Day 243 El Dorado, Arkansas

A long and beautiful day. But we get stopped by police three times in El Dorado in the space of one hour in the evening. Horse no reflectors, (we aren't riding on the road - cop overshot red light), just checking on our safety, five cars "someone called in and said they saw you come out from behind the pawnshop with that saddle". Hey, we've got a thick skin. Murphy Oil in El Dorado has the El Dorado Promise, that they will pay for the college education of any El Dorado student who finishes high school.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Akha
• El Dorado
• Arkansas
• Ride for Freedom
• Cops
• Wythe Baptist Church
• Murphy Oil
• The El Dorado Promise

[akhazauh]

Yeah, I was walking down the street with a saddle and chaps and spurs and I looked suspicious too.

[akhazauh]

I'm not saying that El Dorado was some how worse than all the others. Just I think it is good when people are treated with respect no matter what their color.

[ifishslick]

I watched cops surround a young man in El Dorado one time. He was standing there, not raising a hand but he must have said something they didn't like cause all of a sudden they jumped on him and beat the shit out of him and threw him in a car. The guy was looking at me as they drove past and he was all bleeding on his face. I should have went to the jail and told him I'd be a witness but I knew that I wouldn't be able to drive down the street after that without getting harassed, or worse.

[PriorB0B]

i agree with you about the cops i live i El dorado aren't the most helpful and ill give you an example of what happened to you a few months back i was caught vandalizing something and i have learned from that but about 4 days ago i was in walmart a cop was stationed there and i was walking away and he stops me frisks me i look suspicious.

[hogs1629]

well of course the cop was used to talking to certain people a certain way...El Dorado, ar in majority BLACK so who cares what he talked about or how he said it

[umbreonix]

ill say this. ive lived in el dorado all my life until i went to college. there are several differences between the black and white communities in the city, and racism is quite strong.

[MrDuff2]

El Dorado, Ark aint that bad of a place just has some F**ked up people living in it i was born in arkansas i origanlly from california but raised in oregon but like you i just dislike the state itself if like it better where is was raised and born

[akhazauh]

What, a racist because I don't like how white Protestants take away Akha children like the Baptists lied and took away the children in Haiti? And because I don't like the way the bible belt south treats the BLACK people? Let me guess, your a poor abused white person in ElDorado.

[akhazauh]

Besides, loving America which represents freedom for ALL religions, doesn't change just because I got no use for these Protestants. But if someone comes and bans their religion and takes away their children I won't say a word. Goose and gander.

[akhazauh]

Not everyone in the towns are Protestants. But how is it I can't point to one Protestant missionary working in Thailand, supported by many many churches in America, that doesn't abuse the Akha and destroy their culture. There is much more to American towns than their churches. Many of which are empty. For instance how will Americans pay their national debt?