A Short History Lesson Before I Lose My Nerve
Let’s talk about Love. That’s a broad topic, I’ll narrow it down. Not the fluttery feeling that comes when you see that special someone. Not the guy who lived in my apartment complex and gave me cigarettes while we talked about rock and roll music and deadbeat dads. I’m talking about a land of enchantment in south Central Oklahoma — Love County. With exotic locales like the cities of Thackerville, Leon, and the county seat, Marietta.
I know what you’re screaming, dear reader, I know — “THACKERVILLE?!? DID YOU SAY ROME?!?”
…Um, not exactly, dear reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY MADRID?” You’d inject, dear reader — you there, with 10 fingers.
…Um, not exactly, dear whole-handed reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY VIENNA?” You’d insert, dear reader — you there, with the shirt.
…Um, not exactly, dear decent reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY LONDON?” You’d hurl bilelessly, dear reader — you there, on your mobile telephone.
…Um, not exactly, dear Millennial reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY BEIJING?” You’d query thoughtfully, dear reader — you there, with the popcorn.
…Um, not exactly, dear snacktime reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY PARIS?” You’d bark, dear reader, you there, with the brown hair.
…Um, not exactly, dear brunette reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY CAIRO?” You’d demand, dear reader — you there, with the drink in your hand
…Um, not exactly, dear thirsty reader. But, now that you mention it…
“DID YOU SAY NEW YORK?” You’d inquire, dear reader — yes, you there, the individual stuck to the earth.
…Um, not exactly, dear terrestrial dweller. But, now that you mention it…
Finally, having addressed a representative sampling of (dear) readers, the inquisition stops.
I study each of you — The one with the fingers, that one person who’s stuck to the planet, the individual with the beverage, the beast with brown hair. And even you, you wretched Millennial.
I carefully inspect the snacker, as s/he chats with the properly socialized owner of the tunic. Unto you all I say. “Yes. In a manner of speaking I, indeed did say Rome, Madrid, Vienna, London, Beijing, Paris, Cairo and New York.”
This is true — Winstar World Casino, much touted as the “world’s largest casino” (a fact confirmed by https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/biggest-casinos-in-the-world.html), has over 600,000 ft² of machines and schemes designed with the express purpose of taking your money. It also stands in for the beacons of civilization mentioned above for those lacking the means and/or desire to reach the real thing.
Naturally, we need to go to Georgia in 1832 to begin to grasp why this should be.
In the Cherokee capital of New Echota — in Northwest Georgia, upstart missionary honky Samuel Worcester (that’s pronounced “wooster”. To my everlasting shame I spent two years as an eighth-grade history teacher saying “wor-chester” *shame spiral*) had the “unmitigated temerity”¹ to advocate for the Cherokee on the eve of a great upheaval (Indian removal — the cause of the Trail of Tears).
The state of Georgia suspected that Worcester (remember, say “wooster”) was rousing rabble. The governor, a real swell guy named George Gilmer, said something like “that dog won’t hunt, Sammy” and rallied the state and “passed an act that forbade “white persons” from living on Cherokee lands unless they obtained a license from the governor of Georgia and swore an oath of loyalty to the state.”
Worcester and a few of his buddies had been invited by the Cherokee to stay there and wouldn’t budge. So he got thrown in the clink.
Worcester held out and took his case to legendary Chief Justice John Marshall and his superfriends on the US Supreme Court.
In an unprecedented show of setting precedent, Marshall declared that states had no authority on tribal lands, thereby overturning the Worcester conviction and reinforcing the doctrine of tribal sovereignty.
About 16 minutes (Google Maps doesn’t have a horse/carriage option, so I assume a horse was the 1832 equivalent of a bike) to the east northeast, a cantankerous fella named Andrew declared (apocryphally, most assuredly)
“John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it!”
in the general direction of Chief Justice John Marshall
In other words, Marshall was reinforcing the doctrine of tribal sovereignty. But it’s hard to REinforce something that’s never been enforced.
Here is a simple analogy – Indian reservations are like your older sibling’s room. It is part of a larger household (i.e. the United States), and can be subject to parental oversight, but the sibling is largely allowed to do what s/he fancies. Make no mistake, you (a state, like Georgia) have no authority or jurisdiction there. Your dad (the chief justice) makes it very clear that that space belongs to your sibling. Thing is, s/he has a supersweet stereo that can shuffle FIVE CDs(!), so you invade the room, your mom (the president) catches you, but instead of punishing you, she encourages you. She says, “if father wants you out, he can come get you.” Then you and your mom proceed to steal all the CDs and the stereo, etc.
FIN
