I think I get what this person’s problem is, but could you say more? What do they want? What’s in their way? Have you considered giving them a fatal flaw? What if they’re just paranoid or too trusting or trapped in their own head? 

Would anyone ever really call them that? Do people still say those kinds of things? 

Some Spanish is nice for seasoning, but do we need so much? Why not translate it? What does that word mean? Is it a slur for white people? Why is it okay for you to say? 

What if someone wrote a piece and used slurs against you? Would it be fair for people to censor it for progressive reasons? Don’t you believe in the freedom to say anything? To think anything? Don’t you know America isn’t like that? Don’t you know art is about universal human experiences?

Why don’t you appreciate how lucky you are to be here?

Why are you angry? So sensitive? So preachy? So unfamiliar? Things aren’t as bad as they used to be, right? 

Is this based on something that actually happened? This kind of thing doesn’t still happen, does it? Could you do more to show the violence instead of just writing about it? Can you make us feel it?

Do you think this’ll sell? Who will read it? Do you see a market for this type of thing? 

Why keep doing this? Is it worth it?

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Oscar Mancinas is a Rarámuri-Chicano poet, scholar, and teacher. He was born, raised, and resides in Mesa, Arizona’s Washington-Escobedo Neighborhood. His published works include the 2020 short story collection To Live and Die in El Valle and the out-of-print 2022 collection of poetry des__: papeles, palabras, & poems from the desert. Find more of his work or contact him at oscarmancinas.wordpress.com