User:WCampbell1275/sandbox

For three years in the 1960's Simon J. Ortiz risked his life by serving in the U.S. Military. Simon J. Ortiz served in the U.S. Army from 1963-1966, after which he returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he attend The University of New Mexico. During his time in the U.S. Army Ortiz faced many adversities due to his Native American heritage. The poem Busted Boy, by Ortiz, reflects his attitude towards Americans whom are use race as leverage to dislodge minorities from their everyday activities. The final two lines in the fourth stanza are, "I know they're there, in this America, waiting. There; here./ Waiting for busted boys, busted Indians, busted lives." Ortiz is commenting on American society waiting for Native Americans to stumble down a path that they may not be able to escape. In the poem, Ortiz describes how "nothing's disturbed" when the Native American boy is seen being harassed in public by two older men.