When I was growing up I (caucasian) for some reason had a couple cassette tapes of American First Nations folk tales. One has been looming in the back of my mind, mostly with regard to personal relationships, but it seems relevant in politics and so many other areas of life.

Paraphrased version in my natural tone goes something like this:

A young person is preparing to wade across a river when they notice a rattlesnake on the same bank. The snake seems to be giving an indication that it wishes to cross the river, so the child approaches the snake and asks if it wants a lift, because they were raised to treat all living beings with kindness. The snake looks over the child as if to say “you sure, human? I mean, that’s nice and all, but I am a rattlesnake. Didn’t you ever learn to leave us alone?”
The child persists, saying “well yes, I can see and hear that you are a rattlesnake, but I was raised to treat all beings with kindness, and this river is deep and fast. If you try cross it alone, you’ll be swept away. But I have long legs and steady feet, and hands to carry you with, and I have eyes to see that you need help if you wish to cross the river. So I offer you this aid, which I can provide in this moment, and ask for no payment, only that you do not bite me as we cross.”
The snake pauses, looks the kid over again, then relaxes its coils and stills its rattle. The child picks up the snake, and begins to wade across the river. As they cross, the child speaks to the snake, saying “remember this kindness, snake. The next time you or your children see a human, remember that we helped you cross this river, and let us pass in peace. We don’t eat rattlesnakes, and rattlesnakes don’t eat humans, we need not engage in conflict in the future.”
The snake remains quiet and still until the child finishes crossing the river, at which point the snake rears back, tenses, and strikes the child in the throat. The child instantly collapses, the snake’s venom coursing through their veins, swiftly poisoning their heart and brains. With their dying breath, the child turns tear-filled eyes to the snake as if to ask “why? Why would you kill me after I helped you cross the river? Why, after an expression of kindness and an offer of assistance, with no expectation of payment beyond decency in return, would you betray my trust?”
The snake replies, “because I’m a fucking rattlesnake you naive twit, what did you think was going to happen?” The snake leaves and the child dies.

Remember, snakes are snakes, and humans are humans, which makes it all the more disappointing when humans act like snakes (and also when snakes don’t act like humans)

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