Saturday, April 03, 2004
WHAT'S THE GAME PLAN AT THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY?
2004 marks the 125th anniversary of the end of the United States's war against the Native American people. In 1879 Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce surrendered to the forces of General Howard after a hard-fought series of battles in the Montana wilderness. The Nez Perce were just 50 miles from the Canadian border, where they had hoped to join Chief Sitting Bull and his people.
125 years later while our government extends its hand in apology, creating Native American postage stamps, etc., and the rest of America grapples with our history of genocidal holocaust, which exterminated the lives of untold millions of native people, we find ourselves in Iraq with our generals and gun power, doing our worst to subdue yet another dark-skinned race of human beings.
In another 125 years, will there be an American president who will extend a hand to the Iraqi people for the missing limbs of family trees? Will there even be an America? Will any of the world's nations of people exist?
And of course it's not just into Iraq where we've spread. American corporations have invaded Burma, Indonesia and elsewhere. What our government cannot justify to world opinion for taking care of with the US military, American business leaders hire other armies to do their brutal deeds for them.
At times it all seems utterly impossible to imagine peace, real, true, peace. The television news has opening credit theme songs sounding too much like a soundtrack to a Rambo/Stalone flick. Meanwhile the born again christians are absolutely POSITIVE it's all spinning quickly toward The Rapture. It's amazing there aren't thousands of people running out onto the streets clawing at their buttons while screaming to death. It's NOT a surprise more and more folks are finding comfort in the church.
Yet still, there must be a way to get our minds in order and to truly separate the entertainment of news from news. To put an end to the compounding cynicism which seems to dominate our country's spirit with its dark, sarcastic irony. A cold, straight look at our actions and results, minus the fucking double-talking damage control.
125 years ago an honest reporter or two let America know the true details of the campaign to wipe out Chief Joseph and his people. The American outcry (freshly tired and still mending the wounds of the Civil War) prevented Chief Joseph's death. Is it possible we can find SOME WAY of getting thru to America, the America who might be unsure, or who is for the moment buying the White House line?
It's worked before.
It's Spring after all, when everything resurrects!
--CAConrad
"If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers."
--Chief Joseph, Washington DC, 1879
125 years later while our government extends its hand in apology, creating Native American postage stamps, etc., and the rest of America grapples with our history of genocidal holocaust, which exterminated the lives of untold millions of native people, we find ourselves in Iraq with our generals and gun power, doing our worst to subdue yet another dark-skinned race of human beings.
In another 125 years, will there be an American president who will extend a hand to the Iraqi people for the missing limbs of family trees? Will there even be an America? Will any of the world's nations of people exist?
And of course it's not just into Iraq where we've spread. American corporations have invaded Burma, Indonesia and elsewhere. What our government cannot justify to world opinion for taking care of with the US military, American business leaders hire other armies to do their brutal deeds for them.
At times it all seems utterly impossible to imagine peace, real, true, peace. The television news has opening credit theme songs sounding too much like a soundtrack to a Rambo/Stalone flick. Meanwhile the born again christians are absolutely POSITIVE it's all spinning quickly toward The Rapture. It's amazing there aren't thousands of people running out onto the streets clawing at their buttons while screaming to death. It's NOT a surprise more and more folks are finding comfort in the church.
Yet still, there must be a way to get our minds in order and to truly separate the entertainment of news from news. To put an end to the compounding cynicism which seems to dominate our country's spirit with its dark, sarcastic irony. A cold, straight look at our actions and results, minus the fucking double-talking damage control.
125 years ago an honest reporter or two let America know the true details of the campaign to wipe out Chief Joseph and his people. The American outcry (freshly tired and still mending the wounds of the Civil War) prevented Chief Joseph's death. Is it possible we can find SOME WAY of getting thru to America, the America who might be unsure, or who is for the moment buying the White House line?
It's worked before.
It's Spring after all, when everything resurrects!
--CAConrad
"If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers."
--Chief Joseph, Washington DC, 1879
