Comments on: Outrageous Revisionism

By: Nik

Nik — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:11:01 +0000

There are extremes, of course. Facts are the means by which the thinking persons parse the extremes and seek the factual truth. Did Americans “slaughter” indigenous people? In instances yes. As did indigenous warriors “slaughter” europeans (non-combatants included). No national “shame” attaches to these historical facts unless one chooses to view historical times through contemporary social and political lenses. I didn’t commit such acts (nor would I) and am therefore not ashamed. If that is “all that native peoples see” we must either educate them as to factual reality and a balanced view or leave them to their emotion based victimization ideology.
As to “equal protection”, for the entire 19th Century tribal groups weren’t considered citizens but considered sovereign political units. They had no more interest in citizenship than europeans did in tribal membership.
As you note with descendants of slaves and Jim Crow now enjoy (as they should) full civil rights so too do the American Indians. Did things occur that we, modern Americans, consider heinous? Absolutely not exclusive to either side of the conflict. The point overlooked by both extremes is that such wouldn’t and couldn’t occur today due the continued growth of liberty and the very founding principles you cite.
I strongly encourage you to use the four resources recommended at the bottom of the original post for a balanced and factual view of the issue and its history.

By: Leaping Buck

Leaping Buck — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:39:25 +0000

resp to ssgconway:
I believe that your only chance is to reason with “them”. The only way to defeat leftists is with reason. Nothing else works, without tearing down your own argument.

By: Leaping Buck

Leaping Buck — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:35:08 +0000

There are two extremes in this dialogue. (meaning the political dialogue of Euro-American aggression):

One extreme is to deny it. The other equally incorrect extreme is to create a fallacy of genocide.

Yes, Euro-Americans did, at times, slaughter indigineous peoples. Some of those events are the most revolting aspects of the history of the Americas. For native nations, it is all they can see.

On the other hand, if it were not for the determination of society to prevent it, we would have no remaining indiginious people in the Americas.

There was far too little effort to treat indiginous people with “equal justice under the law” that our nation espoused for it’s citizens, reflecting the notion that indiginous people were not citizens.

However, it is also a fallacy to try to tear down the institutions created by our founders which have provided us with these guarantees. The answer is to see to it that every natural born and every naturalized citizen of this nation is guaranteed access to these rights.

The other side of the issue, pertaining to slavery, is a moot point. At this time, every descendant of slaves in this country has had more than 40 years of reparations in the form of Affirmative Action. The law has, for the entire lifetime of nearly half our population, guaranteed preferential treatment to this segment of our populace. So much so that, in many job categories, it is nearly impossible for white men to get some jobs.

To go any further than that would open a can of worms for every descendant of the bondservants of and the previous generations of Scots and Irish who were brought as slaves in the colonial period.

These are facts of history: it cost all of our ancestors a toll to earn the liberties and justice that we now have. For 90% of the world, such things still do not exist. We dare not forget the sacrifice of our forebears.

The only way to honor the sacrifice of all involved, is to see to it that the liberties we have received are preserved.

By: Mutnodjmet

Mutnodjmet — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:44:11 +0000

Actually, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, the Left is trying to start its own Tea Party Movement:

http://www.anewwayforward.org/demonstrations/

Good luck with that!

By: ssgconway

ssgconway — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:22:41 +0000

You’re right in all points, but you can’t reason with their kind. I’ve tried explaining the origin of the word ‘slave,’ coming from ‘slav,’ as so many Slavs were enslaved, into the 19th Century, by Muslims. They don’t listen, or they explode with rage, since they alone are the #1 victims, etc. They cannot be reasoned with. Ridiculed, yes, but not reasoned with. I’m nearly at the point of concluding that trying is a disservice to our side, since it legitimates them, and gives them license to continue to rant and lie.