I would like to know everyone's opinion on this topic
for myself,I get extremely agitated when someone says something like,"oh well,the Indians deserve it, because of what we did to them." I am a strong supporter that the Indian nations should assimilate themselves into America.(forget the reservations)
taking into consideration that the concept of 'the noble savage' has nothing to do with Native Americans?
ReplyDeleteYeah, that really bugs me, too.
ReplyDeleteWhy shouldn't they live and have the same privileges as we do in America?
ReplyDelete@Snowflake: That's a good question. I'll just give you my opinion. In short....I say that they should live as we do. The indians might say that since "they were here first",that they should have some kind of special treatment. I think that, instead of them having their own "sovereign nation", they should merge with the United States of America and live as we do. Please keep in mind,though,that I harbor no ill feelings toward the indian people. It's just that the government has let things go to far in my opinion. :) (Are you sorry that you asked? :)
ReplyDelete@TheHunter1: I that the Indians were here first, and that if everything was right, we would not have taken their land so unjustly in the beginning. However, it did happen, and now we have to work with what we have. My opinion is that it's time to stop apologizing for what is past, and move forward together now. If the Indians want to honor their treaties as far as not having taxes, etc, and have their own sovereign nation, we should honor that as well - even if it is to our own hurt. It is something we as Americans signed, and we should keep our word. However, the assistance of the American government should also be withdrawn - if they are not going to be fully assimilated as a people, we should not be handing them favors.
ReplyDeleteThe catch is that we can hardly say that we will withdraw support when we hand out assistance of all forms to many nations around the world. Does anyone see a connection between the liberal handouts and the way the Indian nation question is being handled?
@Gryphon: as to the question you originally asked, I understand your agitation. We need to stop apologizing for things our ancestors did wrong, not that we did wrong. The British aren't still apologizing for taxing us, and we aren't still apologizing for being a rebellious colony! While there were (and are) severe injustices, we need to work with what we have instead of trying to relive the past and do it more nicely.
Hope that's not too outspoken - responses, anyone?
@Winona:Interesting. I'm not the debater in my family,but I will attempt to do so now. I think that, if they are truly bent on independence,then we should withdraw all assistance to them,and treat them as a foreign nation (tolls for the roads,borders put up, ANYTHING American withdrawn. Not to mention that the casino should close down because the Americans paid for it originally.)
ReplyDeleteCould you clarify "liberal handouts"? I'm not sure what you mean by that exactly. :) (Someone giving something liberally or Liberals giving something.)
P.S. Winona? You should try talking to a girl by the name of "Nadea" :) OR a fella by the name of Ted. These two people that I know and have heard a lot about recently should be of a great amount of help. Or....maybe I should try "talking" to them. It might help me. :) :P
@Winona:Thanks for posting,and welcome to the blog! The other side of the coin is if the Indian nations would like to be part of the U.S they should be part of the U.S, and not be anything else.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on your second point.After all we are not still apologizing to the Nazis.(not that I am equating the American-Indian war with the Second World War)
@Gryphon: My opinion about the whole thing is the same as yours and the Hunter's...that the Indians should either just fully be a part of the United States, or not be a part at all. Especially if they are requesting special permission to have their own laws or tax exemptions apart from those already in the U.S., they shouldn't be trying to be a part of our nation at all.
ReplyDelete@Winona: Welcome to the blog!:)
I hope that what I said came across correctly - @The_Gryphon, yes, I agree. Perhaps I did not state it well, but I think that you are accurate as to the options - be a part or don't be a part, but don't pretend to be one, fake the other, get some benefits along the way ... :)
ReplyDelete@Winona:Thanks for putting it in a way that a small brain such as mine can comprehend it:)But in all seriousness I was having a little trouble understanding where you were coming from,so thanks for clearing it up:) That is how I was feeling on the topic as well.(although it would be humorous to see just how long they would last as being a "true" sovereign nation(no medicare checks,no welfare,no police,no hospitals,passports to leave,no jobs outside the Reservation,etc......)
ReplyDelete(and do not worry about being "too outspoken".I asked for people's opinions)
sorry I haven't been on in so long guys.
ReplyDeleteI agree with hunter they should
ether be acclimated or be treated as a foll foren nation but I'm not sure ether of those are possible any more ┐(￣ー￣)┌
Its a sad situation that we have through greed theirs and ours. Now that is a thought Gryphon we should do a post on how that the Indian wars got stated.
I know that you are focusing on the issue especially around were you are. Another problem around where I live in the rest of the county is a group arguing they are a 'tribe' since they would like to get federal benefits and to be able to set up casinos. Even thought we have to be careful to honor previous commitments we should not enter new ones granting such privileges.
ReplyDeleteI do believe the giving of special benefits to certain groups to gain political favor is wrong and is often justified by supposed alleviating past wrongs or inequalities.
Granting special benefits to gain political favor is wrong and should be stopped.
Treaties should be kept and the constitution should be followed. Article. I Section 2 Clause 3 makes clear Indians are not tax and such not be counted for representation.
I think that by not providing Indians benefits of citizenship which seems justified by the fore mentioned clause and by regulating commerce with them we can make it so that Indian tribes do not have a status in the US elevated above that of Citizen the allurements of tribal status and the inequities of legal status can be diminished.
@The Hunter: Right. If we are all equal in God's eyes, then no one should be treated as if they should be locked up from every one else. :)
ReplyDeletewow, this is heavy stuff! I which I had time to think it all though, but since I don't, I think you are all on the right track without my thoughts. (anything with cowboys and Indians has to be good!) Speaking of which, I need to get. In all my spar time today i'm going HORSE BACK riding!!
ReplyDeleteI think the ideas being favored here are similar to those of Dawes Act(1887)/ those ideas supporting it.
ReplyDelete