“It is the blood of our ancestors”
“The Extreme Rightwing Christians, who are trying to make us over into their image, they want us to be what they call “saved,” bringing all Americans into the evangelical extreme and destroying our own way of life and our own cultural patterns. They believe we should be contented like those whose concept of happiness is materialistic and greedy, which is very different from our way.
We want freedom from the Extreme Rightwing Christians rather than to be intergrated. We don’t want any part of their establishment, we want to be free to raise our children in our own religions or lack of religion, in our ways, to be able to work, play, pray or not pray and live in peace. We don’t want power, we don’t want to be congressmen, or bankers….we want to be ourselves. We want to have our heritage, because we are the owners of this land and because we belong here.
The Extreme Rightwing Christian says, there is freedom and justice for all. We have seen their “freedom and justice,” and that is why we believe they want to exterminate us. We shall not forget this.”
This is a take on what follows after the fold.
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Crossposted at European Tribune and My Left Wing
From the 1927 Grand Council of American Indians
“The white people, who are trying to make us over into their image, they want us to be what they call “assimilated,” bringing the Indians into the mainstream and destroying our own way of life and our own cultural patterns. They believe we should be contented like those whose concept of happiness is materialistic and greedy, which is very different from our way.
We want freedom from the white man rather than to be integrated. We don’t want any part of the establishment, we want to be free to raise our children in our religion, in our ways, to be able to hunt and fish and live in peace. We don’t want power, we don’t want to be congressmen, or bankers….we want to be ourselves. We want to have our heritage, because we are the owners of this land and because we belong here.
The white man says, there is freedom and justice for all. We have had “freedom and justice,” and that is why we have been almost exterminated. We shall not forget this.”
I believe that is exactly what the religious right has in mind for the 49 1/2 % of us that did not vote for Bush and his extremist policies. That assimilation is only one side of this agenda. I believe that other side of this agenda is to subvert the US Constitution so that anyone who is not in agreement with the Religious extremist agenda can be held without trial in the lap of luxury in the US Gulag system. Gitmo is just one of many such prisons that the extremists have begun to build and prepare for their great battle for the United States of America.
I find this agenda abhorrent, despicable, vile and contemptuous. That these people vilify the Christian religion with their putrid hatred and disgusting actions, should make every real Christian cringe with disgust at the vilification of their religion. These extremists will join with all who favor their agenda, yet in the end, many of those who follow these extremists will find themselves on the receiving end of injustice, intolerance and outright banishment, because their beliefs are not the same.
I have felt the bigotry of extremist evangelical so called Christians. My ancestors were nearly wiped out by zealots of the same character, who as quoted above just wanted to assimilate us into the white Christian culture. I am concerned that my children will have to suffer many of the same injustices and outrages that myself and many of my people have suffered because we are not Christian. The people of the ilk of Dobson, Robertson, Falwell, Perkins and other extremists, who care nothing for the Constitutionally protected right to be free of religion and not have a nationalist religion.
The extreme right evangelical Christian junta, believes that only those who believe as they do are worthy of elected office. That only those whose beliefs are in agreement with their own can serve as judges and those judges must adjudicate according to biblical law, not the laws of the US Constitution. How arrogant of them, how unchristian, how theocratic their desire to control the lives of all Americans. To make each American take a vow of Christian responsibility, to uphold only those principles that the extremist hold dear, not the principles that all Men are created equal, that the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness can only be achieved by taking the mark of their type of Christianity.
I personally believe that the Christians Anti Christ has appeared, it is not one individual, but the sum of the extremist right evangelical theocracy, that threatens every American and if they achieve their Domination of the US, the entire world. I shudder with fear at the thought extremist Christian evangelicals having Nuclear weapons at their disposal, threatening the world into submission. These are not Christians; at least they are unlike any real Christian I have met, who practices the beliefs of their namesake, Jesus Christ. I know many wonderful Christians who are also evangelicals, they do not judge, they do not threaten, they are not bigots, racists, homophiles, who espouse hatred and injustice for those things that they disagree with in this life.
The Christians I know are loving, caring and giving people, who share their message of hope and concern for all mankind. I hope with all that I am as a Human Being, that these people arise and take back their religion, strip away this filth that has permeated their faith and cast forth with righteous indignation the affront and disease these extremist so called Christians have perpetuated upon the real christian religion.
I hope that all Americans, will wake up to the threat to our liberty, our way of life, our very Right to live our lives as we choose. I have seen and been a part of something that has changed the very fabric of our society, so I know that it can be done. But just writing on a blog won’t do it, people getting out and talking to other people will do it. Showing others that you not only can talk the talk, but also can walk the walk.
Change does not happen by Osmosis my fellow bloggers, it is facilitated by action. I speak out at every chance I get, I attend as many local boards and commissions as I can fit into my life’s schedule. I write letters to my congressman, senators, other Congress members, in short, I am a thorn in the side. I am respectful, yet firm in my conviction. I don’t know about you, but until such time as they finally take away all my rights, I will protest, be vocal and cajole, those who are in a position of power to rectify the present horrendous injustices and outright criminal acts that have been perpetuated upon the peoples of the US and the world. I will expose at every opportunity the Theocratic movement to eliminate our beloved Constitution to be replaced by an extremist version of the Biblical Law.
The American Taliban is alive and well and working diligently to circumvent and destroy the American way of life for its own ends. I will not go down without a fight; I will not sink into despair, until there is only desperation left. Until such time as this rogue regime and its Theocratic base has completely eliminated all of my rights, I will stand up and let them know that this is one Indian who will not let them walk all over my rights without telling them that they are violating my rights as an American Citizen.
I’m speechless right now. Thank you for writing this down.
My heart walks besides yours, Ghostdancer.
“Men” such as these men, controlled the entire world I grew up in. Their teachings twisted and tore at my soul till only alcohol was my salvation. I will do every single thing within my power, up to my last breath, to stand against them. May you be guided, strenghtened and comforted by your ancestors and the Great Spirit in your determination to stand tall against the dark hearts of such as these.
I have watched, and I have listened, and you have taken the first step of your journey my brother.
Continue your journey, for along the way, the others will join, as our paths cross, our voice will grow, and we will be a voice of force.
They will not only hear us, they will listen, it is the time.
Be the spark, to light the fires, that light the way, for our camps to grow.
From the west, the path of the Buffalo, will join the Eastern path of the Elk, and these paths will be again, as they were before.
I will see you on that day, for we have not been gone, we have only been watching.
Wolf
Every time I encounter a work of art that so completely expresses my feelings, I fall in love. This feels like standing awestruck in front of Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night.’
Ghostdancer, you have blessed this tribe with a beautiful expression of why we call ourselves ‘the human beings’ refusing all other categorizations.
Thank you so much for your poetic work.
This is a brilliant perception, ghostdancer–applying “assimilation” to this situation. It strikes me as exactly right-on. Assimilation or incarceration. Assimilation or inebriation. Assimilation or inebriation and then incarceration.
I suspect they see it as just the opposite–that they’re the ones who don’t want to be assimilated into what they think of as a polluted mainstream culture. But the difference is that nobody’s throwing them in jail if they don’t watch MTV or if they stay home from church or if they don’t get an abortion.
For saying so eleoquently, so passionately all that you feel, all that you do. I walk right beside you and too believe that we cannot ever stop yelling from the rooftops to anyone willing to listen just what is at risk here in our own country. You are one hell of a spritual warrior and I so respect you.
you asked about a 12 step sweat lodge meeting, I don’t know if they still do the sweat, but I am sure they still do the smudging before the meeting. I believe it is still being held out on the Barona reservation.
You can call AA or NA hotlines to find out if they still have that meeting or you can call the reservation’s administrative offices to ask about it.
Thank you
Wow, thanks Ghostdancer. I will look into it. barona is way across the county for me but would love to experience that. I will let you know if I find it. Thanks again.
you are most welcome,
that is our power, and also our danger. They can drag us down to this fresh eschatological hell they are creating, or we can remake a better America.
This is only the latest round in this eternal battle.
Much to bayprairie’s horror <wink> I was listening to NPR’s Morning Edition today. Did anyone catch the story about “voluntourists” over in Thailand and other areas ravaged by the tsunamis? I was quite offended by a statement made by one of the representatives of Campus Crusade for Christ. She said (paraphrasing from memory) “These people have been praying to spirits for years to protect them from nature, and now they see it doesn’t work, because Jesus Christ is the only true God.” Oh, right–because Christians never suffer from natural disasters. Riiight. Ugh, that made me ill…
-Alan
Ghostdancers, once again you place great meaning in the words of humans that have become what we all need to see in ourselves. I chose to be a Christian of your faith in the human race and love and peace love of land. Your words mesmerize me extremely.
I’ll be standing there with you, GDW.