Say Anything Blog

Why don’t we roll it into Columbus day which is a very underutilized holiday right now.

Plus it’s a beautiful time of the year.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

Columbus day would work. Anything to keep it from being another “Hallmark holiday”.
The last thing we need is to have people sporting “Kiss me, I’m Native American” buttons one day a year!

For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.

Frederick W. Kagan

Those are good suggestions.  But I was hoping for something in either May or June. Not too hot or cold, I think that would be just about perfect.

And Proof, you don’t have to worry, I wouldn’t wear a button that said “Kiss me I’m Native American.”

Proof would wear one.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

Given that the term “Native American” describes dozens of nations in the United States alone, I’m at a loss to figure out what day would suffice. Never mind the fact that I’m at a loss to figure out any days dedicated to any group that actually enhance the recognition given to that group for their accomplishments. 

So would it do any good that’s not being done by a pow-wow?  My take is “doubtful”.

Why?  Well, look at how “well” St. Patrick’s Day works for the Irish.  We wear green, drink (and vomit) copious amounts of un-Irish cheap beer dyed green, eat un-Irish foods like corned beef, and watch Mayor Daley use orange dye to turn the Chicago River green.  Everyone’s a drunken lout--oops, “Irish"--on March 17.

The very holiday is more or less an ethnic slur, and the real story of St. Patrick is lost in it.  I’m afraid that since I bear no ill will to my native american friends, I don’t want to do this to them as well.

I say the day should be April 20th. And should be called Terra Firma Ganja Day.

And make it a national holiday. I don’t smoke but I can use another day off.

We wear green, drink (and vomit) copious amounts of un-Irish cheap beer dyed green,

Maybe we could drink brown or red ales on Native American Day! In fact, we could celebrate 364 days a year!

For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.

Frederick W. Kagan

Whaaa, I want my own remembrance day and if I don’t get it I’m going to pout.

You don’t have to be a moron to be a liberal Democrat but it sure helps.

Did someone say celebrate “Native American Day” on Columbus Day not a person saw how utterly fucked up that suggestion was?  Dude, the guy led the Spanish into the New World so that they could brutalize and enslave and then forcibly convert the Natives to Catholocism.  And Creasy being a Northern Plains Indian has no problem with that.  Ask the Mayans or Aztecs or Incas about the Spanish and Columbus.  Most of the non-Spaniards or non-direct descendants of the Spanish throughout the Western Hemisphere despise Spain for their profiteering off of the New World.

And again, that is the problem with celebrating a holiday that honors all Native Americans without really recognizing how diverse they really are.  I know the difference between Plains Indians and South West Indians.  But realistically the entire perception of being “Indian” is becoming one society that is filled with alcoholism, drug addiction, diabetes, poverty, and reservations complete with Casinos. 

I say combine it with something like Diabetes awareness or something that does more than just throw a pow wow.  MLK Day is about more than a few parades and partying and a day off.  It is about bringing awareness of the struggles that blacks face to the forefront.  Natives have a lot of major problems and what we need is more than a celebration, but an activism and an opportunity for them to campaign about their problems and be heard by the rest of us.

But that requires strong leadership with a positive message and a positive agenda.  And unfortunately, that is sorely lacking on most reservations.  Instead of doing something significant, the leaders focus on banning Rob.

Did someone say celebrate “Native American Day” on Columbus Day

Yes! The day the Indians discovered Columbus! The fact that they did not know what to do with him afterwards is not our fault!
/tongue in cheek

For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.

Frederick W. Kagan

And Creasy being a Northern Plains Indian has no problem with that.  Ask the Mayans or Aztecs or Incas about the Spanish and Columbus.  Most of the non-Spaniards or non-direct descendants of the Spanish throughout the Western Hemisphere despise Spain for their profiteering off of the New World.

Not that it did Spain any good as far as being wealthy today. 

Besides we’re talking about a US holiday, not a Mexican holiday.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

I would suspect that the tribes/nations that the Aztecs were using as offerings to their gods might have greatly appreciated the fact that Cortes came to Mexico, to put it gently. 

Yes, there were certainly abuses committed by the Spanish--all parties really--but there seems to be this absurd idea that we ought to judge those of yesteryear as if they had the moral sensibilities of today, not to mention the scientific knowledge of today. 

In other words,

No, you cannot claim that Columbus or others intended to kill millions with smallpox and other European diseases--they lived 300 years before Pasteur discovered that germs cause disease.

No, you ought not suggest that the agents of a monarchy ought to behave as if they “should have known” that all men are created equal, with certain inalienable rights.  That idea was formulated about 250 years after Columbus in a non-Spanish region.

In other words, as great as the tragedies involving the “white man’s” relationship with the native americans certainly were, today’s “politically correct” notions assuming that every white man putting his boot onto American soil was unmitigated evil are....a comic book version of reality.

And for a holiday that shows the very real contributions of native Americans, what about Thanksgiving?  Does not every educated American (say about 10% of us) know about how those in Massachusetts kept the Pilgrims alive through trade, and how the Pilgrims did in fact pay for the land they were granted?  That the Pilgrims and “Indians” did conclude treaties, and that the Pilgrims even executed men who had murdered Indians?

Just make sure that the feast includes maize, squash, chocolate, and coffee, and maybe venison or bison, and I think you’ve got a holiday that does in fact honor the contributions of native americans.

Proof would wear one.

How did I miss this comment???
I would wear it above my

“Kiss me, I’m a vertebrate”

For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.

Frederick W. Kagan

Most of the non-Spaniards or non-direct descendants of the Spanish throughout the Western Hemisphere despise Spain for their profiteering off of the New World.

Considering that most of the people in latin america have mixed ancestory now, they would hve to despise the part of themselves that is European.

You don’t have to be a moron to be a liberal Democrat but it sure helps.

Considering that most of the people in latin america have mixed ancestory now, they would hve to despise the part of themselves that is European.

No, that is not what I am saying.  I am saying that the aristocracy of most of Latin America are direct descendants of Spanish colonists.  And for a large part, the aristocrats keep their bloodlines “pure” or relatively so hence why the desired traits are to lighter skin, blue/green eyes, and lighter hair.  The Spanish look is still associated with wealth.  And inherently, the poorest folks in Mexico are from the rural agricultural areas and tend to have the prominent Indian characteristics. 

And guess what--there are 12M illegal Hispanics in the US alone.  And another 35M people of Hispanic descent in the US.  But notice how they don’t call themselves “Native Americans” though they are just as entitled to as Creasy.  That is becasue the Spanish and the Catholic Church completely eradicated the entire power structure of the Natives where they conquered it.  So most Mexicans and Guatamalans and Hondurans and so on think of themselves as Hispanics because they speak Spanish and are Catholic like the rest of the people in Latin America.  But it is certainly not homogenous.

In other words, as great as the tragedies involving the “white man’s” relationship with the native americans certainly were, today’s “politically correct” notions assuming that every white man putting his boot onto American soil was unmitigated evil are....a comic book version of reality.

No, that is not even close to what I am saying.  I am saying that we don’t need a “pow wow day”, but rather something that actually has some meaning.  20% of American high school students can’t even locate America on a map (according to the folks at Miss Teen USA) so do you think they know anything more about Indians than where the local Casino is?  I am saying that MLK Day is a chance for Activist (and often idiot) blacks to talk about their history in the country.  It is more than just remembering MLK.  And this is the only real connection younger Americans (say under 50) have with the segregated past. 

I don’t think Whitey owes anyone anything for the way things played out.  I think the Spanish Conquistadors and the Catholic Church were cruel and brutal in their reign and yeah, they should be blamed for what they did.  The French and English had far different histories with their colonies, and though colonization sucked in general, the Brits and French were no where near as destructive to the people that lived there as the Spanish were.  But I think the French and English were pretty bad too.  IMO.

Whatever happened to “survival of the fittest”?

Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

Whaaa, I want my own remembrance day and if I don’t get it I’m going to pout.

docdave, I hope that this was an attempt at humor. If not, who is whining here. Certainly not me, I just posted a story and if the Gov’t chooses to honor Native Americans with a national holiday that is fine, if not I certainly won’t be whining about it.

Justin B:

I say combine it with something like Diabetes awareness or something that does more than just throw a pow wow.  MLK Day is about more than a few parades and partying and a day off.  It is about bringing awareness of the struggles that blacks face to the forefront.  Natives have a lot of major problems and what we need is more than a celebration, but an activism and an opportunity for them to campaign about their problems and be heard by the rest of us.

I agree with you, but I was merely stating that having a Pow-wow is only one way of celebrating a national holiday aimed at honoring the accomplishments of Native Americans or Indians as some prefer.

I also chose to pretty much ignore the Columbus day reference as it would do no good to argue out the ramifications of Columbus’ arrival to North America. 

My views on this subject are far different than others.

Also, I think that we could put to rest the Turtle Mountain reservation banishment of Rob, it also has no real bearing on this conversation.  Rob was banned, people should get over it already.