Showing posts with label Ulysses S. Grant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ulysses S. Grant. Show all posts

Monday, May 12, 2008

speaking with forked tongue

I am always amazed at the vehemence and disdain that many in the west have directed towards the Arab nations of the world and even their religion. It is difficult for me to understand this in many respects. Sure I am aware of (911 and of the recent wars and invasions that we have taken the liberty to impinge upon these countries, their citizenry and the culture of these folks). However, in many respects, it is unjustified, for I feel that there is no right for us to be so hateful towards a people unless our history was one that had no hate present at all. I mean, why be so vile toward folks because of one event?

Now having a total dislike for ones government and their policies is on thing, but a group of people for their beliefs, or because their beliefs are juxtapose to ours is plane old foul.
I know some would say that these are folks that will send women and children, with bombs around their bodies to blow up innocent people. True, But I recall that her in this country, the same occurred, when General Amherst gave Indians blankets infected with Small Pox. Now we over here venerate Jones and have even named a prestigious university after him and a major city in New York. Although Jeffery was officially an English Lord by my recollection of history, he was the one that first introduced germ warfare. I know of this via reading Carl Waldman's Atlas of the North American Indian. In the book, while referencing a siege of Fort Pittsburgh by Chief Pontiac's in1763, he pointed out that General Amherst had via letter, suggested to Captain Simeon Ecuyer to give the Indians smallpox-infected blankets and handkerchiefs (BTW this started an epidemic among them

I can continue and I will because the Indian Boarding Schools were just as bad as the schools we criticize in Saudi Arabia. They were designed to mandate forced assimilation as well as destroy the culture of native Americans – it was always funny to me how a person can discover a place where people already live, talk about arrogance. These schools too were made popular by another American historic Icon of sorts - Richard Henry Pratt. Pratt started the Carlisle Indian School in 1879 and set the standards for such schools to follow. And just like the Muslims abroad, here Christian denominations were allowed to build them on reservations (thanks to another hero’s peace plan - Ulysses S. Grant).

And like the Christian’s were with Africans, their Christian like nature tended to display act more akin to: physical, mental, and emotional abuse that often resulted in death. From promoting poor sanitation and hygiene to washing Indian children in kerosene to prove their point – whit is the only way and right.

They would cut their long hair – the main reflection of their culture pride) had to where the clothes of the “white man.” But I imagine the worse thing was being bound and beaten or even burned for speaking their language. And I won’t even mention slaves. But if there is a point I am trying to make is, don’t be so hateful for others because they are different and don’t let the beliefs of a few produce generalizations to all. More importantly, don’t have double standards, be two faced or speak with a forked tongue for we all have dirt behind our ears.
ps - i aint 4got, the love post will be up this week, its written and saved, but such is tha of an infamous and diabolic mind