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Thread: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

  1. #1
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    Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2005Mar24.html
    Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence

    Response to School Shooting Is Contrasted With President's Intervention in Schiavo Case

    By Ceci Connolly
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Friday, March 25, 2005; Page A06


    MINNEAPOLIS, March 24 -- Native Americans across the country -- including tribal leaders, academics and rank-and-file tribe members -- voiced anger and frustration Thursday that President Bush has responded to the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history with silence.

    Three days after 16-year-old Jeff Weise killed nine members of his Red Lake tribe before taking his own life, grief-stricken American Indians complained that the White House has offered little in the way of sympathy for the tribe situated in the uppermost region of Minnesota.


    Lance Crowe, left, listens as Cody Thunder speaks to reporters at a hospital in Bemidji, Minn. Both were wounded in the Red Lake school rampage. (Scott Olson -- Getty Images)

    "From all over the world we are getting letters of condolence, the Red Cross has come, but the so-called Great White Father in Washington hasn't said or done a thing," said Clyde Bellecourt, a Chippewa Indian who is the founder and national director of the American Indian Movement here. "When people's children are murdered and others are in the hospital hanging on to life, he should be the first one to offer his condolences. . . . If this was a white community, I don't think he'd have any problem doing that."

    Weise's victims included his grandfather and five teenagers; seven other students were wounded, and two of them remain in serious condition in a hospital in Fargo, N.D.

    White House spokesman Scott McClellan, in an informal discussion with reporters Tuesday, said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were killed."

    "I hope that he would say something," said Victoria Graves, a cultural educator at Red Lake Elementary School on the reservation. "It's important that there's acknowledgment of the tragedy. It's important he sees the tribes are out here. We need help."

    The reaction to Bush's silence was particularly bitter given his high-profile, late-night intervention on behalf of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman caught in a legal battle over whether her feeding tube should be reinserted.

    "The fact that Bush preempted his vacation to say something about Ms. Schiavo and here you have 10 native people gunned down and he can't take time to speak is very telling," said David Wilkins, interim chairman of the Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the North Carolina-based Lumbee tribe.

    "He has not been real visible in Indian country," said former senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.). "He's got a lot of irons in the fire, but this is important."

    Even more alarming than Bush's silence, he said, is the president's proposal to cut $100 million from several Indian programs next year.

    After hearing grumbling from tribal leaders, Jacqueline Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, called the White House on Thursday to inquire about Bush's silence. "I wanted to make sure the White House is paying attention to this issue," she said. "I wasn't sure."

    Asked Thursday about Bush's silence, spokeswoman Dana Perino said that he plans to dedicate part of his Saturday radio address to the Red Lake tragedy and that he is following the case closely through the FBI and the Justice Department.

    In the hours after the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, President Bill Clinton publicly expressed his condolences and followed up a few days later with a radio address in which he proposed new gun control measures and school safety projects.

    At the Red Lake Urban Indian Office here, volunteer Marilyn Westbrook said she was disappointed but not surprised.

    "I don't feel he cares about the American Indian people," said Westbrook, as she collected donations of gas cards and money to enable fellow Red Lake members to make the 260-mile journey to the reservation. "Why hasn't he made any statements about what happened with this shooting?"

    Staff writers Dana Hedgpeth in Red Lake and Peter Baker in Waco, Tex., and research editor Lucy Shackelford in Washington contributed to this report.
    /r/reds


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  3. #2
    Churlish Johnny Footstool's Avatar
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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    The Terri Schiavo "issue" is of far more political importance to whitebread America. How sad is that?
    "I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool
    The Terri Schiavo "issue" is of far more political importance to whitebread America. How sad is that?
    edit: <this emoticon removed: the internet is serious business>
    Last edited by CbusRed; 03-29-2005 at 11:12 AM.

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    Churlish Johnny Footstool's Avatar
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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    originally posted by CbusRed
    If anything, I will keep posting on P-Threads in hopes that it will either help the mods realize that P-Threads are worthess and do not belong here, or that it will discourage folks from even starting P-threads.

    Do you have anything to add to the conversation, CbusRed? Or are you just trying to get this political thread shut down?
    "I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool
    Do you have anything to add to the conversation, CbusRed? Or are you just trying to get this political thread shut down?

    just expressing emotion. this all has left me speechless.

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Gee whiz. Is it a part of his job description to make mention of everything? There are people murdered everyday in this country. Should the president mention everyone of the victims? Or do the people up there deserve more attention than than "many more than 9" who are murdered everyday?

    "I hope that he would say something," said Victoria Graves, a cultural educator at Red Lake Elementary School on the reservation. "It's important that there's acknowledgment of the tragedy. It's important he sees the tribes are out here. We need help."
    Unreal. The tribes are there... no kidding. I am sure the president is well aware of this. Because he doesn't say anything about senseless murders done by one human means he doesn't know that there are tribes there? And this is the type that we have educating our kids?

    How about some blame on the family that let this kid become beyond a rotten apple? I know about the Dad who killed himself and the mother who is in bad shape b/c of an auto accident. But did this cultural educator notice a troubled young man who fashioned his hair into devil horns? A troubled young man who walked around in a black trenchcoat and wore eye makeup? She has the nerve to complain about our president while this obviously troubled young man WALKED BY HER everyday? Typical. They need help? Like what kind of help and how does this relate to a troubled kid committing murder? Perhaps a dozen armed gov't agnents frisking all people who enter this school? Than guess what Ms. cultural educator who be complaing about...?!?!

    Personally I don't think the president should be involved in either this or the Schaivo case. Economies, wars, etc, etc. But it sickens me to hear some educational-type ripping our president in the aftermath of this tragedy. This country is madeup of many-many-mnay different types, races, religions, etc. The president would spend every minute of every day if he took the time to acknowledge all these people all the time. Of course I expect nothing less to be said about a Repub. leader from a Native American cultural educator. I highly doubt that this woman has ever had anything positive to say about our current president. She sees a terrible tragedy as more reason to badmouth the White House. That is the real shame here.

    Now let us think about this... the president makes mention of this tragedy in an address from D.C.. Does that change anything? Does it really? I want Ms. cultural educator to tell me how that changes things. Does that make families take better care of problemed kids on the reservations? Does that make all kids on reservations who are thinking of commiting a heinous crime think twice about it? I am just curious. How does it change anything?

    If this was a white community, I don't think he'd have any problem doing that."
    A racist comment.

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    Team Puffy Leadoff Hitter CbusRed's Avatar
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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    GOLLY JEEPERS!
    I bet that if we had only elected John Kerry, that this would all be better now. Because John Kerry is a man of words! John Kerry doesnt let people kill other poeople without saying something about it! In fact, I bet that if we had elected John Kerry, none of this would have even happened! because John Kerry would have been in Red Lake at the time of the rampage, and he would have fought Jeff Weiss and stole his gun. Then he would arrest him and have him put through drug rehab! And if none of that happened, at least John Kerry would have taken time to say something about it and give glory to Jeff Weiss and every kid who has ever thought about shooting up a school!

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Native Americans don't trust the goverment, nothing new there.

    Cbus has nothing to say of any worth but attempts to shut it down with bully tatics.

    Nothing new there either.

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou
    Native Americans don't trust the goverment, nothing new there.

    Cbus has nothing to say of any worth but attempts to shut it down with bully tatics.

    Nothing new there either.
    How dare you discount my opinion like that.

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    knock it off Cbus
    4009



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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by ochre
    knock it off Cbus
    knock what off? I didnt do anything.
    Im just voicing my opinion on a thread.

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Now let us think about this... the president makes mention of this tragedy in an address from D.C.. Does that change anything?
    No, but mentioning it and expressing sorrow - even in passing - is just good sense to me. I know I said it before but this administration reminds me of the Reds FO. How many times have we as fans railed on DanO, Allen, etc. for the little things that they could do that would mean a lot in terms of good PR. Wasn't the administration also slow on responding (not in aid, of course, - but in condolences) to the tsunami tragedy? Petty stuff, but it does go a long way. My parents always taught me to say thank you - even when I don't mean it...
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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by CbusRed
    knock what off? I didnt do anything.
    Im just voicing my opinion on a thread.
    No, you aren't. You're trolling. You're just causing trouble for the sake of causing it.
    "Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." - Nora Ephron

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    Team Puffy Leadoff Hitter CbusRed's Avatar
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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by TeamCasey
    No, you aren't. You're trolling. You're just causing trouble for the sake of causing it.
    I find it offensive that I cant even post a true opinion on a thread without it being called "trolling", or "causing trouble"

    Do I say things like that about your posts?

    You are personally attacking me, and that is in violation of rule 5.

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    Re: Wash Post: Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence on School Shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by CbusRed
    I find it offensive that I cant even post a true opinion on a thread without it being called "trolling", or "causing trouble"

    Do I say things like that about your posts?

    You are personally attacking me, and that is in violation of rule 5.
    Not my intention, but I'll let the mods decide. Seriously, I tried to warn you yesterday, by PM, in a friendly way. You want to shoot yourself in the foot, keep it up.
    "Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." - Nora Ephron


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