Cowboys and Indians
I certainly do not want to downplay how terrible the holocaust was. It does seem to me though that the US Massacre of Native Americans and practice of Slavery were far worse. They lasted much longer and the public was directly involved and complicit. Also it wasn't just a "chapter" in our country's history. It happened for the majority of our history and is what built this country.
In schools they teach my kids about the holocaust and glaze over our own attrocities. Again I do not wish to say the holocaust wasn't bad, but it seems like it is used as an excuse not to talk about the much worse things that what we did.
I was discussing this on Twitter when someone brought up how awful it is that children dress up as cowboys and Indians and those cowboy and Indian western shows that glorified genocide for generations.
It made me think about these things in a way I hadn't before. It is like selling Nazi costumes for Halloween and having them pretend to gas Jewish people. And naming sports teams Antisemitic Slurs because "it's all in good fun"
I'd like to post this on my facebook as a response to some of the "Redskins for life" people in our small town. We recently changed our highschool mascot and the anti PC people are furious. For my kids sake I will probably restrain myself and keep it here in my "safe space"
7
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
9 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.
The genocide continues with the practice of the reservations...
Corvislover
Level 7
Jan 21, 2019
0
Yeah, we've done some pretty shitty things in this country. Native Americans, African Americans, Japanese Americans, etc. -- all out of fear. And it feels like the current administration wants to go back to that, divide and differentiate. I find it ironic when people wax nostalgic about the "good old days" -- what good old days are they talking about?
bleurowz
Level 8
Jan 21, 2019
2
Those in control have historically been successful in burying their atrocities--
Skeezwazzle
Level 7
Jan 20, 2019
2
We were brought up on cowboys and indian films and the indians were always the badies. The idea of the "noble savage" came much later. I can still remember a bit of dialogue from one of those films.A grizzled old cowpuncher saying "the only good injun is a dead one" But genocide was a way of life then. European settlers carried it out in North America, South America, Australia and parts of Africa.
Moravian
Level 8
Jan 20, 2019
3
And of course the insult to injury of calling them Indians. Colombus thought he had landed in India and in all the centuries since, the US still can't seem to correct the mistake. One day you might even have them refered to by their tribe and not bundled all together under the term native.
Savage
Level 7
Jan 20, 2019
3
Great points! I have horses and as a child played cowboys & Indians - honestly never occurred to me to look at it as you just posed.
I wish people would not think everything is PC or not - how about we grow, we educate ourselves and realize how things that were ok or normal in our youth are no longer that way.
Thank you for opening my eyes a little more.
Heidi68
Level 8
Jan 20, 2019
7
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
Share this post
Categories
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.