Agnostic.com

3 3

It time to admit that those who committed pure acts of terror on behalf of the US Government not be rewarded for those criminal acts!

First Americans Request Removal of Medals Awarded to Wounded Knee Calvalry!

By Meryl Ann Butler

"Barbara and Oliver J. Semans Sr., Co-Executive Directors of Four Directions, Inc. announced that "Four Directions is calling on the United States government to remove the Medals of Honor from the 20 men who were part of the 7th Calvary that murdered our people at what's been called, "The Battle at Wounded Knee." As you know, this was no battle. Fortunately, modern history has recognized what it was and now calls it, "The Wounded Knee Massacre."

February 4, 2019

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500

  • Advertisement -
    The Vice President
    The White House
    Office of the Vice President
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500

Patrick M. Shanahan
Acting Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000

General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 9999 Joint Staff Pentagon Washington, DC 20318-9999

  • Advertisement -
    Dear Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Secretary and Mr. Chairman:

Last month, the President of the United States mentioned the Wounded Knee Massacre in a comment directed at a political opponent. This letter is not to explain the wrong done in invoking this horror. My United States Senators have already deemed the statement "inappropriate."

Instead, I write to call on you to right a much graver wrong. I formally request the removal of the Medals of Honor awarded to 20 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment for their participation in the"Wounded Knee Massacre."

Though this demand has been made previously, on behalf of the tens of millions of patriotic Americans who know what is right and just, I simply ask you use your authority to now, finally, correct this injustice.

The "Battle at Wounded Knee" on December 29, 1890 was no battle. It was a massacre.

United States soldiers murdered innocent women and children. Many of my ancestors were among the Lakota people murdered that chilling winter day. Those innocent Lakota people had committed no crime. They were making no war. Rather, they were seeking hope and refuge on the frozen Plains of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation while the United States continued to violate the Treaties of 1851 and 1868.

  • Advertisement -
    The 7th Cavalry, which was obligated by treaty to protect my ancestors, instead hunted my ancestors, surrounded them and gunned hundreds of them down. This included terrified women and children who fled - defenseless - through the snow, forever stained by their blood.

As told by Hugh McGinnis, "All this happened 74 years ago at Wounded Knee Creek, where soldiers of the 7th Cavalry massacred in cold blood Indian men, women and children. I am now 94, the last surviving member of Troop K, 7th Cavalry. The 74 years have never completely erased the ghastly horror of that scene and I still awake at night from nightmarish dreams of that massacre. The news that I am the only surviving member of the 7th Cavalry at that massacre brings back many memories to me."For this atrocity, 20 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment received the highest honor awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for exceptional "gallantry" in battle. The murderers of Wounded Knee committed no gallantry. They committed an atrocity that stains the honor of the United States Armed Services to this day.

In this time of duly heightened sensitivity to violence against women and children, in a political era where national leaders appear to be willing to bring front and center discussion of the history and current issues of America's indigenous people, the Lakota people and all our Native American Indian brothers and sisters, the time is right to return to Wounded Knee. The time is right to hear the cries of my ancestors from that frozen and bloodied landscape.

No earthly power can bring my ancestors back to life. But the United States can stop honoring the men who butchered those defenseless Lakota women and children in cold blood.

Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Secretary and Mr. Chairman, remove the medals from the 20 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Take back honor wrongly bestowed. Restore honor to the Medal of Honor itself, to the brave soldiers who have earned that Medal in real wars, against real enemies. Restore some measure of justice to my people who suffered and died at the hands of those dishonorable murderers.

  • Advertisement -
    Remove the 20 Medals of Honor issued to the perpetrators of the Wounded Knee Massacre and lead our great nation into a real conversation about doing right for the Americans who have been here since time immemorial.

Our Nation's honor demands it. Most respectfully,

O.J. Semans

  • Advertisement -
    O.J. Semans, United States Navy Veteran Co-Executive Director, Four Directions

cc: The Honorable John Thune, The Honorable Mike Rounds"

Four Directions, Inc. (a 501☕(4) organization) has conducted extraordinarily successful Native voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, voter protection programs, and improved Native voter access through litigation and persuasion with local and state government officials in Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota over the past 16 years. We have been able to leverage partnerships with Tribes, Universities, top Law Firms, and Civil Rights groups such as ACLU, the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under Law, and the Native American Rights Fund. You can review case studies at fourdirectionsvote.com

URL: [opednews.com]

of-the-mountain 9 Feb 7
Share

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

3 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

1

I could say much the same for the Vietnam War. We played the "Hessians" (foreign invaders) supporting an unjust brutal regime that was no better than the North. Many atrocities were committed by American soldiers there. Note: I did not say all soldiers.

Yes!
The NVA and Charlie were also overtly brutal and murderous!

1

This and all the horror's that the white man inflicted on Native Americans is a terrible stain on our Country. This place was their's long before we white people came along....

2

Those soldiers should not be our heroes!

You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:283729
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.