The Oklahoman Commits
Hate Crime Against Indians
Friday, October 30, 2009
By David Yeagley
The Oklahoman, the main newspaper of Oklahoma City, has committed a hate crime against American Indians. The Oklahoman has dramatically advocated the termination of all Indian tribes. Through advertisement, editorial, and opinion, the Oklahoman has promoted the dissolution of all Indian nations. This hate crime has been continuous since at least mid-September, 2009. It is a six week campaign of cultural genocide, and no doubt corresponds to Native American Heritage Month, November (beginning Sunday, this weekend), and the infamous “Tribal Nations Conference” called by President Barry “Obama” Soetoro in Washington (which must be boycotted and protested by all American Indians.)
Beginning September 14, 2009, The Oklahoman ran what it identified as a “Paid Advertising” space, a full half page, entitled “Help Our Veterans and Troops.” The advocacy piece called for the elimination of the BIA, and the return of Indian health care to the War Department. Indian tribes are to be regarded as nothing more than “genealogical societies.”
A second advocacy piece “Reference Information” was published the next week, again, a full half-page. Again, there is the call for the elimination of the BIA, and the reduction of Indian identity to a genealogical society, but with more defined assertion. In the name of American citizenship, and equal rights, the piece calls for the end of government control over Indians.
September 27, 2009 (Sunday), The Oklahoman published a feature article on the author of the two “Paid Advertising” advocacy pieces, and again dramatized the call “to abolish all tribal nations” and to the end of all “federal aid” to Indian nations, and disdains Indians as “incompetent, domestic dependents” and “prisoners of war.”
September 28, 2009 (Monday), The Oklahoman published a full page advocacy piece, again identified as “Paid Advertising.” Again, there is a strong, historically-based assertion that by being legal entities, the Indians under tribal governments are not equal to US citizens, and therefore, in the name of equality and freedom, all Indian tribal governments must be abolished, and the BIA must be abolished. “Federal Recognition” is called “discriminatory.”
October 2, 2009, an Oklahoman editorial was published, noting these “Paid Advertisement” advocacy pieces, and their abolish all American Indian tribal governments. The editorial merely notes that the message advocated “is interesting.”
October 5, 2009, a full page “Paid Advertising” advocacy piece appeared in The Oklahoman. All American citizens are called upon to contact the White House, and to demand that President Obama to “end the Bureau of Indian Affairs.” On the basis of American citizenship (declared by the US government for all Indians in 1924), no laws or acts regarding American Indians are valid. Again there is the link made to America’s military. By eliminating Indian tribes (as legal entities?), American veterans and troops will receive more help “to improve medical care exclusively for them.”
The Oklahoman might have veiled its advocacy with the “Paid Advertisement” clause (used in lieu of a legal disclaimer), but the feature article and the editorial virtually nullify any feigned neutrality. In the “Paid Advertisement” pages, there is no product, nor service, nor employment offered. It is clearly political advocacy. The Oklahoman is advocating the elimination of American Indian tribes. The Oklahoman may purport to advocate the equality of American Indians with other American citizens, but when equality is made to mean the elimination of existence, I’d say that’s a hate crime. That’s definitely working to harm another person’s ethnicity.
The context of The Oklahoman’s pieces, the source, the circumstances, are all secondary. The message is clear: abolish all American Indian tribal government. This message denounces the validity of American history, the power of the American government to make treaties, and the dignity of American Indian blood. The Oklahoman therefore not only commits a hate crime against all American Indian people, but treason against the American government.
BadEagle.com has contacted all the editorial staff of The Oklahoman, and attempted to contact a few tribal attorneys. No response from any, as yet.
This issue is neither Republican, Democrat, conservative, nor liberal. This is about the existence of American Indian people. The Oklahoman is calling for Indians to choose between being Indian and being an American citizen. The Oklahoman is calling for a revival of the Indian wars. This is incredulous, or incredible.
How ’bout it, boys? Are we ready?
David Yeagley is the author of Bad Eagle, Hot Topics---PATRIOTISM
and
Altered States: The State of the Dead and the State of the Holy
.
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For further information please refer to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
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