January 12, 2010

Racist replies to MSN apology

In MSN to Apologize for Quileute Video, I noted that MSN was about to apologize (since done) for filming on the Quileute reservation without permission. In the comments on the original article, several people objected to this. It's instructive to see what non-Indians think of Indians when given a chance to express themselves.Posted by Capt Lewis Brantley on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 7:18 am Pacific Time.

Get over it. Why do I feel a monetary settlement coming?

Posted by Chris Peterson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 8:44 am Pacific Time.

If I hadn't seen what happened on the PA waterfront with my own eyes, I would have thought this story was pure fiction. Instead of being grateful for what Twilight has done for the tribe, they are being stupid. I also see a monetary settlement coming Mr. Brantley. Including money for counseling for quote~ "This situation has caused an enormous amount of pain and suffering to the Quileute Nation as a whole, but especially to the descendants of the Quileute chief."

Posted by Jordan Hamrick on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 9:11 am Pacific Time.

"This situation has caused an enormous amount of pain and suffering to the Quileute Nation as a whole." Are you kidding me?

"We need to use the situation as an educational opportunity to teach the world how to conduct themselves when visiting a sovereign nation."

Whats next? Are they going to sue Stephenie Meyer for depicting the Quileute nation as a bunch of werewolves? Get over it.

Posted by Comon Senz on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 9:22 am Pacific Time.

"An apology will never erase that hurt."

But some cold hard cash might make the suffering a bit easier....

Posted by Jack Briar on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 11:49 am Pacific Time.

The Quileute Nation is not sovereign--they're quasi-sovereign. They depend on U.S. taxpayers for most of their money. They don't pay taxes, but they can vote just like everyone else.

Natives have all the rights of every citizen; they also have special casino rights, and the right to our money. They have more rights than the rest of us. "All men are created equal," but Indians are more equal than we are.

But yes, sadly, instance after instance, immediately after the get their feelings hurt, they put their hands out.

Posted by Amanda Hugenkiss on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 12:50 pm Pacific Time.

If they cared so much about their precious land, they would start by cleaning up all the trash and animal mess. Not even Stephen King could write a horror story involving the amount of filth strewn about La Push. Always looking for a handout, in my opinion.

Posted by Chris Peterson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 3:00 pm Pacific Time.

If my family member had done for me and my family, and neighbors, and the community at large what Twilight has done for the west end, the Quileute Nation included, then no, I wouldn't have a problem with them filming around my home or my family members grave...MSN was trying to do something good, and the Quileutes have turned it into a "poor us, we have been abused" mess.

Posted by Chris Peterson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 3:58 pm Pacific Time.

It's not my intent to get into an argument either, I was just trying to explain that to have my home, neighborhood or family grave site filmed wouldn't hurt my feelings none if all the publicity had done so much good for my family and the community at large. Who, besides the West End, had ever really heard of the tribe until these books? I was born and raised in PA, and have been to LaPush many, many times, but I didn't really know there was a tribe...I think they should be grateful for what all the publicity has done for them, instead of using this as a platform to say that this "situation" has caused them an ENORMOUS amount of pain and suffering.
Fortunately some good comments were interspersed among the bad ones:Posted by Robyn Johnson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 9:19 am Pacific Time.

I understand where they are upset. It's sacred land to them. If you are going to be filming on a place of different beliefs you make sure you follow the abiding customs. You would expect that if they were to go into a church or another more common system where respect was demanded. Though I don't feel a settlement is necessary.

Posted by don williams on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 11:16 am Pacific Time.

Imagine a group that has no true understanding of the practices within your church films the church and/or service, without permission, and then sets it to 'dark' music. I can well bet that those chastising the tribe's position would have the own righteous indignation and, most likely, would have already filed suit. "Get over it?" You wouldn't!

Posted by Mike Messerschmidt on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 12:25 pm Pacific Time.

I thought bigotry was a thing of the past on the Olympic Peninsula, especially the West End.

Apparently, from reading some of these posts, it is not.

Posted by Konstantina Halas on Tue, Jan 12, 2010, 1:35 am Pacific Time.

I have to say that I'm honestly baffled by some of these responses. Being part of a culture that is proud of its roots and traditions, I would be just as upset if someone came to Greece and went to sacred temples or places and didn't show them the respect that they deserved. Not everything is about publicity and money. Just because some of you don't consider anything sacred in this world, it doesn't mean that everybody else is the same.

To the Quileute people, their cemeteries and graves are sacred places. To have some moron from MSN zoom in and out of a person's grave and post the video on there like it's some kind of a video you took of your back yard shows blunt disregard and disrespect of these people's traditions and culture. If some people don't have the brains to understand that, then I really feel sorry for them.
Comment:  You can find comments like these on almost any article where Indians or other minorities stand up for their rights. Normally, I don't bother repeating people's ignorant opinions. But I thought I'd do it this time.

So Ms. Peterson has visited LaPush many times, but didn't know a tribe lived there? Thanks for weakening your remarks by admitting your ignorance. The only question is why the tribe should care if you can't or won't educate yourself.

To help these dummies so they don't end up as ignorant as Peterson:

  • With a few minor exceptions, Indians pay the same taxes as everyone else.

  • I don't know about the Quileute Nation, but many tribes depend on treaty payments for their income. So what? These payments are like payments on the national debt: a mandatory legal obligation, not a taxpayer "handout."

  • Casino rights aren't special rights. Any state is free to legalize gaming and let anyone open a casino. Do these morons really not understand that Indian gaming exists in its present form because of the democratic wishes of each state's electorate?

    If you don't want Indians to have casinos, idiots, ban gambling in your state. Utah has done it and...guess what? No gambling in Utah means no Indian casinos in Utah.

  • Protesting = seeking payoff?!

    Perhaps the most offensive assertion is that the Quileutes are protesting because they want a payoff. Really? Because there's such a long history of protesters getting paid for ruffling people's feathers? I'd love to see a list of all these payoffs.

    I'm wondering who paid Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi for protesting injustices against their people? Who paid the Founding Fathers for complaining about taxation without representation? Who paid Jesus for noting the evils of the Roman establishment? I must've missed all those payoffs for airing legitimate grievances.

    Sheesh. Here's a clue, idiots. The vast majority of protests have nothing to do with getting paid off. In case you were too stupid to notice, the world is full of illegal and immoral acts. Filming on someone's property without permission is one of them.

    Like the last hundred times someone said or did something offensive, the offended party demanded an apology. Period. In this case, they got one. The case is already closed, so the numbskulls who think a demand for money is forthcoming are wrong.

    Racists show true colors

    So a large number of people--roughly half the commenters on the original article--think Indians are greedy bastards who are trying to cheat the system. In other words, that Indians are craven, immoral, and uncivilized--i.e., modern-day savages trying to rob us of our birthright. In other words, a large number of people are racists.

    Thanks for proving what I keep saying, Americans: that many of you are racists. Glad to see the evidence in black and white. Keep demonstrating that bigots like you are the problem, not critics like me.

    For more on the subject, see Indian Rights = Special Rights? and The Essential Facts About Indians Today.

    Below:  Patrick Henry, who uttered the immortal words: "Give me Liberty, or give me Money!"

    Oh, wait...he was a white Christian. Never mind. Only brown-skins are greedy bastards who are trying to cheat the system.

    If you're not sure about this, ask any teabagger who's the problem in America. You can bet they won't name the people who start illegal wars or game the financial system. To them, the problem is blacks, Latinos, and other brown-skinned people, not "real Americans" like them.

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