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The term "Native American" is BS. They weren't always here. They walked across an ice bridge from Asia, and got here first, MAYBE. That's all. So while they may have staked a claim to the land first, they're not actually "native".
But for all we know other early explorers landed here first, and left. No one really knows.
The bottom line is this. If someone feels we owe those that were here before us something, I suggest they traipse on down to the local reservation and sign over all their real estate. Until they do that, they're just whining. So far I have yet to see a liberal do this. Even the rich ones don't leave a dime to the "native Americans" when they die. So much BS needs to be called.
Actually, correctly calling the BS would go something like this: During the time of conquest, it was correct and normal and expected and natural to overrun other peoples, kill as many of them as necessary, completely subjugate them, and possibly let a few of the more docile ones stick around. While that would be wrong under our more developed modern ethics, it was NOT WRONG then under the morality of the times. And in America, for example, private property rights were not even in existence. Therefore, nobody had a claim to any of the land. It was all there for the taking, and the group with the most effective violent power was the winner. And the losers were owed absolutely nothing. You lose, you die, you shut up and run or shut up and stay, but your control of the land is over. Unless you could acquire enough violent power to reverse course.
Therefore, today's incorrectly-termed Native Americans are not owed anything at all for having been wiped out. That's just the way the world worked during that primitive and savage time. In fact, the Europeans showed some restraint in setting up reservations. The usual procedure would have been a total wipeout. But a more civilized morality was just beginning at that time, and the Europeans made deals and started to act like a civilized people. They were still terrible, but you have start somewhere, and creating reservations instead of choosing the more common procedure of genocide was something of an advance. Nonetheless, you don't take the morality of an advanced civilization and attempt to superimpose it on a primitive society in a different time in order to create nonsense like reparations.
Today's typical reservation is a sorry place indeed, with high crime, high poverty, few jobs, few opportunities, and a whole lot of leftover mysticism and irrationality. The best thing would be to dissolve all the reservations, with all the residents joining conventional American society and living as free citizens with the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
Ultimately, it's interesting from an idle curiosity standpoint, but unimportant and irrelevant. I'm fine being black. And it would explain my love of jazz, which is the definitive American music.
Actually, correctly calling the BS would go something like this: During the time of conquest, it was correct and normal and expected and natural to overrun other peoples, kill as many of them as necessary, completely subjugate them, and possibly let a few of the more docile ones stick around. While that would be wrong under our more developed modern ethics, it was NOT WRONG then under the morality of the times. And in America, for example, private property rights were not even in existence. Therefore, nobody had a claim to any of the land. It was all there for the taking, and the group with the most effective violent power was the winner. And the losers were owed absolutely nothing. You lose, you die, you shut up and run or shut up and stay, but your control of the land is over. Unless you could acquire enough violent power to reverse course.
Therefore, today's incorrectly-termed Native Americans are not owed anything at all for having been wiped out. That's just the way the world worked during that primitive and savage time. In fact, the Europeans showed some restraint in setting up reservations. The usual procedure would have been a total wipeout. But a more civilized morality was just beginning at that time, and the Europeans made deals and started to act like a civilized people. They were still terrible, but you have start somewhere, and creating reservations instead of choosing the more common procedure of genocide was something of an advance. Nonetheless, you don't take the morality of an advanced civilization and attempt to superimpose it on a primitive society in a different time in order to create nonsense like reparations.
Today's typical reservation is a sorry place indeed, with high crime, high poverty, few jobs, few opportunities, and a whole lot of leftover mysticism and irrationality. The best thing would be to dissolve all the reservations, with all the residents joining conventional American society and living as free citizens with the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
That's certainly the longer, more accurate version of it. I also agree with dissolving the reservations, but that's just not happening in our lifetimes. The tribes that own the casinos would fight it tooth and nail anyway. Then they'd have to pay taxes.
The bottom line is this. If someone feels we owe those that were here before us something, I suggest they traipse on down to the local reservation and sign over all their real estate. Until they do that, they're just whining. So far I have yet to see a liberal do this. Even the rich ones don't leave a dime to the "native Americans" when they die. So much BS needs to be called.
Ultimately, it's interesting from an idle curiosity standpoint, but unimportant and irrelevant. I'm fine being black. And it would explain my love of jazz, which is the definitive American music.
The key word in your statement is theory , many theories have been debunked as time passes . I don't have a problem with wherever we all came from . For many years there was a dinosaur skeleton assembled & it was accepted as real & even named a certain name dinosaur until it was found that it was actually bones put together from two different dinosaurs . Time to start over . Many definitive studies that have been accepted turns out to be incorrect .
There is such a large difference in different races of people that I have doubts that we were at one time all one . We do resemble one another in ways but are also very different in ways . Anythings possible .
I'm confused by the term "Native American" because the tribes scattered all around this country were not "American" to begin with, but became American once European settlers created America as we know it.
So in fact, it is the founding Europeans and their ancestors who should be labeled "Native Americans."
Wouldn't "Native Peoples" be more accurate?
It is nothing more than PC rubbish.
The same is true of so called "African-Americans", but that is another subject.
Most Indians have never had a problem with being called such until guilty white liberals felt offended on their behalf.
They tried to convince Indians they should be offended, thus some are now. But the overwhelming majority still refer to themselves as Indians.
A "native" American is anyone born in this country (i.e. a citizen) as of July 4th, 1776. Thus I am a native American.
I'm confused by the term "Native American" because the tribes scattered all around this country were not "American" to begin with, but became American once European settlers created America as we know it.
So in fact, it is the founding Europeans and their ancestors who should be labeled "Native Americans."
Wouldn't "Native Peoples" be more accurate?
That's better than naming them after the country that committed genocide on them
First Nations is used in certain places in the Americas and the Caribbean. Seems most appropriate.
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Possibly Liberals, or Moderates, or Conservatives
