HERE WE GO AGAIN...
Every year you can count on a liberal committing public self-flagellation on two holidays. One is Columbus Day and the other one is Thanksgiving.
Robert Jensen, a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin steps up to the plate this year. He calls Thanksgiving a "white-supremacist holiday," and his article "No Thanks to Thanksgiving" chides Americans for their annual "self-indulgent family feasting" calling on them instead to have a day of groveling for all the crimes committed against nature and the uber-spiritual "indigenous" peoples of the continent by our fascist ancestors. After all we didn't settle this continent we "invaded" it.
Robert Jensen, a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin steps up to the plate this year. He calls Thanksgiving a "white-supremacist holiday," and his article "No Thanks to Thanksgiving" chides Americans for their annual "self-indulgent family feasting" calling on them instead to have a day of groveling for all the crimes committed against nature and the uber-spiritual "indigenous" peoples of the continent by our fascist ancestors. After all we didn't settle this continent we "invaded" it.
Simply put: Thanksgiving is the day when the dominant white culture (and, sadly, most of the rest of the non-white but non-indigenous population) celebrates the beginning of a genocide that was, in fact, blessed by the men we hold up as our heroic founding fathers.
Simply put: he's a real downer. What Mr. Jensen doesn't understand is that no culture, including Native American culture, can stand up to his sort of scrutiny. Or maybe he does understand that, and just has a particular hatred for America.
Jensen cannot see the forest for the trees, and thus doesn't give Americans enough credit for being able to see the nuances in our history. Our nation, our leaders, our founders, none of us is perfect. But the country that we have built here is good and always getting better. That alone is worth celebrating.
I for one am thankful today and will be tomorrow, for my country, the men and women who are defending it, and all the other blessings in my life. Now pass the turkey and cranberry sauce, I'm hungry.
Jensen cannot see the forest for the trees, and thus doesn't give Americans enough credit for being able to see the nuances in our history. Our nation, our leaders, our founders, none of us is perfect. But the country that we have built here is good and always getting better. That alone is worth celebrating.
I for one am thankful today and will be tomorrow, for my country, the men and women who are defending it, and all the other blessings in my life. Now pass the turkey and cranberry sauce, I'm hungry.
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1 comments:
Okay, this is odd, make of it what you will. My first-grade daughter was in a Thanksgiving play at her school. She learned about “Native Americans” and how to count to ten in Sioux: wanji, nunpa, yamni, etc. They also made Native American art and read some contemporary Native American poetry. I thought this was fairly progressive for first grade and public school.
My son, on the other hand, goes to a Christian school. (The public schools here do not have a pre-K.) For their Thanksgiving celebration, the teachers dressed in “Indian costumes” and black wigs. They stood at their doors and said “How” as children entered. Now, “how” is Sioux also, for “hello,” but I found the whole performance stereotypical and offensive. My son also learned a little song: “See that Indian Chief beat upon his drum, umga, umga, umga.” This is the same Christian school that does not partake in Halloween festivities . . . because . . . of the devil or something.
Anyhow, I don’t think my anecdote addresses a liberal or conservative point, but I thought it was interesting that a public school was more progressive and sensitive than a Christian school.
Thanks for your posting and interesting blog.
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