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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

What's In A Name

  One of the things that the Left is good at, is distracting from the real problem with a series of small inconsequential ones. The "war on women" being a textbook example.
  Over this past weekend, NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas was at it again. Poor Bob, he just can't seem to grasp the fact that his job is to report what is going down on the playing field. But since he is an employee of NBC, a.k.a., propaganda wing for the Democratic Party, he gets free reign to comment on what ever flies into his head. Bob decided that his opinion was badly needed regarding the ongoing Washington Redskins name controversy. Bob lectured everyone who really just wanted to watch football, on how racist we all are for letting this team name exist for as long as it has. Eighty one years to be exact.
  While Bob and his fellow New York Liberal buddies are busy being appalled by the name "Redskins", let's take a brief look at life for some real life "Redskins", oops, excuse me, that Bob usually just flies over on his way to this game or that game.
  The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is located in three counties in South Dakota. Established in 1889, it is the eighth largest reservation in the United States. It is also the poorest. With approximately 29,000 residents, the size of a small American town, the per capita income is roughly $6200 dollars a year. As of 2011, the latest figures available, unemployment on Pine Ridge is a staggering 80%. Many people have no electricity, running water, telephone, or sewer systems, and must heat their homes with wood burning stoves. Alcoholism, which many Native Americans seem almost genetically prone to, is around 80%. The rate of heart disease, twice the national average. Rate of suicide, twice the national average. The infant mortality rate, 5 times the national average. Life expectancy for the people of Pine Ridge, 48 for men, 52 for women. It is second lowest, only to Haiti in the Western Hemisphere. Offensive enough yet for ya' Bob?

  The list of grim statistics for these proud people goes morbidly on. But perhaps the most grim fact of all is that, for 124 years, the federal government has supported and overseen every aspect of the lives of Pine Ridge residents, and millions more just like them across the nation. And just how has that worked for them? Crushing poverty, disease, and practically no way off the Reservation, and the government dole to escape it.
  Despite all of the bad news however, there is some good news to report from Pine Ridge. There is a new 60 bed nursing home facility that will provide jobs, and a new Justice Center in the works, also a job creator. The recent construction of a WalMart in nearby Chadron Nebraska was built with the Native American clientele of Pine Ridge in mind.
  So Bob, having heard all of that, are your big boy pants still in a wad over the name "Redskins"? If so, two things. Maybe you should be asking what can be done to help the people of Pine Ridge recover from their "help" from the federal government. Or maybe, you should just stick to touchdowns, balls and strikes.

If you would like to know more about Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and how you might help, go to  http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/         

3 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. OMG, this is also Canada... (And, I take offence to "The Fighting Irish" over there at Notre Dame. Not all Irish brawl! ...oh..wait...)

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  3. You make an excellent set of points.It is as Christ said of the Pharisees "You strain at a gnat, but swallow a camel whole...you tithe of your thyme and cumin, but ignore the weighty matters of the law."

    It is so much easier to criticize and carp than it is to roll up your sleeves and agitate for a change that will mean anything.

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