The End
by AndrewMc | 3/29/2010 08:13:00 AM
It's kind of hard to write a eulogy for anyone, or anything for that matter. There's a sort of finality about summarizing the high points of a life. You know you can't include everything that's important, and if you leave anything out you'll come back later and say "Oh, I can't believe I didn't mention that."

The same is certainly true for blogs and Progressive Historians is no exception.




I started reading this blog a few years ago, and was immediately struck by the forthright intelligence of the editor, Jeremey Young, and of the various writers. Jeremey's energy was a sight to behold, and even when I disagreed with him I couldn't help but admire his ability to get into writing the ideas bouncing around his head. And to do it with a regularity that made me, and others, want to come back to see what new thing was on his mind. Even more importantly, I think, is that when he was wrong he was as strident in his self-correction as he was in making his error. His ability to self-correct is a rarity in the blogging world, and is something that I believe will make him a distinguished historian during the course of his career.

I followed the other writers as well, of course. I can't possibly recall each and every one here, but I will single out Winter Rabbit's tireless advocacy as an example of what makes blogging--and progressivism--great.

A couple of years ago I began to write here, and then in December 2008 I took over the blog when Jeremy's time became too taken up with his studies.

I was always a placeholder though. And my own time became fractured almost immediately after taking over Progressive Historians. I won't get into the gory details, but everyone in academia understands that departments and deans get first dibs on an academics' time, and they tend to make those "requests" quite suddenly. In the past few weeks it has become clear to me that the demands on my time had reached a level at which I could no longer be certain that I could post even weekly.

After speaking with Jeremy we both agreed that it is time to put the blog to bed. A the time of this writing we have had more than 379,000 visits to the site, and are averaging around 250 visitors per day (down from about 450/day at the beginning of the year). That's a pretty impressive accomplishment.

For several years Progressive Historians set a standard for history-blogging, and I know that many of the current writers are still writing elsewhere. As it should be. I hope that Jeremy, too, will return to the blogging world.

So, it's goodbye for now. Thanks to Jeremy for his tireless work. I wish him, and all the others who've written for this blog a fond farewell. If you see me at a meeting, stop me and say "Hi."


 
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International Unemployment Day
by midtowng | 3/28/2010 12:55:00 PM
Mark Twain once said, "History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
I wonder what Twain would think if he looked around America today?

When unemployment rates hit crisis levels during the early 1930's, the unemployed took to the streets and demanded relief aid from the government.
Today the unemployed are again taking to the streets, but their demands are somewhat different.
At rallies, gatherings and training sessions in recent months, activists often tell a similar story in interviews: they had lost their jobs, or perhaps watched their homes plummet in value, and they found common cause in the Tea Party’s fight for lower taxes and smaller government.
The Great Depression, too, mobilized many middle-class people who had fallen on hard times. Though, as Michael Kazin, the author of “The Populist Persuasion,” notes, they tended to push for more government involvement. The Tea Party vehemently wants less — though a number of its members acknowledge that they are relying on government programs for help.




It boggles the mind to see unemployed, working class people using their time to demonstrate for less government involvement, while living off of unemployment or social security checks. What exactly are these people thinking? How can people work so directly against their own best interests?
It's an insanity that Thomas Frank spoke of in his book What's the Matter with Kansas?
the country we have inhabited for the last three decades seems more like a panorama of madness and delusion worthy of Hieronymous Bosch: of sturdy patriots reciting the Pledge while they resolutely strangle their own life chances; of small farmers proudly voting themselves off the land; of devoted family men carefully seeing to it that their children will never be able to afford college or proper health care; of hardened blue-collar workers in midwestern burgs cheering as they deliver up a landslide for a candidate whose policies will end their way of life, will transform their region into a “rust belt,” will strike people like them blows from which they will never recover.
I won't try to speculate on these people's knowledge of politics, economics or history, because I don't think ignorance can explain it all. They obviously feel strongly about what they are doing and are willing to sacrifice to achieve it, and that I must respect.
However, you have to wonder if these people know anything at all about how their unemployment insurance and social security checks came into being. I'm only guessing, but I bet they probably believe that the federal government "imposed" these new laws on the people of America. The idea that the federal government fought the concepts tooth and nail, and were forced by a nationwide grassroots movement to approve it, is probably not something that has occurred to these people.

That's why I'd like to tell the story of the International Unemployment Day - March 6, 1930.

Unemployment in 1930

“Any lack of confidence in the economic future or the basic strength of business in the United States is foolish.”
- Herbert Hoover, November 1929

In the early years of the Great Depression, before the New Deal, unemployment was something to fear. In many places there simply was no "outdoor" relief. The elderly and infirm that could not work got institutionalized. Those who needed aid but could work had to turn to degrading work and ostracism at almshouses or workhouses. The relief system created a pariah underclass to serve as a warning to the struggling workers of America, and even this pathetic system was easily overwhelmed during hard times.

Even when unemployment was endemic, the poor suffered in silence, often blaming themselves for their short-comings. Occasionally, when unemployment became so widespread that it reached destructive levels, the unemployed began to realize that their misfortune wasn't a result of personal failings.
It was at these times that the unemployed would take to the streets. When that happened they were almost always met with police brutality. Tompkins Square Park in New York City was the scene of several of these events during the 19th Century. Coxey's Army in 1894 was a milestone that helped create public soup kitchens in most cities, but nothing else.
Being unemployed in America in 1930 still meant that you were on your own.

Since no official unemployment numbers were kept before 1938, no one knows for absolute certainty how bad things got and at what pace. However, President Roosevelt’s Committee on Economic Security later estimated that the number of unemployed jumped from 429,000 in October 1929 to 4,065,000 in January 1930. While below 9%, the rate of job loss was sudden and dramatic.
Nevertheless, the depression was still early. The nation had seen severe, but short, recessions before. Most people in Washington felt that they just needed to wait it out.

"Gentleman, you have come sixty days too late. The depression is over."
- Herbert Hoover, responding to a delegation requesting a public works program to help speed the recovery, June 1930

There was one group that considered the depression very differently. They didn't blame the unemployed for their misfortune. They blamed the economic system that tolerated this suffering. These people were very unpopular in powerful circles.
The group was called the Trade Union Unity League, and it was an industrial umbrella group for the Communist Party of the United States. It had been formed just six months earlier, and its purpose was to organize disenfranchised groups such as women, the unemployed, and blacks in the South.
They were in the right place at the right time. Until 1931 they were the only national organization in America that was agitating for federal relief.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

The TUUL was led by William Zebulon Foster. Since entering the working world at the tender age of 10, Foster had bounced around between various left-wing labor organizations. He was a member of the Socialist Party, the IWW, and the AFL at different times. He earned his credentials serving time in prison for free speech, and being run out of town at gunpoint by corporate thugs. Disillusioned by the failure of the 1919 Steel Strike, he joined the Communist Party in 1923. In 1929 he became the General Secretary for the CPUSA.

Prelude

The TUUL's strategy was simple - make it impossible for people to ignore the suffering via confrontation.
Bleeding heads converted unemployment from a little-noticed to a page-one problem in every important newspaper in every important city in the United States. No one could any longer afford to ignore it.
If bleeding heads were the objective, the police were more than happy to oblige.

Two thousand demonstrated for "free food for children" in Cleveland on February 11, 1930. The mounted police charged and beat the demonstrators. It was the first of many to come.
On February 14, 1930, 250 TUUL member demonstrated at City Hall Plaza in Philadelphia "to point out that while the manufacturers are reaping huge profits...there are 200,000 unemployed workers in the city of Philadelphia."
During the fifteen-minute engagement with 150 patrolmen, detectives and mounted policemen two of the paraders were sent to hospitals and seventeen were arrested.
- NY Times
The very next week, 1,200 jobless men and women marched on City Hall in Chicago, but before they reached their goal "they were dispersed by mounted and foot policemen, who swept through them time and again, swinging sticks right and left."
A few days later the police broke up a mob of 3,000 unemployed men in Los Angeles with tear gas before they had a chance to start their march. Several more communists were sent to the hospital before the jail.
The same day about 100 mostly women and children, carrying a banner that said "We demand relief for the unemployed" attempted another demonstration in front of City Hall in New York. Once again there was a police riot.
"In the riot which resulted, women and children of from 8 to 15 years were roughly handled and beaten by the police, who used their fists.
"When the detectives, patrolmen and mounted men finally cleared City Hall Park, three women, two girls, and a man had been arrested and locked up at the Oak Street station charged with disorderly conduct. Those beaten and bruised were left to shift for themselves."
- NY Times, March 2, 1930
It's amazing to think that the police could beat women and children with their fists and still be considered the "good guys". But in these days communists were something less than human, even when they came in the form of 8 year old girls. It wasn't just the Nazis of Germany that had a sub-human class.

"Unemployment is increasing - the crisis is sharpening. Everywhere misery and suffering exists and increases daily.
"Billions of dollars for bosses' wars - wage-cuts, unemployment for the workers."
- TUUL handbill, 1930

By this time the decision was made to perform an unprecedented, global demonstration of unemployed men and women to draw attention to the growing depression. They called it International Unemployment Day. Flyers were handed out, the communists began organizing.
The authorities responded first by smears. The media reported that Foster received $1.25 million from, of all places, Berlin.
"The Department of Justice hopes also by this fake story to demoralize the great unemployed demonstration on March 6, which is to be world wide."
- William Foster
The authorities next turned to their most effective weapon - fear.

The following day a story was released to the media about 88 boxes of dynamite being stolen from a construction site in the Bronx. The police "believed the explosives might have been stolen by Communists to make bombs" for the demonstration (NY Times, March 3, 1930). No proof was offered and no one was arrested for the theft.
Then there were stories about communist plans to blow up City Hall, the New York Stock Exchange, assassinate President Hoover, John D. Rockefeller, Mayor Walker, and several others.
The New York police amassed riot wagons, armored vehicles, tear gas bombs, and machine guns. Several people were arrested simply for handing out circulars announcing the demonstration.

Chicago also had a "bomb plot". Police there raided communist headquarters the night before in the hopes of finding weapons.
The Detroit police readied firehoses. Boston also arrested "sympathizers" for distributing handbills about the demonstration, and refused to authorize any mass meeting "under any circumstance". Atlanta formed a riot squad after refusing to issue a permit for a parade.

The red-baiting and repression by authorities had reached such a level of hysteria that educators and artists, such as H.L. Mencken, issued a petition warning of the dangers of a new Red Scare.
"An Ohio court has actually sentenced two young girls to ten years for distributing pamphlets. In California more than 900 unemployed were arrested for the crime of being out of work. In Chicago 137 are being tried for sedition for holding an indoor meeting to discuss unemployment...In the South workers are being sent to the chain-gang for organizing unions.
"To combat this persecution for political opinion, concerted protest is necessary. The people of the United States must be awakened to the threatened complete destruction of their civil rights."
- John Reed Club petition, May 1930
I wonder what the tea party protesters of today would think if they met the same sort of repression that the socialists of 1930 encountered? Would they still think that health care reform and government benefits was the problem?

Interestingly, the American Federation of Labor viewed the coming demonstration not as an opportunity, but as a personal threat. Joseph Ryan, the vice-president of the AFL, said in response to reports of tens of thousands of workers planning to quit for half a day to join the demonstration "it will not be permitted".
The AFL accused the demonstrations of being "a well-designed policy, directed from Moscow, to stir up as much trouble as possible. It is inconceivable that any party or organization can be so devoid of any sense of decency to resort to such measures."
The AFL said that the motives behind the demonstrations didn't represent the unemployed. Yet, for some reason, the unemployed kept turning up at the demonstrations.

The Big Day

"The seven million totally unemployed and millions more of part-time workers in the United States are not going to passively starve.
- William Foster

Despite similar repression and intimidation, when the sun rose on March 6, 1930, in Europe, the leftists turned out by the tens of thousands. The authorities responded as expected.
Two demonstrators were killed in Berlin. In Vienna the police charged the crowd with fixed bayonets. 15 were shot and wounded in Bilboa, Spain. Everywhere there were arrests and beatings by police.
Less violent demonstrations happened in London and Sydney.
The New York Times were quick to announce that the worldwide protest was a "complete fiasco" for the communists. It never said exactly why that was.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
In spite of the hysteria, beatings, arrests, and general repression, workers and unemployed turned out in massive numbers in America. Somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 turned out in New York City.
William Foster was guilty of "inciting" the demonstrators to "march"
The police prepared for action as soon as it became apparent that all hopes for averting a riot had been shattered by the Communists' defiance. Immediately after Foster's speech some 2,000 communists forming the heart of the audience, led by special cohorts bearing inflammatory signs, moved in the direction of Broadway and down toward Sixteenth Street and the battle began.
- NY Time, March 1930
I'm not sure how "moving" towards downtown constitutes a "riot", but it was all the police needed as an excuse.

"If this were a meeting of bankers you wouldn't keep them from marching on City Hall."
- William Foster to Police Chief Whalen
The mob was led by a group of children holding aloft placards and singing the Internationale.
Maybe its just me, but when I think of a "mob" I don't picture singing children.
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
Hundreds of policemen and detectives, swinging nightsticks, blackjacks and bare fists, rushed into the crowd, hitting out at all with whom they came in contact, chasing many across the street and into adjacent thoroughfares and rushing hundreds off their feet. Some of the Communists showed fight. This only served to spur the police, whose attack carried behind it the force of an avalanche.
- NY Times, March 1930
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
More than a hundred of the New York demonstrators were hurt when mounted police charged the crowd. Hundreds more were arrested, usually after being beaten.
Foster and four other communist leaders were arrested and held without bail for the crime of unlawful assembly - a misdemeanor. Weeks later they were still in jail. Police Chief Whalen received a commendation from the Chamber of Commerce for his handling of the situation.

The scene was repeated all over the country. In Cleveland, over 10,000 unemployed demonstrated. The moment the demonstration was scheduled to be over, mounted police charged the crowd, "scattering it like chaff".
In Detroit over 75,000 turned out for a massive protest.
The threatening crush, which might have meant serious injuries to many, was averated when the police ordered Woodward Avenue cars and buses to drive straight through the crowd-jammed street.
- NY Times, March 1930
I'm not exactly certain how driving buses into crowds was supposed to prevent injuries.

In Pittsburgh, around 5,000 demonstrators were attacked by police after a march of just half a block. Five were hospitalized.
In Boston, police arrested five men and one woman the moment that a crowd began to form. 42 were arrested in Milwaukee. Five more were arrested in Buffalo, 12 in Seattle, and three in New Haven.
In Madison, a group of university students attacked the unemployed demonstration.
In Washington D.C. the police used tear gas against a mostly black demonstration in front of the White House after one of the leaders attempted to give a speech from the fence. Nine of them were beaten and arrested.
Several of the band of radicals were small Negro boys 9 or 10 years old, who carried placards opposing child labor.
The following day, the NY Times headline was (I kid you not!) "Communist demonstrators are charged at Washington with using bad language." I didn't even know that could be a crime.
The unemployed were given sentences of $50 (a fortune for someone out of work in those days) or spending 30 days in jail.

Demonstrations in Philadelphia, Youngstown, Denver, San Francisco, and many other cities were uneventful.

Epilogue

A lot of people got seriously hurt, but did they accomplish anything? Yes.

On the very same day as the demonstration, the Canadian legislature passed an unemployment relief bill. Within a couple months, member of Congress were on the floor proposing bills for relief programs for the unemployed.
What was noticeable was that the suffering of the unemployed was finally pushed to the front page. The media would continue to make efforts to ignore the suffering. Food riots, while common, wouldn't get reported because of the fear that it would alarm the public. But the March 6, 1930, demonstrations caused the first crack in this wall of silence. By 1932, the wall of silence finally broke down.

Even more importantly, despite the brutal repression, the March 6 demonstration began a trend. As the Great Depression got worse month after month, and unemployment skyrocketed with no end in sight, the unemployed demonstration grew in size. Before long, a demonstration of more than 100,000 was common.
With these demonstration came organization and education. People began to question the model of capitalism that the authorities enforced with an iron fist. By late 1932, the general public had decided that the country needed a real change.

I think the world needs another International Unemployment Day.

 
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History Being Made
by AndrewMc | 3/21/2010 06:27:00 PM
I hope people are watching history being made.


C-SPAN






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Friday Ramblings: War Edition
by AndrewMc | 3/19/2010 09:00:00 AM
This rambling is a short one.

Today (Friday) is the seventh anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. It's hard to believe that it's been seven years since we began a war that saw us greeted as liberators by the Iraqi people, and in which we were, thankfully, able to safely remove the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein had been amassing to use against his neighbors and against us (here, here). It's a shame that Hussein chose the path he did, and several months earlier had thrown weapons inspectors out of Iraq, rendering them incapable of tracking Hussein's programs.

All nations agreed that war was imminent, and that action was needed (here, here, here, here).

And the war came.

Today, the peaceful democracy that is Iraq has helped pave the way for democracy across the region.

And, all of this was accomplished for the relatively small price of under $2 billion dollars.


Take a few moments to remember what happens when your government engages in a systematic campaign of everything ranging from subtle misdirections to outright lies. And when people don't stand up to that government on those issues, the result is an illegal war.




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Online Museum of Historical Kitsch, Wear Your Ignorance on Your Chest Edition
by Clio Bluestocking | 3/18/2010 01:04:00 PM
Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves. Others wear their ignorance on their chests.

Count how many things are wrong with this t-shirt: "Standing Alone Against Northern Aggression Since 1861":




1) 1861? South Carolina seceded in December 1860.

2) Since 1861? Alone? Really? How many states seceded? How many fought against the U.S. Army? How many states enacted Jim Crow? How many segregated the races? How many fought every piece of progressive legislation to appear before Congress in the past century or more? Also, would you really want to use a "national" flag -- one that was supposed to represent a confederation involving more than one state -- to symbolize and emphasize your isolation?

3) Northern Aggression? When even that alleged dyed-in-the-wool Yankee abolitionist Abraham Lincoln said that he believed that he did not have the power to violate the concept of private property and free slaves in states where the institution was protected? Or during Plessy v. Ferguson? Or the rise of Jim Crow? Or ....well, you get the picture. Based on the shape of the Confederate flag in the background of the image, a shape that became popular during the resistance to the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century, I'd say that "northern aggression" means anytime that white folks have to recognize the humanity and -- at the very least -- political equality of black folks.

4) Given that SC has been majority black for a majority of its history since colonization, I hardly think that this is the majority opinion in the state. Are they trying to erase that part of the population as well as their participation in history? After all, African American participation in that history might be in direct opposition to the interpretation on this t-shirt?

Or perhaps the majority, African American position might be similar. They have been standing alone against northern aggression aiding and abetting southern aggression against non-whites for most of U.S. history. Only, the dates on the shirt would probably include "except" rather than "since."

This store did not get our business.

Cross-posted at Clio Bluestocking Tales.

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C. Peter Wagner & Native American Resource Network
by Winter Rabbit | 3/17/2010 07:33:00 PM
"Mr. Joel's Army himself," C. Peter Wagner, is in the video below. The title of it is “Native American Christian Reconciliation Ministry.”


Rick Warren's (amazingly extensive) connections with Joel's Army groups

a) Apparently being directly mentored by none other than Mr. Joel's Army himself (C. Peter Wagner) and actively teaching at Wagner's ordination mill, Fuller Seminary and cross-promotion of Wagner's and Warren's material by the two


Video is down, go here



Below is the type of rhetoric heard in the video.





Blog Against Theocracy


Source

They are GATE KEEPERS for this land... this is part of the healing for America... God told Bobby Conner that we had to COME THROUGH THEM INTO AMERICA!!!

One of the Indian leaders prays for REVIVAL to come to America and to all of the First Nation People...Bob Jones comes up... the First Nation People are the keepers of the land... they have the ability to bless the land... they are a spiritual people... when they get saved, they naturally know how to flow in the Spirit.




Furthermore, this is written by Jean Steffenson of the "Native American Resource Network," who was in the video along with "Mr. Joel's Army himself," C. Peter Wagner.


http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:NRkL4G-U7ZAJ:www.narnministries.org/files/Plymouth_Prayer_Journey.PDF+NATIVE+AMERICAN+RESOURCE+NETWORK&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

The other native leaders expressed a deep gratitude for the Word of God that came and repented for the resistance that had been built against the gospel. They welcomed King Jesus into the land to take His place and fill this land with His glorious presence. Jay shut the gate to the Babylonian spirit and made some declarations that I believe engaged the angels of God and terrified the demonic powers.



What is "the gate to the Babylonian spirit" that she believes "terrified the demonic powers?" Let's review what we know first.

First, an overview of “Reconciliation” Cultural Genocide.



http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:JrK9Pp-6QR8J:www.talk2action.org/pages/docs/Transformation.pdf+native+americans+%2B+gatekeepers+%2B+reconciliation+events&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=us

Use of Reconciliation Events


Glazier is on the board of the International Reconciliation Coalition founded by John
Dawson, International President of YWAM (Youth With a Mission). The reconciliation
approach, including reconciliation walks, has been used to gain access to Native American groups in the U.S and Canada, and also to African Americans, Amish, Turkish Muslims, and other groups around the world. Link to "Palin and the Apostles" for an account of New Apostolics in a prophetic ceremony representing the shielding of Native Alaskans from interference from other churches and social services.

Reconciliation is designed to remove the generational curses and other demons which are
preventing the target group from being open to evangelization. For instance, a reconciliation walk in Turkey in 1999 was advertised as apologizing for the Crusades to the Muslim population. However, following the reconciliation walk, the New Apostolics embarked on an aggressive proselytizing campaign which included a ceremony in the Ephesus amphitheater. Organized by Ted Haggard and others and with participation of groups from Korea, they chanted Jesus is Lord for four hours in the amphitheater.


Second, let's review a reconciliation event that ended in "native artifacts and ritual items like carved masks were thrown into bonfires."


http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/10/27/115813/98

The New Apostolic Reformation was formed as an institution through the efforts of C. Peter Wagner. More details on the history of this movement are in the section "Sources of the Transformations." Wagner has developed a network of 500 Apostles, most with Apostolic networks of their own over which they have authority. In addition to this structure there is a national and international structure of "prayer warriors" overseen by Apostles. Initially named the Spiritual Warfare Network, this structure has been renamed twice, first to the United States Strategic Prayer Network (USSPN), and again recently to the United States Global Apostolic Prayer Network (USGAPN). There is also an international network under the authority of Wagner.

- snip -

However, the story moves on to one island area that remained blighted despite the miracles. This is an island on which the indigenous populations' ancestors had killed a missionary in 1867. The video shows the process through which the community prayed, fasted, and repented of this generational curse. Like other vignettes in the Transformation videos, native artifacts and ritual items like carved masks were thrown into bonfires. The descendants of the murdered (and eaten) missionary traveled to the island to attend a ceremony of repentance by the inhabitants and release them from the generational curse. The island was also miraculously renewed after the event, including the immediate cleansing of a poisonous polluted stream.



Now, what is "the gate to the Babylonian spirit" that Jean Steffenson believes "terrified the demonic powers?"


The repentance, forgiveness and declarations that took place at Plymouth Rock and the town of Plymouth, MA September 27th got the attention of God and His adversaries. Jeremiah 1:10 came to my mind as we stood at this historical and present day gateway. There were many things that took root at this gate and were spread throughout the country, some good - some bad. The pilgrims no doubt loved God and wanted to serve Him. Yet In their zeal to have religious freedom they inadvertently gave place to a religious spirit. They sought a place of liberty to practice their beliefs and they fell into that age-old trap of legalism as was evident in their ministry to the native people. On the good side was the Indian's friend, John Elliot, who brought them the gospel with
the love of God.


And just who was this "Indian's friend, John Elliot" who demanded the American Indians act "civilized" by farming, wearing English clothes, cutting their hair, cease practicing their culture, and discarding their real names for English ones?


Excerpt from "Puritans, Indians & Manifest Destiny" (Charles M. Segal and David C. Stineback. pp. 155-157.

In 1647, one year after Massachusetts launched its missionary effort, John Eliot recorded - with what must have been some embarrassment - a question put to him by Wabbakoxets, reputed to have been an old powwow: "...why did we never teach them to know God till now?...."

"It is therefore ordered and decreed, by this Court, for the honor of the eternal God, whom only we worship & serve, that no person within the jurisdiction, whether Christian or pagan, either by willful or obstinate denying the true God, or his creation or government of the world, or shall curse God, or reproach the holy religion of God, as if it were but a politic device to keep ignorant men in awe, nor shall utter any other eminent kind of blasphemy, of the like nature & degree; if any person or persons whatsoever, within our jurisdiction, shall break this law they shall be put to death."




What a perfect compliment to Joel’s Army that is.


One of the parts of their theology that is very rarely discussed--save by a few of us researchers--is that they are one of the very few groups on the planet to literally have a theological mandate for not only genocide but near omnicide--both pre- and post-Tribulation. Combined with the known use of coercive tactics and the decidedly unique interpretations of Biblical verses that claim they're part of an end-time army of "God Warriors"...it's not exaggeration to state this is a potential threat to humanity.

- big snip –

And if this doesn't scare you yet--these groups may have influence to the very highest levels of government and documented histories of particularly horrific genocides (ask Guatemala about the hell it endured under Gen. Rios Montt sometime)...and the largest denomination embracing "Joel's Army" theology has an estimated membership of nearly three million people...and they've rather explicitly targeted the largest Protestant denomination in the US, the Southern Baptist Convention, for total conversion from within.


To conclude, I’m reposting the first part of Opinion: American Fascists or Christian Fascists?



American fascism is the term used by Dr. James Luther Adams, who “was in Germany in 1935 and 1936 and worked with the underground anti-Nazi church.” He said that American fascists would dismantle the open society, using scripture, during “prolonged social instability or a national crisis.” Either of those conditions certainly meets the living conditions on many reservations of their social structure and their Nation. I argue from definition that "Christian fascists" or American fascists are appropriate to be applied to those who christianize Indigenous People as well as to be applied to those who committed ”the slaughters of yesteryear" for the following reasons:

Duncan Campbell Scott, an Indian Affairs Superintendent, created the term “Final Solution;” Christianizing Indigenous People has historically destroyed cultures and languages, an activity still practiced; Baer before the U.N. said, “the international community should begin to view the violation of language rights as a crime against humanity;” and, the fact that Indigenous People exist in the post Extermination stage of genocide, while the general dominant culture practices the post Extermination stage of genocide, which is Denial. To clarify, the word genocide was not created until 1944 by Raphael Lemkin, ”The term ‘Final Solution”’was not coined by the Nazis, but by Indian Affairs Superintendent Duncan Campbell Scott in April of 1910 when he referred to how he envisioned the “Indian Problem” being resolved.” Hence, Christian fascism or American fascism by definition is appropriate when discussing christianizing Indigenous People, and is appropriate to be applied to those who committed ”the slaughters of yesteryear" - strictly my own opinion. Lastly, I think both Christian fascism and American fascism should have two categories: violent fascism and non – violent fascism (for the post Extermination stage of genocide) with definitions fitting both categories and used according to the timeline. Let me explain.

I would say that Christian fascists were and are more motivated by Christendom. For example, Columbus’s first voyage in 1492 combined with his religious motivations for making it led Pope Alexander VI to issue a Papal Bull in 1493. Pope Alexander VI ordered Ferdinand and Isabella to observe and to do the following: that the primary purpose of all future voyages and ensuing discoveries of land and people was to Christianize and “overthrow” any Nations who resisted; that Columbus himself be used for the next voyage, since there was consensus among Columbus, Ferdinand, Isabella, and the Papacy with regards to spreading Christianity to the entire world; that the Indians might have been good converts; that all this was to be carried out “By the Authority of Almighty God;” that it applied to the entire world; that any possible Christian rulers were to not be overthrown; that Ferdinand and Isabella had power over such possible Christian rulers, while the Papacy had power over them and any possible Christian rulers; that overthrown Nations would have a Christian ruler put in place; that anyone who traded with anyone who overthrew a Christian ruler would be excommunicated; and that anyone who went against the Papal Bull would “Incur the wrath of Almighty God.”


Source

From the moment of its birth Christianity had envisioned the end of the world. Saints and theologians differed on many details about the end, but few disagreements were as intense as those concerned with the nature and timing of the events involved...As word of these predictions spread, the most fundamental affairs of both Church and state were affected. And there had been no previous time in human history when ideas were able to circulate further or more rapidly, for it was in the late 1430s that Johann Gutenberg developed the technique of printing with movable type cast in molds. It has been estimated that as many as 20 million books-and an incalculable number of pamphlets and tracts-were produced and distributed in Europe between just 1450 and 1500."


I think Christian fascists, which could be an international term, have more motivations from Christendom than do American fascists.



 
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Those Crazy Texas Freaks
by AndrewMc | 3/17/2010 06:00:00 AM
As many of you have no doubt seen, the Texas State Board of "Education" has re-worked the state standards to bring them more in line with a far-right agenda that seeks to re-write history, subsuming it to the political expediency of programming a generation of school children.

From the New York Times:

After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday approved a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers’ commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.

The vote was 10 to 5 along party lines, with all the Republicans on the board voting for it.


A great deal of alarm has been raised over these developments, but I think there may be hope for a positive outcome.




First, some of the issues. It has been clear for a number of years that in Texas education takes a back seat to neo-conservative evangelical political indoctrination. The state Board of Education has for years been re-writing the standards a little bit at a time in an effort to weed out what conservatives on the board see as the pernicious influence of liberalism.

Over time this has resulted in the removal or devaluing of the contributions of such figures as Cesar Chavez and others in the labor movement. Civil Rights has taken a back seat to cheerleading the United States' role in the Cold War. And Joseph McCarthy has reemerged as an American hero.

From the Washington Post:

A far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education succeeded Friday in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.

Teachers in Texas will be required to cover the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation's Founding Fathers, but not highlight the philosophical rationale for the separation of church and state. Curriculum standards also will describe the U.S. government as a "constitutional republic," rather than "democratic," and students will be required to study the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.



More interesting, from my own perspective, Thomas Jefferson will be removed as one of the people studied in order to understand the Enlightenment. Now I know we tend to study Jefferson in a rather bland way, as the person who wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Resolutions, the 3rd president, etc. But he is a key Enlightenment thinker, and the Declaration of Independence is important as a summation of a number of key Enlightenment principles.

Not the least of these is "we hold these truths to be self-evident." It would be hard to find a more concise summation of Enlightenment principles in a widely distributed public document. It almost perfectly captures the spirit of the Enlightenment.

According to the New York Times article, "Jefferson is not well liked among conservatives on the board because he coined the term 'separation between church and state'.” He was also a Deist, which is problematic if you're trying to make the case that the Founders intended to establish a Christian nation. Sure, many of the Founders were Deists, but TJ was certainly one of the more vocal Deists.


So, what to make of all this ignorance? Bloggers have gone 'round and 'round, with much sputtering. And I agree with news and bloggers at HNN weighing in with resounding criticism.

But let me offer a positive spin. It's not news that the current economy has hit states quite hard, and that education budgets in all states are taking a hit. If anything good is to come from the Texas Board of Education's revision to the standards, it's that now may be the time for states to jettison traditional textbooks in favor of online sources, DIY texts, and other electronic materials. Some are much cheaper, some are free, and some electronic materials could certainly be linked to district-level grant initiatives that might bring both technology and educational materials into the classroom.

So, now is the time. Are you outraged by what's going on in Texas? Do you see that this is going to have a broad effect on how school districts in your states purchase textbooks? Then start helping out. Help your district or state assemble an online textbook that speaks to your state standards and/or the national standards and can be had cheaper than a traditional textbook. Don't let Texas dictate what your schools teach.

In many ways, this is a teachable moment. Seize it.


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Permalink | 3 comments
AHA Blogging Interest Group?
by Unknown | 3/15/2010 12:50:00 PM
According to a new policy adopted by the American Historical Association, AHA members can now create "interest groups," or sub-societies under the AHA's auspices. All that's needed is an application and signatures from 50 AHA members.

I've argued before for a Bloggers' Caucus at the AHA to push for more recognition of history blogging as a vital scholarly endeavor deserving of favorable consideration during the hiring and tenure processes. It seems to me the interest group setup would be ideal for such a caucus; bloggers could constitute themselves as a pressure group within the AHA while also sponsoring affiliated panels, lunches, and awards at the conference to promote blogging as scholarship.

All we'd need to get started is an organizer. I nominate Ralph Luker, Jonathan Dresner, or Claire Potter for the position.

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Permalink | 4 comments
Friday Ramblings, March 5
by AndrewMc | 3/05/2010 11:59:00 AM
As usual, Frank Rich nails is.

No one knows what history will make of the present — least of all journalists, who can at best write history’s sloppy first draft. But if I were to place an incautious bet on which political event will prove the most significant of February 2010, I wouldn’t choose the kabuki health care summit that generated all the ink and 24/7 cable chatter in Washington. I’d put my money instead on the murder-suicide of Andrew Joseph Stack III, the tax protester who flew a plane into an office building housing Internal Revenue Service employees in Austin, Tex., on Feb. 18. It was a flare with the dark afterlife of an omen.

The modern conservative movement has gone completely batshit crazy, and makes no apologies for it.

Follow me . . .



Rove says this about the questions surrounding the complete lack of any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and therefore the lack of any justification for the war:

"When the pattern of the Democratic attacks became apparent in July 2003, we should have countered in a forceful and overwhelming way," he writes. "We should have seen this for what it was: a poison-tipped dagger aimed at the heart of the Bush presidency."


Hey, Karl? No. It wasn't a "pattern of Democratic attacks." It was a growing recognition that the administration had gotten us into a war on false pretenses, therefore needlessly sacrificing the blood and treasure of the nation. At best it was a horrible mistake. At worst it was criminal in nature. My only regret is that instead of throwing you and your cronies in jail, it seems as if the judgment will be left to subsequent generations.

But, hey, thanks for spelling the name of my political party correctly. It's more than I can say for most Republicans.



There's a movement afoot to repeal the 17th amendment. No, seriously.

Here's the logical from bizarro-land, where history stops in 1789:

Until 1913, when the 17th Amendment was ratified, the citizens of the states elected U.S. senators indirectly: Voters elected the state legislators, and they in turn selected U.S. senators. From 1913 onward, voters have directly elected U.S. senators in statewide elections.

This change has led to a number of negative results, including

-Vastly increased federal power and vastly decreased state, local, and personal authority due to the state governments losing their representation in the federal government;

-The domination of Senate elections (and legislation) by forces outside of the particular states wherein elections are being held, e.g., out-of-state donations, political party operatives, and campaign consultants; and

-A decline of the influence of individual voters and small, local associations of voters over who is selected to be a senator from their state.




Two weeks ago I wrote about Don McLeroy, the Texas State Board of Education rep who was singlehandedly, and gleefully, re-writing history. On Tuesday he lost the primary to get reelected. A sliver of sanity from the Lone Star state.




Head 'em up, and move 'em out.



On the one hand, if it's a private institution, they have the right to think, teach, and run their college in any way they want:

Erskine is part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which describes itself as conservative and evangelical -- well to the right, on political and social issues, of other Presbyterian churches. The ARP (as members call it) is also small, with only 250 churches, so a requirement that all faculty or students at its only college be church members wouldn't yield enough people qualified to enroll or teach. The college has required all faculty members to be Christians, and students of all faiths have been welcome -- with only a minority of students and faculty members coming from the ARP.

This week, however, church leaders will gather to discuss a special report they commissioned about Erskine, which has been well regarded academically for its liberal arts programs, but which critics fear has strayed from its founding faith. The report has not been finalized or formally released, but some faculty members have seen it, as have some outside the college. The report is seemingly most critical of the church leaders themselves, saying that they have been "negligent" in overseeing the college. But the reasons given for why this negligence is faulted have many faculty members scared.


On the other hand, why on earth would they jeopardize faculty retention?




Man, I'd love to believe this is true.



No wonder I feel like I'm not getting enough sleep.





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Permalink | 2 comments
Freedom of Speech and Privacy in the Classroom, on Campus, and at Home
by AndrewMc | 3/03/2010 06:00:00 AM
In the past few weeks there have been a number of incidents on campuses and in classrooms around the nation that touch on the thorny issue of freedom of speech.

This isn't a new issue—Universities and courts have been grappling with this since the campus protest movements of the 1960s.

But it seems that the problem has come into fresh relief recently. Below the fold I'll bring you a few cases of contested speech, some of which have developed into court cases, others of which I'm just pulling out in order to highlight.

I'll be interested to see what you think.




To my mind, college campuses, and to a lesser but still important degree the secondary classrooms, are a touchy place in which to contest the issue of freedom of speech. Especially on campuses, there should be even more leniency when it comes to freedom of speech.

A college campus exists as a cauldron of ideas. It is a place where ideas and issues should be debated without fear of recrimination or persecution. A campus is a place where extra care should be given to allow people to voice crazy, wild, profound, useless and useful ideas, and where counter debate can go on.

Here's the first of the free speech issues. My own opinion is that the speech here is protected. What do you say?

Every few minutes during a talk last week at the University of California at Irvine, the same thing happened. A student would get up, shout something critical of Israel, be applauded by some in the audience, and be led away by police.

The speaker -- Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States -- was repeatedly forced to stop his talk. He pleaded for the right to continue, and continued. University administrators lectured the students and asked them to let Oren speak. In the end, 11 students were arrested and they may also face charges of violating university rules.

Those who interrupted Oren, not surprisingly, are strong critics of Israel who believe that they must draw attention to the Palestinian cause. But an argument put forward by some national Muslim leaders in the last week has sent the discussion in a new direction. Those groups maintain that interrupting a campus speech -- even repeatedly -- should be seen as a protected form of speech.



OK, how about here?

MIAMI — A South Florida teenager who sued her former principal after she was suspended for creating a Facebook page criticizing a teacher can proceed with her lawsuit, a federal judge has ruled.

The student, Katherine Evans, is seeking to have her suspension expunged from her disciplinary record. School officials suspended her for three days, saying she had been “cyberbullying” the teacher, Sarah Phelps. Ms. Evans is also seeking a “nominal fee” for what she argues was a violation of her First Amendment rights, her lawyers said, and payment of her legal fees.



Is this protected speech?

It also seems to me that school officials are quick to overreact to almost any perceived threat. But the schools' intrusions into students lives seems to go far beyond the need to maintain discipline while providing an education.

Consider these two cases, where school administrators confess to using school-donated laptops to spy on children in their homes. The justification is that the school purchase the laptops, and the kids are supposed to be doing homework. OK, I understand that we want to kids to do the assigned work. But spying on them through a remote camera in their own homes? Without their knowledge?




I'm wondering about the path down which this nation has wandered with regards to free speech and privacy. It probably pre-dates 9/11, but since then we have casually accepted governmental intrusion into even the most mundane aspects of our lives. And far from any kind of outrage, what we see is a broad tolerance. Even justification.

There's a bit of outcry over the school administrators' spying on minors, and the ACLU is involved. But in newspapers and news shows this trend has gotten very little attention.

Are we more generally tolerant of government subversion of freedom of speech and privacy? I think there's something to be said for the idea that the United States is trending towards a police state. Or at least towards one in which police tactics are tolerated and seen as OK.

Consider the recent 9th Circuit Court court decision, which essentially invented new law by allowing police to enter your home without any warrant.

Or the practice on the part of New York police officers of stopping anyone they can in order to get their names into a criminal database.



What on earth is going on here?

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Permalink | 7 comments
"Remembering Wounded Knee 1973" by Carter Camp
by Winter Rabbit | 3/02/2010 11:24:00 PM
Wounded Knee 1973, a remembrance


Ah-ho My Relations,

Each year with the changing of the season I post this rememberance of Wounded Knee 73. I wrote it a few years ago when some of our brave people had walked to Yellowstone to stop the slaughter of our Buffalo relations. When I did I was surprised at the response from people who were too young to remember WK'73 and I was pleased that some old WK vets wrote to me afterwards. So each year on this date I post the short story again and invite you-all to send it around or use as you will.

As you do I ask you to remember that our reasons for going to Wounded Knee still exist and that means the need for struggle and resistance also still exist. Our land and sacred sites are threatened as never before even our sacred Mother herself is faced with unnatural warming caused by extreme greed.






In some areas of conflict between our people and those we signed treaties with, it is best to negotiate or "work within the system" but, because our struggle is one of survival, there are also times when a warrior must stand fast even at the risk of one's life. I believed that in 1973 when I was thirty and I believe it today in my sixties. But to me Wounded Knee 73 was really not about the fight , it was about the strong statement that our traditional way of living in this world is not about to disappear and our people are not a "vanishing race" as wasicu education would have you believe. As time has passed and I see so many of our young people taking part in a traditional way of living and believing I know our fight was worth it and those we lost for our movement died worthy deaths.

Carter Camp 2010










"Remembering Wounded Knee 1973"

Ah-ho My Relations,

Today is heavy with prayer and reminisces for me. Not only are those who walk for the Yellowstone Buffalo reaching their destination, today is the anniversary of the night when, at the direction of the Oglala Chiefs, I went with a special squad of warriors to liberate Wounded Knee in advance of the main AIM caravan.

For security reasons the people had been told everyone was going to a meeting/wacipi in Porcupine, the road goes through Wounded Knee. When the People arrived at the Trading Post we had already set up a perimeter, taken eleven hostages, run the B.I.A. cops out of town, cut most phone lines, and began 73 days of the best, most free time of my life. The honor of being chosen to go first still lives strong in my heart.

That night we had no idea what fate awaited us. It was a cold night with not much moonlight and I clearly remember the nervous anticipation I felt as we drove the back-way from Oglala into Wounded Knee. The Chiefs had tasked me with a mission and we were sworn to succeed, of that I was sure, but I couldn't help wondering if we were prepared. The FBI, BIA and Marshalls had fortified Pine Ridge with machine gun bunkers and A.P.C.s with M-60's. They had unleashed the goon squad on the people and a reign of terror had begun, we knew we had to fight but we could not fight on wasicu terms. We were lightly armed and dependent on the weapons and ammo inside the Wounded Knee trading post, I worried that we would not get to them before the shooting started.

As we stared silently into the darkness driving into the hamlet I tried to forsee what opposition we would encounter and how to neutralize it... We were approaching a sacred place and each of us knew it. We could feel it deep inside. As a warrior leading warriors I humbly prayed to Wakonda for the lives of all and the wisdom to do things right. Never before or since have I offered my tobacco with such a plea nor put on my feathers with such purpose. It was the birth of the Independent Oglala Nation.

Things went well for us that night, we accomplished our task without loss of life. Then, in the cold darkness as we waited for Dennis and Russ to bring in the caravan (or for the fight to start), I stood on the bank of the shallow ravine where our people had been murdered by Custers' 7th Cavalry. There I prayed for the defenseless ones, torn apart by Hotchkiss cannon and trampled under hooves of steel by drunken wasicu. I could feel the touch of their spirits as I eased quietly into the gully and stood silently... waiting for my future, touching my past.

Finally, I bent over and picked a sprig of sage - whose ancestors in 1890 had been nourished by the blood of Red babies, ripped from their mothers dying grasp and bayonetted by the evil ones. As I washed myself with that sacred herb I became cold in my determination and cleansed of fear. I looked for Big Foot and YellowBird in the darkness and I said aloud --- "We are back my relations, we are home". Hoka-Hey

Carter Camp- Ponca Nation AIM

FREE LEONARD PELTIER!!! NOW!!!


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Permalink | 0 comments
Suicide State Of Emergency On Pine Ridge Reservation
by Winter Rabbit | 3/01/2010 09:51:00 PM





Tribal president declares state of emergency over increase in youth suicide attempts Posted: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

PINE RIDGE -- Oglala Sioux Tribe President Theresa Two Bulls will declare a suicide state of emergency for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation during a news conference at 1 p.m. today.




I want to share a personal story, because I hope people contacting the White House will save lives by giving hope. How many, I don't know. I wouldn't share it unless I thought it would be helpful to others. Suffice it to say, hope through someone to talk to would've been the difference between a 20 gauge shotgun to my head or not at 17.

I was 17 years old and my codependence combined with normal adolescent neurosis and feelings of abandonment left me feeling absolutely hopeless. I was raised in a good family and we had a good house, but New Years Eve of '87 found me calling suicide hotlines - but nobody answered.

I further spiraled into hopelessness thinking, "New Years Eve, they know it's a night of higher suicide rates, that's it." I made the decision to end my life.

It was really a strange feeling going into my parent's room, putting a shell in a 20 gauge shotgun with tears streaming down my face, and pointing it to my head. I had taken the safety off. I just wanted someone to help me and talk to me. Nonetheless, I put enough pressure on the trigger for it to go off, but I saw something out of the right corner of my right eye. The gun didn't fire and I was amazed that it didn't. I put it to my head again and these thoughts seemed to be streamed into my mind, "If you do this, you're one selfish bastard."
I put the gun up.

I sponsored someone 13 years later, and when he committed suicide via an overdose I understood why. However, many were at his funeral and I still remember thinking, "I wish you could have seen then how many people care now."




From a MySpace bulletin:


Autumn TwoBulls: Take a Stand Against Poverty & Suicide in Lakota Country join us in Calling The White House ~202 456 1111Share
Today at 3:13pm
Autumn TwoBulls: Take a Stand Against Poverty & Suicide in Lakota Country join us in Calling The White House ~202 456 1111 This is the time when my people should be treated fair and with justice.

Support the Sweet Grass Suicide Provention Program here in Pine Ridge Reservation
This is an epmidemic among Lakota Country please give our Lakota Youth a Voice for Hope!

Follow -Up Call In to White House Tuesday March 2, 2010
Help bring a voice to the Lakota Nation in the matters Poverty and Suicide on the Pine Ridge Reservation/Contact White House

To Friends, Relations and supporters.,

Thank you for the overwhelming response to our White House Call In last Tuesday 2/16 and again on Friday.
Over the last while, you have seen and heard of the terrible situations and conditions on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Again, I am asking you to come make your voice be heard.Last Tuesday all of you overwhelmed the Comment line 202 456 1111.
On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, please take the time to call in again.We need to keep this subject on the President's "Radar" and this is a way for us to be heard.

Tell President Obama of the awful conditions facing my people here on Pine Ridge. Tell him the Oglala Sioux Tribe Declared a State of Emergency on Suicide in December Remind him of the promises that he has made to the First Nations/Native American people. Promises waiting to be fulfilled.

When you call the comment line tell them about the grinding poverty rates, the 80% unemployment and the desperation that is leading so many of our people and youth to commite suicide. We are asking that Aide is brought to our Lakota Nation in these matters.

1: When you make your call, please be respectful
2: State in your call Why you are calling, i.e., Suicide and povertyon the Pine Ridge Reservation, etc
3: State that you would like to know what the President can do about this.
4: Remind respectfully that the President made promises to the First NationsNative American People during his campaign.

Help us to be heard again, we've only just begun use our voice.

Together we can make a difference for the people. One voice together, loud enough for the President to open his mind and his heart to my people, the Lakota Nation of Pine Ridge Reservation.

Please begin calling during buisness hours which are 9am - 4 pm Eastern time. Keep calling and emailing all day.

I am so grateful for the support in this effort to help Our Lakota Nation be heard. Lets work together as one voice

Pila Unyape, Wopila Tanka Echichiyape
Respectfully, Autumn Two Bulls
Oglala Lakota of Pine Ridge South Dakota
http: //www.whitehouse.gov/contact
PHONE THE WHITE HOUSE:
202 456 1111

Faced with rash of suicides, OST President Two Bulls declares an emergency
www. rapidcityjournal.com
In an emotional appeal to the people of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Theresa Two Bulls declared a state of emergency Thursday in the face of overwhelming numbers of suicides and suicide attempts on South Dakota's largest reservation.



Chief Teresa TwoBulls declared a State of Emergency weeks ago, as conditions have become unbearable in a very harsh winter. The White House is silent.

Where is the HOPE that President Obama has promised? Where is HOPE for the Lakota?

Here is the President's Opening words to the Tribal Nations Conference last November.









Pine Ridge Reservation America’s Own Third World Country

I have never quite understood people who travel oversees and put forth so much effort to help those in Under developed countries, when we have a place right here in the US that has Third World conditions. Technically, this place is not “in the United States.” It is an Indian Reservation, therefore a Sovereign Nation.

- snip –

• The Average life expectancy
on the Reservation is 46
• Pine Ridge Teen suicide rate is 150 times higher than the National Average
• 65% of the residents of the Reservation live in sub-standard conditions such as no electricity, running water, and often, without heat





Native American Netroots Web BadgeCross Posted at Native American Netroots



An ongoing series sponsored by the Native American Netroots team focusing on the current issues faced by American Indian Tribes and current solutions to those issues.





Update


Thanks to Aji...

STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS


SOUTH DAKOTA EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Mike Rounds (R)
Office of the Governor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
605.773.3212
Web
contact form

Dennis Daugaard (R)
Lt. Governor
Note: Daugaard's Web site applet doesn't function properly, so I can't
access his contact information.

SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

State Senate

Julie Bartling (D), District 26 (includes Mellette,
Todd, & Tripp Counties)
P.O. Box 256
Burke, S.D. 57523-0256
605.775.2937

Jim Bradford (R), District 27 (includes Pine Ridge
Reservation; Jackson & Shannon Counties)
P.O. Box 690
Pine Ridge, S.D. 57770-0690
605.867.5369

Ryan Maher (D), District 28 (includes Cheyenne River
Reservation; Dewey & Ziebach Counties)
P.O. Box 237
Isabel, S.D. 57633-0237
605.466.2389


State House of Representatives

Larry Lucas (D), District 26A (Rosebud Reservation;
Mellette & Todd Counties)
P.O. Box 182
Mission, S.D. 57555-0182
605.856.2439

Kim Vanneman (R), District 26B (Rosebud Reservation;
Tripp County)
31148 269th St.
Ideal, S.D. 57541
605.842.2751

Ed Iron Cloud, III (D), District 27 (Pine Ridge
Reservation; Jackson & Shannon Counties)
P.O. Box 172
Porcupine, S.D. 57772
(No phone listed)

Kevin Killer (D), District 27 (Pine Ridge Reservation;
Jackson & Shannon Counties)
P.O. Box 322
Pine Ridge, S.D. 57770-0322
605.454.8105

Dean Schrempp (D), District 28A (Cheyenne River
Reservation; Dewey & Ziebach Counties)
P.O. Box 62
Lantry, S.D. 57636
605.964.6541



LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS

Dewey County (Cheyenne River)
Robert Berndt, County Commission Chair
P.O. Box 277
County Courthouse
Timber Lake, S.D. 57656-0277
No e-mail address listed

Ziebach County (Cheyenne River)
Clinton Farlee, County Commission Chair
P.O. Box 68
County Courthouse
Dupree, S.D. 57623-0068
Phone: 605.365.5157
Fax: 605.365.5204
E-mail: cjfarlee@lakotanetwork.com

Jackson County (Pine Ridge)
Jim Stilwell, County Commission Chair
P.O. Box 280
County Courthouse
Kadoka, S.D. 57543-0280
605.837.2422
No e-mail address listed

Shannon County (Pine Ridge)
Connie WhirlWind Horse, County Commission Chair
906 N. River St.
County Courthouse
Hot Springs, S.D. 57747-1309
605.745.3996
Fax: 605.745.6835
No e-mail address listed

Mellette County (Rosebud)
Casey Krogman, County Commission Chair
P.O. Box C
County Courthouse
White River, S.D. 57579-0703
605.259.3291
No e-mail address listed

Todd County (Rosebud)
Gregg Grimshaw, County Commission Chair
200 E. 3rd. St.
County Courthouse
Winner, S.D. 57580-1806
605.842.1700
No e-mail address listed

Tripp County (Rosebud)
Greg English, Commissioner
200 E. 3rd. St.
County Courthouse
Winner, S.D. 57580-1806
605.842.3727
E-mail: genglish@gwtc.net (Note: Source does not specify who chairs
county commission; Greg English is the only commissioner with a listed
e-mail address.)


U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS

Main Committee Contact:

Committee on Indian Affairs
Allison Binney, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
United States Senate
838 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2251
comments@indian.senate.gov

Members:

Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Chair
Washington, D.C. Office:
322 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-2551
Fax (202) 224-1193

Bismarck Office:
312 Federal Building
PO Box 2579
Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone (701) 250-4618
Phone (800) 666-4482
Fax (701) 250-4484

Fargo Office:
1802 32nd Ave South Suite B
PO Box 9060
Fargo, ND 58106
Phone (701) 239-5389
Phone (800) 666-4482
Fax (701) 239-5112

Minot Office:
100 1st Street, SW
Suite 105
Minot, ND 58701
Phone (701) 852-0703
Phone (800) 666-4482
Fax (701) 838-8196

Grand Forks Office:
102 North 4th Street,
Room 108
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone (701) 746-8972
Phone (800) 666-4482
Fax (701) 746-9122

John Barasso (R-WY), Vice Chair

Washington, D.C. Office:
307 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Tollfree: 866-235-9553

Casper Office:
100 East B Street
Suite 2201
Casper, WY 82602
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 22201
Casper, WY 82602
Main: 307-261-6413

Cheyenne Office:
2120 Capitol Avenue
Suite 2013
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Main: 307-772-2451

Riverton Office:
325 West Main Street
Suite F
Riverton, WY 82501
Main: 307-856-6642

Rock Springs Office:
2632 Foothill Boulevard
Suite 101
Rock Springs, WY 82901
Main: 307-362-5012

Sheridan Office:
2 North Main Street
Suite 206
Sheridan, WY 82801
Main: 307-672-6456

Daniel Akaka (D-HI)

Washington, D.C. Office:
141 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Telephone: (202) 224-6361
Fax: (202) 224-2126

Hilo Office:
101 Aupuni Street, Suite 213
Hilo, HI 96720
Telephone: (808) 935-1114
Fax: (808) 935-9064

Honolulu Office:
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 3-106
Box 50144
Honolulu, HI 96850
Telephone: (808) 522-8970
Fax: (808) 545-4683

Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Washington, D.C. Office:
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3441
202-228-0514 - FAX
202-224-8273 - TDD

Toll-Free Number for State Offices:
1-888-648-7328

Central Washington Office:
825 Jadwin Avenue,
Suite 205
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 946-8106
(509) 946-6937 - FAX

Northwest Washington Office:
2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 9B
Everett, WA 98201
425-303-0114
425-303-8351 FAX

Seattle Office:
915 Second Avenue
Suite 3206
Seattle, WA 98174
206-220-6400
206-220-6404 - FAX

Spokane Office:
U.S. Federal Courthouse
W. 920 Riverside, Suite 697
Spokane, WA 99201
509-353-2507
509-353-2547 - FAX

Southwest Washington Office:
Marshall House
1313 Officers Row
Vancouver, WA 98661
360-696-7838
360-696-7844 - FAX

Tacoma Office:
950 Pacific Avenue, Suite 615
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-572-2281
253-572-5879 FAX

Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Washington D.C. Office:
172 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-5754
Fax: 202-224-6008

Oklahoma City Office:
100 North Broadway
Suite 1820
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Main: 405-231-4941
Fax: 405-231-5051

Tulsa Office:
1800 South Baltimore
Suite 800
Tulsa, OK 74119
Main: 918-581-7651
Fax: 918-581-7195

Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Washington, D.C. Office:

530 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-3403
Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776
Online: http://conrad.senate.gov/contact
E-mail: https://conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm

Toll-free Phone: 1-800-223-4457

Bismarck Office:
U.S. Federal Building, Room 228
220 East Rosser Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: (701) 258-4648
Fax: (701) 258-1254

Fargo Office:
U.S. Federal Building, Room 306
657 2nd Avenue North
Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: (701) 232-8030
Fax: (701) 232-6449

Grand Forks Office:
33 S 3rd St., Suite B
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: (701) 775-9601
Fax: (701) 746-1990

Minot Office:
U.S. Federal Building, Room 105
100 1st Street SW
Minot, ND 58701
Phone: (701) 852-0703
Fax: (701) 838-8196

Mike Crapo (R-ID)

Washington, D.C. Office:
239 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6142
Fax: (202) 228-1375

Idaho State Office:
251 East Front Street
Suite 205
Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 334-1776
Fax: (208) 334-9044

Eastern Idaho, North Office:
410 Memorial Drive
Suite 204
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
Phone: (208) 522-9779
Fax: (208) 529-8367

Eastern Idaho, South Office:
275 South 5th Avenue
Suite 225
Pocatello, ID 83201
Phone: (208) 236-6775
Fax: (208) 236-6935

North Idaho Office:
610 Hubbard Street
Suite 209
Coeur d' Alene, ID 83814
Phone: (208) 664-5490
Fax: (208) 664-0889

North-Central Idaho Office:
313 'D' Street
Suite 105
Lewiston, ID 83501
Phone: (208) 743-1492
Fax: (208) 743-6484

South-Central Idaho Office:
202 Falls Avenue
Suite 2
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Phone: (208) 734-2515
Fax: (208) 733-0414

Southwestern Idaho Office:
524 East Cleveland Blvd.
Suite 220
Caldwell, ID 83605
Phone: (208) 455-0360
Fax: (208) 455-0358

Al Franken (D-MN

Washington, D.C. Office:
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5641

Duluth Office:
515 W 1st St
Suite 104
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 722-2390

Saint Cloud Office:
916 W St. Germain St.
Suite 110
Saint Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 251-2721

Saint Paul Office:
60 East Plato Blvd
Suite 220
Saint Paul, MN 55107
(651) 221-1016

Saint Peter Office:
208 S Minnesota Ave
Suite 6
Saint Peter, MN 56082
(507) 931-5813

Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

Washington, D.C. Office:
722 Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1102
Phone: 202-224-3934
Fax: 202-224-6747

Hilo Office:
101 Aupuni Street, #205
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Phone: 808-935-0844
Fax: 808-961-5163

Honolulu Office:
300 Ala Moana Boulevard
Room 7-212
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850-4975
Phone: 808-541-2542
Fax: 808-541-2549

Mike Johanns (R-NE)

Washington, D.C. Office:
404 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-4224
Fax: (202) 228-0436
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST

Kearney Office:
4111 Fourth Avenue, Suite 26
Kearney, NE 68845
Tel: (308) 236-7602
Fax: (308) 236-7473
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. CST
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CST Fri

Lincoln Office:
294 Federal Building 100 Centennial Mall North
Lincoln, NE 68508
Tel: (402) 476-1400
Fax: (402) 476-0605
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST

Omaha Office:
9900 Nicholas St., Suite 325
Omaha, NE 68114
Tel: (402) 758-8981
Fax: (402) 758-9165
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Scottsbluff Office:
115 Railway Street, Suite C102
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
Tel: (308) 632-6032
Fax: (308) 632-6295
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. MST

Tim Johnson (D-SD)

Washington, D.C. Office:
136 Hart Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5842
Fax: (202)228-5765

Toll Free from anywhere in South Dakota: 1-800-537-0025
Agriculture Hotline: (800) 819-0788

Aberdeen Office:
320 S. First St. Suite 103
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Phone: (605) 226-3440
Fax: (605) 226-2439

Rapid City Office:
405 E. Omaha St., Suite B
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: (605) 341-3990
Fax: (605) 341-2207

Sioux Falls Office:
5015 S. Bur Oak Place
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
Phone: (605) 332-8896
Fax: (605) 332-2824

John McCain (R-AZ)

Washington, D.C. Office:
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: (202) 224-2235
Fax: (202) 228-2862

Phoenix Office:
5353 North 16th Street
Suite 105
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Main: (602) 952-2410
Fax: (602) 952-8702

Prescott Office:
122 North Cortez Street
Suite 108
Prescott, AZ 86301
Main: (928) 445-0833
Fax: (928) 445-8594

Tempe Office:
4703 South Lakeshore Drive
Suite 1
Tempe, AZ 85282
Main: (480) 897-6289
Fax: (480) 897-8389

Tucson Office:
407 West Congress Street
Suite 103
Tucson, AZ 85701
Main: (520) 670-6334
Fax: (520) 670-6637

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Washington, D.C. Office:
709 Hart Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Main: 202-224-6665
Fax: 202-224-5301

Anchorage Office:
510 L Street
Suite 550
Anchorage, AK 99501
Main: 907-271-3735
Fax: 907-276-4081
Toll Free: 1-877-829-6030

Fairbanks Office:
101 12th Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Main: 907-456-0233
Fax: 907-451-7146

Kenai Office:
805 Frontage Road
Suite 105
Kenai, AK 99611
Main: 907-283-5808
Fax: 907-283-4363

Ketchikan Office:
4079 Tongass Avenue
Suite 204
Ketchikan, AK 99901
Main: 907-225-6880
Fax: 907-225-0390

MatSu Office:
851 East Westpoint Drive
Suite 307
Wasilla, AK 99654
Main: 907-376-7665
Fax: 907-376-8526

Jon Tester (D-MT)

Washington, D.C. Office:
724 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-2604
Phone: (202) 224-2644
Fax: (202) 224-8594

Billings Office:
Granite Tower
222 N 32nd Street, Suite 102
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: (406) 252-0550
Fax: (406) 252-7768

Bozeman Office:
Avant Courier Building
1 E Main Street, Suite 202
Bozeman, MT 59715
Phone: (406) 586-4450
Fax: (406) 586-7647

Butte Office:
Silver Bow Center
125 W Granite, Suite 200
Butte, MT 59701
Phone: (406) 723-3277
Fax: (406) 782-4717

Glendive Office:
122 W Towne
Glendive, MT 59330
Phone: (406) 365-2391
Fax: (406) 365-8836

Great Falls Office:
119 1st Avenue N, Suite 102
Great Falls, MT 59401
Phone: (406) 452-9585
Fax: (406) 452-9586

Helena Office:
Capital One Center
208 N Montana Avenue, Suite 202
Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 449-5401
Fax: (406) 449-5462

Kalispell Office:
14 Third Street E, Suite 230
Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 257-3360
Fax: (406) 257-3974

Missoula Office:
130 W Front Street
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: (406) 728-3003
Fax: (406) 728-2193

Tom Udall (D-NM)

Washington, D.C. Office:
110 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510
(202) 224-6621

Albuquerque Office:
219 Central Ave NW
Suite 210
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 346-6791

Las Cruces Office:
Loretto Town Center
505 South Main Suite 118
Las Cruces, NM 88001
(575) 526-5475

Santa Fe Office:
120 South Federal Place
Suite 302
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 988-6511


THE WHITE HOUSE

President Barack H. Obama
202.456.1414
Web contact form

Vice President Joseph Biden
202.456.1414
Web contact form

Kimberly Teehee (Cherokee Nation), President Obama's
Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs. No direct number
available; call the White House switchboard, 202.456.1414, during
regular business hours, to be connected (reports to M. Barnes, below).

Melody Barnes
Domestic Policy Adviser and Director, Domestic Policy Council
No direct number available; call the White House switchboard,
202.456.1414, during regular business hours, to be connected.



Update 2:


From no way lack of brain:



Here is contact information for Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard: Dennis.Daugaard@state.sd.us. When I emailed people about the storm conditions in SD, Lt. Governor Daugaard was the only person who responded.



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