Wow! I'm glad that our moderator let GRA's post through, if only because
GRA has brought some real passion to this list. Being calm and sedate all
the time, or at least receiving posts written is such spirit, gets to be a
mite dull . . .
A few things:
GRA, I'm utterly confused by your getting on Peshe's case for using an
acronym (or pseudonym; you accuse him of doing *both*, but are they
necessarily equal or conflatable terms?), when you sign off as "GRA".
Remember that this is a moderated list where, unless we send a "REVIEW"
command (which I'll do as soon as this is posted) we don't *see* the name
under which the poster is registered at her or his node (which isn't
necessarily a legal name, anyway). So I don't see how you have a leg to
stand on in this matter . . . am I missing something?
Now for my praise: a while back, we had a very brief exchange on the matter
of Christianity and indigenous Americans, an exchange in which I rather lamely
tried to assert that *just maybe* the violent history of Christianity is *not*
as separable from its metaphysics (theology) as most other posters, Peshwegunzh
among them, want to say that it is. I appreciate the forthright and unflinching
manner whereby you state the argument against such a view, GRA.
Gary, I hope you let this one through (this post, that is). I'm not trying
to start or perpetuate a "flame war," but rather to try to work through
issues that *are* divisive until, and unless, we *do* work through them.
Michael Bruce McDonald, a descendant of the ancient clan of the Donalds,
Donnells, MacDonalds, O'Donnells, etc. (no joke intended, I'm proud of my
own tribal lineage, though I wouldn't pretend for an instant that this makes
my situation as a "white" [yuck! I hate color designations] American in any
way isomorphic with the struggles, problems, and worldviews of the peoples
i prefer to think of as the first nations, first peoples, rather than as
"native Americans")
[ I'm sorry that I've given some people the impression that it's my
practice to censor controversial or strongly-worded articles, as it
is certainly not my intent. I only want to be able to have some
mechanism for limiting debate on a discussion that goes on endlessly
covering the same ground generating more heat than light. But, again,
I have very rarely declined to pass on an article, only a few in the
2.5 year history of NativeNet. --Gary ]