Guest guest Posted September 1, 2000 Report Share Posted September 1, 2000 > >Dear Peninsula Daily News: > >The Green Party can be counted upon to support the vulnerable against >the >rapacity and self interest of the more powerful, right? Sadly, not the >Green >Party-USA , whose Vice Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke supports the > >indefensible slaughter of whales by the Makah (who treated those >honorable >Makah who oppose the slaughter, to a taste of the violence they have >visited >upon the whales). The Greens have turned their backs on the whales and >on >one of their strongest allies, animal advocates. As reported in the >Peninsula Daily News, Keith Johnson, head of the Makah Whaling >Commission, >had never heard of the Greens, but welcomes their support of Makah >violence. >For those of us who do not share Johnson's ignorance of the party that >was >supposed to be a true alternative to government by and for the >exploiters, >witnessing the Green Party support the greed, lies, and cruelty of this >hunt >is a sad spectacle. > >The Makah have attempted to justify this slaughter because Native >Americans >were historically victims of genocidal crimes by Europeans, who stole >their >homes, decimated their culture, and took their lives without remorse. >This >is, indeed, a shameful part of our history and needs to be addressed and > >atoned for, but not by repeating these crimes against those entirely >innocent of any complicity, the whales. The Makah Whaling Commission are >a >gang of bullies. Instead of aiming their justified rage at those who >have >exploited their people and learning a lesson in compassion from having >been >victims, they follow the example of their exploiters - exploit and kill >those who cannot defend themselves. To deflect criticism of this >hypocrisy, >they label those dedicated to stopping the circle of violence as >racists. >Are the Makah so blinded by their plundering that they cannot see that >if we >were all transported back in time, the present animal advocates would >have >been the ones risking their lives to save, not just animals, but Native >Americans, while the Makah Whaling Commission would have been Custer's >allies, committing violence in the name of tradition? What does it >matter if >tradition is killing indigenous people in the name of white culture or >killing whales in the name of Makah culture? The mind-set is the same, >only >the victims differ. > >Winona LaDuke has disgraced everything for which the Greens are supposed >to >stand. The Green presidential ticket is no longer a viable alternative >to >Gore/Bush. While LaDuke makes a distinction between commercial and '' >traditional'' slaughter of whales, to the whales it does not matter if >it is >a Makah or a Japanese/Norwegian/Icelander who mercilessly kills her or >her >family. LaDuke also conveniently ignores the commercial whale killers >backing of the Makah, as they know this will lead to a resumption of >commercial killing of whales. LaDuke has stooped to lies (such as that >the >slaughter is IWC approved), despite the fact she is in possession of the > >facts, to support an action that cannot be defended. > >For whale killing to even be a topic of debate (let alone considered >desirable) by ANY people in the 21st Century, let alone the Green Party, > >demonstrates how little humans have evolved. > >Since LaDuke supports tradition, ethics be damned, I can assume she also > >supports female circumcision, the killing of women for the crime of >having >been raped, the caste system in India, and the multitude of other >atrocities >committed in the name of tradition. To continue to cause suffering and >death >because it has always been done or, in the case of the Makah, to revive >long >dead moral crimes which we had hoped most humans had evolved beyond, >cannot >be justified on any grounds. Another LaDuke attempt at justification is >that >the whale killing is the ''law of the land''. Thank goodness for people >with >the intelligence and morals to distinguish between legal and ethical or >we >would still have slavery and child labor in this country. > >LaDuke said that Greens must tolerate diverse views or their numbers >will >not grow (apparently tolerating the views of those opposed to mindlessly > >causing suffering and death are not included here). Brent McMillan, >facilitator of the Washington State Greens, stated there is no way he >was >going to let a little thing like massive cruelty against whales split up >the >unholy coalition between Greens and whale killing tribes. May I suggest >that >he also not let minor matters like racism, sexism, or corporate greed >stand >between the Greens and conservative Republicans. If the Greens choose to > >appeal to the lowest common denominator to assure support of their >party, >they should, logically, go all the way. > >To give higher value to a ''tradition'' (one not needed for survival) of >one >culture over the very lives of individuals of another maintains the >present >hierarchy responsible for all of our preventable woes: white men at the >top, >animals at the bottom, with the top and everyone in between victimizing >the >animals. By supporting the hunt, the Greens are propping up the unjust >power >pyramid, instead of using their energy and supposed intelligence and >ethics >to topple it. Maintaining that animals exist only to support the greed >of >those above the animals on the pyramid keeps the pyramid strong and >assures >the continuation of all the other power inequalities within the pyramid. > >Shame on Winona LaDuke and the Green Party for their complicity in >politics >as usual. > >Do you think LaDuke and McMillan would have had the audacity to tell >Green >supporters that even though the rights of women or blacks were excluded >from >the Green platform that we should be happy to agree on ''75 percent of >the >issues''? While the excluded group, the animals, don't vote, those of >who >are committed to justice DO vote, and the Greens have, with the support >of >this slaughter, lost all claim to being a morally superior alternative >to >politics as usual. John Hagelin, anybody? > >Susan Gordon >New Jersey >***** > _______________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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