Posted on 06/13/2004 4:27:40 AM PDT by oceanperch
Indians trying to save their reputation 10:42 PM PDT on Friday, June 11, 2004 By PAT McREYNOLDS / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash.
Native Americans are fighting back after federal agents raided 12 tribal smokeshops earlier this week. Shop owners didn't like their businesses being mentioned in the same sentence as Al-Qaeda.
Just as motorists cross into Tacoma on I-5, a new sign blinks in to view that says: "We are not terrorists. We are American Indians. We have been fighting terrorism since 1492." KING
"We are not terrorists. We are American Indians. We have been fighting terrorism since 1492." Patrons of the Emerald Queen Casino couldn't help but comment as they walked by. "I couldn't believe they put something like that up there," said one. "To me, it looks like an over-reaction," said another.
The owner of Lyle's Smokeshop authored the sign in response to a massive raid by customs agents earlier this week when they seized cash and thousands of cigarettes from 12 stores on the same day that the government announced a crackdown on cigarette smuggling and its ties to terrorism.
Those claims touched off a demonstration by smokeshop employees. David Turnipseed owns BJ's, another shop raided by federal agents.
"I think most people know that we're not terrorists. I think everybody knows that's a crock, that's just an excuse to get in the door," he said.
He even claims to have documents proving the cigarettes seized had already passed through customs. "It was bogus. It's a way in the backdoor to try and break the Native Americans," he continued.
Customs officials still have no comment on the raids, and even though many were put off by the message on the reader board, none of them felt their neighbors are funneling money to Al-Qaeda.
The sign is not owned by the casino and has nothing to do with it, and the message has done very little if anything to slow down Friday night business.
The raids took place on Tuesday and so far, customs agents have not charged any of the shops with a crime.
And you stick with your ethnic identificaiton even though it's putting other WA people out of business illegally and unfairly.
Level playing fields?LOL. A myth.Buisness is war.We send aid to countries who use our money against us in buisness.Industrial espionage. States compete for manufactoring plants by offering tax incentives. Read Crichtons Red Sun Rising(the book not the movie)There is no level playing fields anywhere. Its all about competition and some Indians are using resources given to them to make a buck and now "some" people don't like it.
I can see you know what the score is in your neck of the woods.
You didn't address what I said. You said "Indians didn't help... ... build modern America" and I gave you a SPECIFIC example of where Indians DID help Build modern America.
Your reply had nothing to do with that, and everything to do with Casinos.
You missed the point, but I'm beginning to see that you never will get the point. So why bother?
I told you I was in a agreement, Libertina. Did you not see where I said that more than once?
So what are you waiting for? Lobby the legislature to change the STATE law that says you can't have a casino....
Because what they ae doing is against the law. It is not a matter of changing a law, it is a matter of pressuring the rats to uphold the ones we have. And the reason for my post is to inform people so that they will do just that. Sheesh.
NO, I might have missed that in the melee ;)
What about the hourse racing tracks in Delware that are the only businesses in that state to have casinos? And that was pushed through by Republicans far more than Democrats.......nothing to do with Indians, but everything to do with a special interest greasing the right palms......regardless of party.
What is against the law? Indians having Casinos, while non-Indians can't? Is that what you are saying?
Would it be in bad taste for me to mention that it was one of our greatest presidents, Ronald Reagan, who signed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allowed Indian Nations to have Casinos? Are you saying that Reagan violated the law? That he violated the constitution?
One large reason Blacks were brought as slaves was because Indian refused to work for the white man. Indians much preferred the reservation. The Indian contribution to building modern America isn't very big. I never said it was zero. Black slaves and blacks after slavery did a lot more. So did all the dispossessed, treated like scum at home, Europeans who immigrated here.
Individual states have been using some very "creative" latitude when "interpreting" law. I don't believe reservations have helped Indians. And some of this casino junk is seeming more and more like mafia action. No accountability, closed books. I have had business owners calling my office an begging for help because of the smoking ban. They are losing businesses that they have owned for 20 years... thanks to our "helpful" government sending their customers to the rez. It breaks my heart.
This hit a nerve with me. When I lived in Wisconsin, a federal judge gave the Chippewa Indians the right to hunt, trap and fish on all of the northern half of Wisconsin and as I remember Minnesota. They are allowed to go on to private land and public lakes and harvest game and fish however and whenever they like. I think it was something like if you are 1/16th Chippewa then you have these rights.
They went back to their traditional ways of fishing. They speared breeding walleyes, northern pike, muskies, and bass during the breeding season at night. Except rather than use flaming torches for light, they use power generators and spotlights. The breeding fish (trophy size) populations in some lakes were all but wiped out. The bag limits were then severly lowered for sportsmen and the resort business was decimated.
I thought "All men are created equal" in this country.
Ummm... You are correct in saying that blacks were used as slaves because the indians refused to work as slaves, but not because they preferred the reservation - there were no reservations when slavery began.
Nice try, though.
But hey, indians have fought and died for this country EVEN WHEN THEY WERE NOT CITIZENS, NOR ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. They helped build modern america by working the high steel, the women left the reservations during the world wars to work along side everyone else while their men were off fighting...
But yeah, we had little to do with the building of modern america, but everyone else did because we lazy savages are so wretched and pathetic.
Yes, in bad taste. Didn't remember that. Still don't agree and it certainly doesn't sound good. Anway, a new proposition (not change to the constituion) will be on the ballot this September and I sincerely hope it passes and rectifies some of this. Of course you know the saying: The definition of government is an organization that sees something that is not a problem, identifies it incorrectly as a problem, then applies the wrong solution ;)
Comcast and Bell South are gougers and monopolists when it comes to my overpriced internet access. Comcast has a monopoly on cable TV where I live. Everyone wants a sure bet, a sure thing, a monopoly. The secret wet dream of all capitalists is not greater market share, but monopoly
Due to guilt ridden liberals and Democrat party lawyers, many tribes now have monopoly gambling status in many states.
Yeah, pretty helpful, our government ;) BTW, awesome tagline!
Well, the reason Reagan had that law before him was because of that little thing in the constitution that says that COngress has the power "To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes"... That made the question of Indian Casinos a federal question.
For evryone else, it is a state question. Which is why New Jersey and Nevada have non-indian gaming, right? See my point? There really is no unfairness, expect on the part of state and county government which is doing it's best to screw all of us. They can't screw the tribes, though, and it pisses them off. So, they become a scapegoat and you, my friend, are buying into it.
Let's go after the states and counties that pass bad regulations and laws, rather than being misdirected against others. THAT is my point. :0)
I can tell you that Chad is the hardest working, smartest guy. Lots of bad results come from our government's best intentioned (or not) plans. I think the rez has been a bad idea from day one, but hey, I'm not an Indian.
SO, let's go after the states that do this then. Indian Gaming is a Federal issue due to Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. For everyone else it is a state issue. No unfairness, but rather constitutional.
Let's take back the states and make a level playing field instead. :)
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em
Why do you think I don't live on the rez? Hell, the Bill of Rights doesn't even apply there! It wasn't until congress (as is their right and duty) passed the Indian Bill of Rights act that things got somewhat better...
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