SB> I guess the DC is close to being *white american* culture, but I don't
 SB> think all whites belong there.  And many non-whites do. But it's
 SB> backbone is European immigrants and their descendents.  As a matter of
 SB> fact, its backbone is probably western European immigrants and their
 SB> descendents.
 
 SB> The DC is what most of the people in this country tend to believe.  It
 SB> is the culture of the *average Joe* American.
 
 Between you and Jim I understand now.  I think...  :) 
 
 KS> I don't understand what you mean by "a different concept of history".
 SB> I do not believe that God ordained the white Americans to steal all
 SB> the land from the Indians from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast,
 SB> for example.  The correct term for that, by the way, is "manifest
 SB> destiny", and it is taught in many history books.  
 
 Yes.  And I think it is up to parents as well as schools to teach 
 the other point of view.  I also do not agree with manifest destiny.
 Methinks religion is often used as a cover for our sorry behinds.
 I wonder what "God" thinks about that.  The worst cruelties, imo, are
 often perpetrated under the guise of "religion".  I understand how
 some people have a lot at stake by hiding behind their religion.
 
 SB> I don't think of Custer as a hero.  
 
 That's no surprise.   
 SB> I know that most Indians lived on farms and in towns
 SB> when the white man came over, and were not nomadic.  
 
 Although I've read this somewhere before, I had forgotten it.  I
 can see where a movie made about attacking a people that could be
 viewed in such a setting (farm and town) as essentially "civilians"
 would not be good box office draw.  I can readily see why books
 written about Indians would necessarily also fall into this
 category.  And I can see how movies and books like these would
 help to obfuscate the issues.
 
 
 It's interesting to note that it's easy for me to be more objective 
 from my relative standpoint of safety, as I perceive it.  I'm 
 sitting in my house and at my computer, unafraid that I'll be
 attacked and have it taken away from me.  Would I be so open-minded
 and "charitable" if I perceived the tables were in danger of being 
 turned?  I doooon't thiiiink sooooo.....   I *do* understand
 some of what's going on here, Sondra, inside and outside of me. :)
 SB> Indians who were not only literate; they had libraries that 
 SB> rivaled the libraries of Europe.  
 
 I had *no* idea!  I knew about the literacy.  
 But, I didn't know about the libraries.  Wow!  Cool!!!
 SB> The Spaniards took great pride in burning those
 SB> libraries to the ground.
 Unspeakable loss. 
 
 SB> Many kids in the DC are taught about manifest destiny, that Indians
 SB> were nomadic, and that we were all pre-literate.
 Makes sense.  Why raise a passle of kids to know the truth.  I know   
 about hiding/burying guilt.
 
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30 [NR]
--- QScan/PCB v1.19b / 01-0462
---------------