Re: a form of affirmative action? (Re: oldest American skull found!

From: pwilson (pwilson78_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 10/15/04 

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 22:13:31 -0400

Erik A. Mattila emattila@oco.net wrote:
>pwilson wrote:
>> Tom McDonald tmcdonald2672@nohormelcharter.net wrote:

>>> Few of the treaties were completely and legally abrogated; thus
>>>they are still in effect. The theory under which these treaties
>>>were negotiated, that the tribes were sovereign nations, still
>>>holds today. To say that Indians 'have been granted extra
>>>rights such as exemptions from gambling restrictions and hunting
>>>and fishing regulations' because 'no one begrudges them enough
>>>to have them taken away' is legally nonsense, and historically
>>>foolish.
>>
>> But it is reality, whether you like it or not.
>
>You're categorically incorrect, pwil.

About what?

>Your argument is akin to saying
>"Because I have not murdered x amount of people, I have "granted" them
>the right to live." It doesn't wash.

It washes nicely. If one party to the treaty has no means of enforcing
the treaty, then the stronger party complies only through its benevolence
(or social conscience, if it has any). There is no other compelling
reason for the stronger party to comply, as has been shown by the US
government time and again over the years.

>Tom has blown your paternalistic ship out of the water.

Well, he tried, which is commendable. At least he had the balls to face
me like a man, instead of tagging onto the tail end of an ally's post
like some sniveling coward. Man, I hate cowards! I'll bet you had your
little sister fight your battles for you too.

Anyway, I am not arguing about the finer points of the legal status of
any treaties that might still apply. What I am saying is that compliance
is solely at the behest of the government. Those treaties that are still
in effect today were also in effect a hundred years ago, as has been
pointed out - but they weren't being respected by that same government.
The reason they are being respected now is that the political climate has
changed enough to allow the government to assume a more benevolent
posture.

>Go nurse your wounds.

My wounds? What is it with you, do you see this as some kind of a sick
game or something? To try to inflict "wounds" on others? My God, man,
you are not a debater, you are a social psychopath!

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