Guest Editorial Lisa Coppedge Free Speech
Free speech can be a double edged sword. It is vital that we maintain it now more then ever. Yet for each harmful thing we must be prepared to counter it. They say native people have not assimilated I think that is wrong. We have become less because we have lost sight of the values that made our nations great. We become full of self pity and have forgotten we are a warrior race.
This does not mean we must be violent or destructive. No it must mean that we stand up to the darkness that is threatening our nations. For each bit of dark speech produced we must counter with the wisdom of our elders past and present.
Native peoples have a choice. We can remain stoic and quiet or we can stand up and say this is wrong. We can say that the this country the world is entering a dark place and that we will not allow it to happen. We can show peace and love. We can show that we are not the painted savages that are mascots around the country. We are wise and connected to each other and Mother Earth. While Nazis and other spread hate we will spread the world of forgiveness and healing. We can not change the evil our people suffered. We can stop it from happening again. We can be as one voice to say stop. Bullies back down when they are confronted. You see free speech means we can say they are full of crap. We can use the sword to cut the feet out from under the racists.
Have Faith what you do matters. One step at a time and someday what was will be again. Look south and see 3 nations are once more in native hands. Look North and see Inuit and its potential. Native nations can and will arise again. We just have to believe it can be.
Keep up the good work,
Lisa Coppedge
Contents
March 2006 Reports
Last updated on March 12, 2006