I came across a Feb. 1 Kent Reporter, “For the good of all, leaders need to act like adults.”
This looks interesting, I thought to myself, so I started reading the article. However, after reading the third paragraph I stopped. I had a problem with what I just read. When the author of the article stated unequivocally the following: “Both groups either yelled at each other or threw racial slurs and mocked the Native American gathered to protest the injustice done to them and their ancestors.” Both groups?
Is it a known fact that the students did any of those things? Not one of the videos that I have seen, and I have seen several, showed the students those actions (mocking or saying racial slurs) stated in the article.
The young man, that the elder approached while beating his drum, showed great poise, especially having someone stand that close to you, basically in your face, and not respond to that encounter. If the student had turned his back to the Native American, or walked away, the student most likely would have been labeled rude or worst, that’s my opinion. Probably any action taken by that student, the media and those believe in the infallibility of the media, would have interrupted as “inappropriate” just as was his standing still.
When did the students mock the Native American? As a Native American elder I have heard racial comments. If the author of the article is inferring that when the students were chanting with the beating of the drum as mocking, he must not know much about our culture. We have no problem when someone sings with us.
To repeat the title of the article, “For the good of all, leaders need to act like adults.” Good title. In my estimation, the young man did act like an adult, but how did the media portray him? Articles that continue to perpetuate unfounded accusations, even if that was not the intent, is still distasteful.
Maybe the rest of the article did not contain any misleading statements, I do not know. But based on the one about the demonstrators I felt that this probably would not be the case. So, I closed the paper and filed it in the trash/recycle container.
– Joe Marks
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