PRIDE IN YOUR WAY?

It's interesting that I have asked several people, including my own adult children, to compose an apology to the First Nations of the American Continent for the grossest atrocity, the biggest genocidal incident in the entire history of mankind, yet still no apologies are forth coming.

COMPASSION? MERCY? LOVE? PEACE ON EARTH TO ALL MEN? LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF?

Do WE, of European ancestry, who have all this innocent blood on our hands, or should I say IN the earth of "our" lands, feel that we have no reason to apologize because we didn't commit the acts of violence with our own hands? Are we really just too proud of the country we now call our own, we just can't truly admit that it wasn't really a "new world" that Columbus discovered, it's easier just to close our eyes and pretend it didn't happen because it isn't affecting US at this moment? Or maybe we are afraid we'll have to give something back if we admit the wrong. Maybe we are afraid of reality. Many of us are living in denial from day to day anyway, about lots of things in our lives that would make us uncomfortable if we faced them square on, maybe it's in our genes to do rotten things to people or allow them to do them to us, and just ignore it, pretend it isn't so bad, let it drift away into our busy lives.

Facing reality takes guts. Seeing things for what they REALLY are takes real courage. Acting upon reality, taking a stand, having honor, or apologizing for something our ancestors did to another group of people so we could have what we have now, takes people with eyes to see and hearts to feel. I'm not so sure how much heart is left us. Our ancestors were murderers. Those who weren't physically involved none-the-less did nothing to stop the tragedy. Justified by obtain and possess, justified by greed and selfishness, justified by a RELIGION that made any non-Christian a non-human being, good only as a slave or to be killed, all our pretty pilgrims can't possibly be butchers! They believed the lies and propaganda and hardened their hearts to the slaughter, rape, smallpox genocide of children, and the theft of almost all the land that belonged to another people. The hearts grew cold. We inherited those genes. If we cannot see how cold-hearted we have become, it's because we don't have eyes to see or ears to hear or hearts that feel.

An apology on this blog is the little effort we can make to alleviate the suffering of other human beings who suffered under the hands of our ancestors. Maybe if you'll take a little time from your busy schedule to THINK about these things and spend a few minutes of your life to write an apology from your heart, maybe your heart will be healed in the process. Maybe the process of the effort will create a closer identification with the suffering of others and increase compassion in this cold world. I can only offer you the vehicle. You need to make this a priority or not. I cannot do it for you.

On behalf of all First Nation peoples, I again ask you to share your sorrow, your feelings and your apology. Thank you.