Shusli and I have made over the years that vegans seem to accept the story of Paul Watson without question. Kind of like "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
I have met some very awesome vegan types. We met some in the summer (who are no longer vegan) and I've known of one other who are the ONLY vegans I have personally met or been in contact with that do not consider themselves far above god simply because of their dietary choice.
I do not seem to be able to post a comment on indy media. Shusli and I both allege that we have been censored by Portland Indy Media who claimed in the past that they do not censor. For some reason, I do not seem to be able to make a comment to the forum from this computer and have asked that the author of the post in an e-mail to post a comment I have made.
This is a comment I have read on Indy Media that I will quote here from the comment section of the post of the e-law dual between Paul Watson and Ward Churchill in March of '99:
| Missing authentication of venorating evidence for Paul's "Nativity" | 26.Dec.2009 01:04 |
| Vegan Cabal | link |
Hello Jim, Thanks for commenting about this. Someone I spoke with who previously was a Sea Shepherd crew member saw the photos from Wounded Knee that Paul talks about. She affirmed Paul's story and we laughed because we've been fighting for liberation and sovereignty more determinately every day to live. That is a powerful force, to save our grace and satisfaction into the indeterminate ending. A sentiment that "there is absolutely no excuse to not set them loose" nails another clincher on the coffin of abusive industries in modernized concentration camps for "fur-wearing" beasts of the wild, all creative opulence beckoning early releases from hellish lamentation. ...
For some reason, the mysterious Paul Watson at Wounded Knee photos never seem to be shown but to a simple few. Why aren't these photos posted on the internet and circulated throught the Netosphere? Could it be because that maybe, possibly, could be, that there are Wounded Knee vets, folk who were actually there, who would see those alleged photos and refute them? Maybe? Hmm? Why is it that no one who was there (including the dozen or so "actual" WKII vets who were there that I personally asked) recall such the great and glorious Jesus Christ like savior of the "buffalo of the sea" Paul Watson. I mean somebody who claims such greatness as a white man honoring Indians and being the one and only Jesus Christ of the whales, Paul Watson, should be remembered by MANY if not ALL of the WKII vets, wouldn't you think? Tell me, military combat vets, I have heard that your memories are rather clear about the people around you at the time of combat. If that is true, wouldn't you think that during a 72 day seige where Paul Watson claims that he played many important roles and was allegedly given the name "Greywolf Clearwater" would be remembered by his comrades, especially considering his self-proclaimed heroics? Don't you think, military combat type vets? I think.
Now here is my more important point:
A friend of mine said he found a website where non-Indian folk talk about how great Indian stuff is, like sweating and "four-directions" and Love of nature, blah, blah, blah...WHATVER! So my buddy made a post on their stating that Indianness isn't a few momentary glimpses by non-Indians into our ceremonies. He said in a big part, it is about making community. These folk asked what they could do then. So, he told them all about the issues of what is going on with the Crow Creek in the IRS land grab and what is happening to their people from the power company and just exactly how they can help. What he has received since has been...silence.
Indians are for the most part only as important to non-Indians as to what meaning they have in the lives of said non-Indians. For example, if the self-proclaimed Jesus Christ of the whales, Paul Watson, was at Wounded in '73 during the seige and actually did do the heroics which he claims to have done and no one who was actually there seems to be able to corroborate, then listen to how he tells the story. It is not told like it is a plight of Indians against a far more fearsome and better armed power illegally occupying there land and supporting an illegal puppet government to the death and detriment of MANY Indian people. Paul Watson tells the story in how it enhances the true greater story, the story of Paul Watson.
Paul Watson is not the only person guilty of this type of behavior. Shusli and I see it all of the time all over the place. It happens great and small. There are also many non-Indian folk who do honest work to help indigenous people. How often do you hear their stories? Not often. Why? Because, oddly, they don't make it about themselves. Indigenous life does not become an accessory to their lives, like a turquoise bracelet or genuine Indian beaded necklace. It is not about how great they are for helping us Indians, it is about humanity and struggles for justice along side the Indian. Not so with Paul Watson's story. Listen to it.
And as far as being supportive of "liberation and sovereignty," but only for cute fuzzy animals, what about the liberation and sovereignty of the Crow Creek? Lab rats? Women? The plants you eat? The oceans? The homeless? All Indians? Poor white folks? Blacks? The middle class? Oh, that's right, it is not your specific narrow minded scope and definition of what "liberation and sovereignty" are. Thus, you being vegan and far superior to all other non-vegans and spirits and all other forms of life cannot be wrong in your own personal narrow minded scope. You are just too holy for the liberation and sovereignty of anything beyond your simple narrow focus.
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