For
those who defended Ted Nugent last month when he referred to his liberal and
Native American critics as “unclean vermin” who
“don’t qualify as people,” this latest round of incendiary remarks by the
conservative rocker should make anyone who did so regret it.
Despite
being under fire for his racist and hateful words, Nugent went on his Facebook
page to disparage Native
Americans again. On Thursday, Nugent wrote about a recent concert he had just
finished and then he attacked Native American protesters who were there.
“Simply astonishing gig!”
Nugent said. “4 stinkyass unclean dipshit protestors
(sic) that admitted they hate me AND ALL WHITE PEOPLE THAT STOLE THEIR LAND
BULLSHIT!!”
The protesters he was referring to were from the United Urban Warrior Society in Rapid City. James Swan, the founder of the society, is a Native American who has been calling on venues to cancel Nugent’s concerts. Swan is offended by what Nugent has said in previous weeks and says Nugent is offending Native Americans when he wears a headdress.
“The fact that he wears a Native headdress during his shows is very disrespectful, Swan said. “It’s something you earn in our culture, and it has meaning behind it.”
Nugent
would go on to reply to a comment made on his post, saying that Native
Americans should have smoked “less peyote” and did less “whoopin &
hollerin.”
So
basically, he says it’s “bullshit” that white people stole their land in one
breath, and then admits that white people were able to just shoot all the
Native Americans with their better weapons.
As
everyone should know, white people were not the original people on this
continent. For thousands of years, Native Americans ruled this land. They build
villages, cultivated a spiritual relationship with the environment, and had
healthy populations.
After
white men arrived on these shores, Native Americans were nearly wiped out by
disease and war.
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| Our local contribution - the Great Swamp Massacre where colonial troops from Connecticut and Massachusetts decimated the Narragansett Indian Tribe. Many of the survivors were sold as slaves, some to Charlestown original white settlers |
The
most infamous example of Native Americans being forced from their lands by
white people occurred in 1831 when Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and
Choctaw tribes were relocated from the southeastern United States to lands west
of the Mississippi River. Thousands perished as a result. This is known as the
Trail of Tears, which was caused by the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
It
was passed by white men, signed by a white man, and enforced by white soldiers.
Forced relocation of Native Americans also led to the Wounded Knee Massacre, in
which American troops killed hundreds of Lakota Indians in 1890. This is NOT
“bullshit,” it’s historical fact. All Nugent did is prove that he is as
ignorant as he is racist.
This
latest round of insults comes nearly a week after Nugent claimed during
an interview with Glenn Beck that “my lifestyle as a white guy…is more in the
Indian tradition than many of the Indians themselves.” You know, because going
on canned hunts, insulting every race you see, and crapping your pants to get
out having to be a warrior for your country is how Native Americans live their
lives. Did you know that? I must have missed that in history class.
Here’s
the video of that via Right Wing Watch.
Ted Nugent shamefully insults Native Americans as his defenders look the other way and attack those who want to make sure his despicable comments are known to the public. If he is allowed to go on spouting hate speech with no consequences, it only hurts the victims of his words further.
We should, and we do, care about the people Nugent is harming- even if others don’t. And as long as Nugent speaks, we will be there to cover it as long as it takes to make him finally shut his mouth.
Defending him is unconscionable and
Nugent only proves that every time he talks.