Red Lake: "Today, I speak as a father."
From Floyd Jourdain, the Red Lake Tribal Chairman
"Last week I spoke on behalf of the Red Lake Nation as its leader and a saddened member of this community. Today, I speak as a father. As many of you are aware, my son Louis has been charged in association with the shootings that occurred here last week. My heart is heavy as a result of the tragic events that unfolded here at our Nation. But it is with optimism that I state my son Louis' innocence. He is a good boy with a good heart who never harmed anyone in his entire life. I know my son and he is incapable of committing such an act."
Read the rest of his statement at http://www.floydjourdain.com/
"Last week I spoke on behalf of the Red Lake Nation as its leader and a saddened member of this community. Today, I speak as a father. As many of you are aware, my son Louis has been charged in association with the shootings that occurred here last week. My heart is heavy as a result of the tragic events that unfolded here at our Nation. But it is with optimism that I state my son Louis' innocence. He is a good boy with a good heart who never harmed anyone in his entire life. I know my son and he is incapable of committing such an act."
Read the rest of his statement at http://www.floydjourdain.com/
posted by The Marigold Trail at 5:26 PM
4 Comments:
What do you think of this?
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1499202/20050329/index.jhtml?headlines=true
How does MTV get access?
I am not sure how I feel about the fact that the national news hasn't covered this tragedy with the gusto that they have given similar tragedies. Part of me wants to say, "That was such a horrible tragedy but the country just doesn't seem to care!" but part of me says, "It's good that it wasn't over-publicized so that the people there don't have to go through more stress." I also think that limiting the publicity will keep these kinds of crimes from becoming a way to get notoriety.
I think I have mixed feelings about the lack of media coverage.
One side of me feels like Indian lives don't count as much as white suburban lives in Littleton, CO. (Yes, the cynical realists among us know this is true, but bear with me.)
The other side of me is glad that this didnt become a media circus.
I am afraid that the first part of me is winning out in the long run. There is a price to be paid in garnering media attention to your tragedy, but there are also benefits, including a heightened profile of your issues, and in the case of Indians, our very existence in modern day America. I just hope that this time next year people won't be saying, "Oh yeah, Red Lake. What was that about again?"
Yeah, I think that is true too. But considering the huge amount of misinformation and prejudice/stereotyping out there about Native Americans, I would be afraid that the news coverage would take completely the wrong angle. I think CNN does a fairly good job of keeping the sensationalism down and telling the story from the point of view of the people that it happened too, but even they get it wrong sometimes.
Post a Comment
<< Home