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To: Lane3 who wrote (2422)	3/13/2002 10:14:49 AM
From: J. C. Dithers	Respond to of 21057

We feel guilty that US settlers wiped out the Native Americans... Sorry, Karen, but I can't let that casual (and astonishingly sweeping) statement stand unchallenged. For openers, the Lewis and Clark expedition to "discover" the West presented the first opportunity for plains Indians and tribes further west to lay eyes on a white man. Of the many dozens of tribes encountered by L & C (an expedition which sought no confrontation), the great majority were hostile and threatening from the start. Indian predations became a constant danger to the expedition. Moreover, those few peaceful tribes that were encountered lived in constant fear of the stronger and more aggressive tribes. Later, the building of the trans-continental railroad (which opened the west to settlement) was constantly plagued by Indian raids. Many hundreds of surveyors, engineers, track-layers and the like were slain, and frequently tortured and mutilated. As settlers followed the railroad's progress west, they too became frequent victims of murder, kidnapping, and rape at the hands of aggressive Indian warriors. None of these whites came west seeking any confrontation with Indians. Unless you believe that a couple of million stone-age people roaming over countless of millions of square miles of territory, with few if any permanent settlements, were entitled to claim ownership of half a continent, and defend it with unprovoked violence against any and all intruders of a different skin color ... there was no possible justification for this relentless campaign of hostility. There was no intent by the white man to "wipe out" Native Americans. There was no need for that. There was a need to subdue hostile Indians, and, as in every war, sometimes that led to excesses.

To: Lane3 who wrote (2422)	3/13/2002 7:26:23 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 21057

One of my problems with the whole "axis of evil" notion, aside from the questionable definition of "evil"" is that I've always thought of an "axis" as something involving nations that are allies, or are at least coordinating their activities. I don't see any such thing in this case: the idea of Iran and Iraq as allies is of course absurd, and I don't see N. Korea being very closely connected to either of them. I wonder if you - or anyone - could link me to any credible argument justifying the pursuit of a war against Iraq. I haven't seen one and honestly can't imagine what it would be, so I'm curious. I just can't see why some people seem so eager to go into a situation like that.