Controversial Topic

...as with all things these days.
But opinions have merit.

This arrived in my email this morning:

For many years with heart in hand

trying hard to understand.

In Indian eyes I see a blight

"Guilty"...'cause my skin is white.

I didn't take your land away

as you Native people say;

Someone did and that's a crime

but that was long before my time.

Just who of you can cry despair?

When not one of you were even there?

We are all victims of our race

with no control of what took place.

But I resent your attitude. Life's not fair, I will agree

but see your own hypocrisy!

You tell of living off the land,

how everything was made by hand.

You say that "Life" was best by far

then you brag about your latest car.

You claim the old ways were the best

(or so you've heard, would be my guess).

You sit and tell it all to me

while watching Hockey on T.V.

There's few of us, and lets’ not kid

who would live as our ancestors did.

In modern clothes you've made your mark

could you go back to wearing bark?

Is this not pure hypocrisy

to live and dress the same as me?

To cry "Get out! It's not your home"

then buy our Tupperware and Chrome.

I'm fed up trying to be sincere

to justify my being here.

Your sanctimonious act I doubt.

I dare you now to hear me out.

In my bewilderment, guilty awe

I've had you call me, "Damn White Squaw."

And then proceed in honey tone:

"Buddy, can I use your phone?"

As for pollution, White man's to blame -

(at least that's what you always claim).

And yet near your home, as there I strode

your garbage dumped beside the road!

This land will never be the same

we're mostly, but not all to blame.

If White man's presence is so grim

why try so hard to be like him.

There's those of you who bitch and frown

with every word you run us down.

You want the goods we represent

yet you blame us for your discontent.

You say you want the same as me:

"Equal Opportunity."

If you believe in what you say,

let's make it "Equal All The Way."

Let's settle first the quest at hand

this ardent issue of this land.

Like you, this country I revere.

like you, I too was born right here.

Next, so you'll be on par with Whites,

let's drop the special fishing rights.

All part of this equality:

one for you and one for me.

The "Baby Bonus" comes to you ,

you get an old age pension too.

And so the Bigots, can't compare

you'll want no more the free Health Care.

For Parity you will enhance

the Feds can keep their Native grants.

Equality is now in hand.

I wonder if you'll understand.

Licenses to hunt and trap, just like the Whites

if you insist on equal rights.

Cameras, T V's, fast Cars, too

are White man's toys, (to name a few?)

You want them all, and that's a fact,

so why don't you pay your income tax?

It's for the souls long dead and gone

the ones who really lost their home.

The ones so hurt when White man came

for them I humbly bear the shame.

I've said it all, I rest my case

I now can meet you face to face.

Recall this poem when next you say,

"The White Man took our land away."