Thursday, May 05, 2011

Onondaga Nation Leaders Blast 'Geronimo' Codename for Bin Laden

by Charles McChesney
The Post Standard
May 3, 2011

Onondaga Nation Territory -- Leaders of the Onondaga Nation blasted as “reprehensible” the code name used for Osama bin Laden in the commando assault that killed him: “Geronimo.”

“We’ve ID’d Geronimo,” U.S. forces reported by radio Sunday to the White House. Later, word came that “Geronimo” was dead.

Geronimo in 1887
Geronimo was an Apache leader in the 19th century who spent many years fighting the Mexican and U.S. armies until his surrender in 1886.

“Think of the outcry if they had used any other ethnic group’s hero,” the Onondaga Council of Chiefs said in a release Tuesday. “Geronimo bravely and heroically defended his homeland and his people, eventually surrendering and living out the rest of his days peacefully, if in captivity.”

“Geronimo is arguably the most recognized Native American name in the world,” the chiefs said, “and this comparison only serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes about our people.”

Read the article here.

Related links:

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chief offended by Bin Laden code name 'Geronimo' [The Post and Courier]
Bin Laden code-name “Geronimo” is a bomb in Indian country [Indian Country Today]
More on Geronimo [Legends of America.com]

Comment: The US can't untangle itself from its inherent racism even with a black man in the crack house.

I wonder just how many white Americans are even aware of the racist use of Geronimo's name in this context?

Onward!

5 comments:

desert demons said...

Good for them!!

Ridwan said...

Thanks DD.

Peace,
Ridwan

Eugene said...

When I first saw this, it pissed me off. It says to us Indians we are considered an enemy of the United States by simple virtue of our race. Of course, legally and morally in all shapes and forms, all of this land truly belongs to us and this alleged government is one of illegal occupation. Knowing that, deep down the U.S. hates us. They continue their oppression in many different forms and have ways of making it clear to us Indians that we are their enemy, maybe the truest enemy of all because they occupy our land.

The first thing Shusli told me when she found out about the alleged killing of Osama was "Wag the Dog." It was the burial at sea. C'mon! The the U.S. disgusting behavior around Saddam, if it were really Osama there would be much more fanfare.

Besides, if it were really him, here are a few other questions. How long does it take to build a replica of the compound for the U.S. military to play out it's practice runs? How long does it take to plan this type of action out? How long did the U.S. know he was there before its actual action (if he was truly there and any action actually took place)? Why was Osama staying in one place?

The U.S. planned its first illegal war with Iraq in 1990 for at least four years. Norman did 7 military exercises for an invasion of Iraq for four years. How long was the U.S. planning on this "Wag the Dog" action and how long were they planning their military adventure in Libya?

Ridwan said...

Eugene it is great to read you here again brother.

I would not be the only one to say that your voice is sorely missed in forums like this one!

I trust you and my sista Shushli are well.

Thank you for pointing out the racist weight of using Gernonimo's name and contextualizing it in the oppression that Indians face in occupied America.

Obama was a spent force. And I absolutely agree that he was used by the US and Pakistan.

Pakistan sold him out (but perhaps the US knew all along where he was).

He was unarmed (not expecting a change in fortune most likely).

It is all a damn scam and one that just shows the lengths the empire and its cronies will got to play its games (not forgetting that Osama was a creation of the CIA - like Saddam).

We live in troubled times brother!

Peace to you. Hope to catch up soon.

Onward!

Ridwan

Ridwan said...

Anonymous racist I know you looking to see if I am going to post your sickening foul mouth diatribes.

Your genocidal ancestors stole the land from the Indians. Deal with your racist history!

Why don't you just keep your head inside that white sheet and stay away from the blog?

Its been about two years out of your empty life since you started trolling here.

How pathetic is cracka life really?

If you were anything more than a coward you would make yourself known.

But that would take courage and conviction. You know, the sh*t your thieving ass can't even spell or comprehend .

Bubba you just another irrelevant cracka - your ignorant and racist comments won't be posted here.

Go burn you cross somewhere else.

Ridwan