Near-Sighted
(In response to Danny O’Connor’s Sept. 8 column “Forgotten History.”)
In your editorial piece concerning the My Lai massacre, Mr. O'Connor ?asked the reader to look across the oceans for examples of atrocities ?committed on people by America soldiers.
Why look so far away when ?similar events occurred within the U.S.?
In 1862, over 30 Dakota (Sioux) men hung in Mankato, Minnesota, as ?punishment, in the largest mass execution in American history. The ?Dakota sold nearly all their land in exchange for a promise of regular ?food rations, and annuities necessary for survival, yet completely ?withheld for several months. With the approach of winter and close to ?starvation, the hungry Dakota people raided supply stores.
In December of 1890 the U.S. Cavalry opened fire on Native people ?encamped at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota in the process of ?surrendering their weapons, resulting in the death of close to 300 ?men, women and children. The cavalry shot many victims in the back ?as they ran away. The wounded were left to freeze to death in the ?harsh northern Plains winter. ?Mr. O'Connor mentioned scalping in My Lai. Where did those U.S. ?Soldiers get the idea for scalping, or cutting out tongues? During the ?19th century, scalping, cutting off tongues, ears, or noses of Native ?people was a common method of trophy or bounty collecting. The point ?being, we need not look to the Vietnam War for examples of war ?atrocities. The same events occurred in our own history. That is what ?our generation has "very little, if any, knowledge of."
Matthew Robinson ?Sr.
Student
