Disappointing a Fan

In retirement, I've become a paid op-ed columnist for Indian Country Today.  I've been unable to land a similar gig anywhere near my home in Texas. Whether my inability to get a Texas gig is about politics or about my poor writing, it would not be appropriate for me to say.

Anyway, I get fan mail all the time. I try not to ignore it, but sometimes I get overwhelmed when a particular column strikes a nerve.

I just got the following missive, apparently not related to any particular column of mine:

I’ve found you to be one of the more sensible columnists in INDIAN COUNTRY and the most accessible, as I found your e-mail address in the 9/7/11 issue.

My question to you is: Why haven’t the Native Americans in general and INDIAN COUNTRY in particular been more proactive and made their voices heard on the immigration issue? It seems to me that if I was a voice of a people who were experiencing unemployment rates of up to 85% in some places; I would be expressing my opinions on the matter.

As you recall, during the 1700’s and later, Europeans immigrants increasingly encroached on your fore-fathers-and-mothers lands. This was because England wanted the increase the white population as it put more money in their pocket and helped protect them from the French. Actually the colonists welcomed immigrants even more that the Brits. Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence (hey it is the 4th of July) that one of his grievances against King George was: “He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.”

Have a nice day,

We talk about the anti-immigrant nonsense all the time.

How discrimination against brown people affects us.

How laws aimed at "foreign" languages hit our languages.

How the xenophobic bastards who trade politically on hatred of differentness are our blood enemies.