Indigenous Peoples' March Washington, DC

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Good on Nathan Phillips for maintaining his composure & responding to mocking, taunts, jeers, and that kid's smug look that's competing with Martin Shkreli for the world's most punchable face with music and singing instead of escalating by returning insults or getting physical. That's why Nathan Phillips is being praised for his restraint & composure in the face of adversity from multigenerational racists (racism is taught/learned) representing a religion (the one I am baptized in, FYI) that's done unimaginable harm to his people for hundreds of years. If only everyone could respond in song vs. hateful words or violence the world would be a much better place.

FYI, as per the article, it was the AIM song he was singing. While I am a small % of Native blood on my father's side, I'm unfamiliar with it so had to look it up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM_Song It's an intertribal song of no specific language intended to unite Indigenous people with a common cause. Extremely appropriate song to sing in the face of MAGA hat wearing racists, IMO. I hope I hear it live, in unity and protest against the colonizers & corporations that murdered over 100 Million Indigenous North Americans that continue to destroy the land, sea, and air. Maybe I'll get lucky and hear it live at a pipeline protest in the city. Or maybe I'll have to go to a Powwow with my sister & her family.

Just standing here, doin' nothing wrong...

Aside:

As a tall, strong, white presenting male.. I quite enjoy it when racist people say & do very racist things in my presence, expecting me to either ignore, condone, or support it. It's awesome when they're surprised that I defend whoever they're attacking & berate them in public for their words. Their victims are often surprised, too, which is sad. Unfortunately there's been an uptick in this behaviour here since trump took office South of the border. Fortunately it's happened in my presence a few times and I've had the opportunity to tell them to STFU & GTFO.

Except the guys in that picture are harassing and intimidating that man whilst the old guy was harassing and intimidating the kid.

One frail old man against a mob of MAGA teens? 200 years ago that old man's ancestors would have tied the kid to a tree by the feet and lit a fire under his head.

He Chose to walk into the crowd, he got in the kids face. What exactly did the kid do wrong?

Besides being a son of an as*hole, an admirer of a racist as*hole, and doing as*hole things to an historical victim of racists? Besides being a total hypocrite for claiming a connection to Jesus?

What as*hole things was he doing to "an historical victim of racists" ?

The old man got in his face banging his drum. The kid stood there and did nothing.

Does being "an historical victim of racists" mean you deserve special treatment in society?

As has been stated, Phillips was singing the American Indian Movement anthem. It is a song meant to express solidarity among the original inhabitants of this continent in the face of centuries of oppression. He was not "banging" on his drum in an attempt to intimidate those boys, he was showing incredible restraint that I seriously doubt I would have been able to. Privileged, conservative white boys from an all-male prep school crowding around an old man? Having the gall to chant "build that wall"--a wall which would be built on land their ancestors stole? They disgrace this nation, and they disgrace the Christian faith. Expulsion would be better than they deserve. Mental health or lack thereof cannot excuse their behavior.

They didn't crowd around him though he walked into their already existing crowd and then banging a drum in a kids face.

Not true that he did nothing. He was actively disrespectful. Respect isn't special unless apparently it's respect for non-whites.

The old man got in his face banging his drum. He literally did nothing. How is that disrespectful?

The old man disrespected him by getting in his face.

Sounds like an eye for an eye rather than turning the other cheek, even if you are correct.