apologies

[ron red eagle]

I know many of you could care less, or many will chastise me for this, hell, I may even be booted off here, but it is something I feel I need to do, and say, so bear with me before busting my chops please.

35 years and some months ago, I was born to a Portuguese person and a part Indian woman. As I was growing up, many of this mans mannerisms, ways of life and attitudes either were attempted to be instilled on me, or were successful. One of the many inconsequential statements he made, was the fact that the only true Americans were (these are his words) "Mexicans and wet***ks" At first, as a young kid, I agreed with him, every picture of every Indian and Hispanic person I saw, looked a lot alike. Every one of his prejudices were slammed into our brains (there were 3 of us) as kids and we grew up with them ingrained into our minds

Then I grew up and joined the military, and this is where my eyes were opened up. I learned different cultures, I learned different ways of life, I witnessed the true atrocities of all indigenous people around the world. Then I met my first Native American, and I have to admit, my *** was kicked because of the questions I asked and the prejudices I had. I also learned that many of the prejudices I had against the Indians, were in fact against myself because I am Native American blood. No, I am not full blooded, no I am not even half blooded, nor have I ever claimed such.

You see, I am a proud man, I am proud of my heritage, I am proud of my family and my children, but I am not proud of my father, nor what he did to us, or the things he said or his way of life.

I see many issues that arise today, that had I not gotten out on my own, I would have ignored them all, and one thing I really mean from the bottom of my heart..

I am sorry, I apologize deeply to each and every one of you, and my ancestors for the things I did in the past when I was growing up, until I learned my lesson.

beat me up, shoot me, ignore me, or hate me, do as you want, but this is something I feel I needed to say.

[Ginger]

Hey Ron I forgive you. it's really wasn't your fault it was your Father's. that's how you were raised. you were the smart one to figure out he was wrong.:D
how about your siblings do they think like you??

I was raised not to judge people, (it's kind of hard though cause so many people have such bad behavior) we have so many nationalities that it would be ignorant to be prejudice.
I'm not going to beat you up or shoot you, I might spank you though :Naughty

[ron red eagle]

My little sister.. she could careless.. she's in her own world and only likes who she does. My older sis.. yea, she's a good ole down to earth country girl that still lives in the city she was born in, has a boat load of kids (9 to be exact) but is happy. she feels like I do..

I am the first generation.. not the 2nd or the 3rd but the first. It all starts with me now, what happened in the past is the past, I can only move foward.

:) and hey, no spankins!!! :p

[Ginger]

:D :bouncy:
Good :Thumbs

[Wakalapi]

I advanced my timing by 6 degrees, turned out the idle mixture to 3 1/2 turns. Then I went in and had hot dogs and chili for lunch.

OH yeah Ron you said something about being chastised and booted?

[ojibwaysweetie]

Whatcha apologizin for? I don't get it.

[ron red eagle]

I'm apologizing for the way I was when I was much younger, and the way my father (whom I dont have any contact with) is and was.

they say you can tell who a man is by looking at his past and relatives, and that is what I am apologizing for.

There is a cherokee elder where I live, whom I love dearly, told me "Ron, you want to make amends for what you did as a kid and what your father said and did, the apologize, but not just to the ancestors, but to the living as well" And that is what I am trying to do now :)

Ron

[Dancin by the bay]

Ron;it takes a strong man to peacock like that. I was fortunate to have my folks open to the diversity of all people regardless of color or creed. You taking the right road in changing your own dad's views whether you know it or not. It's never too late to learn or change.;)
:agree?:

[Singing Eagle]

Originally posted by ron red eagle
I'm apologizing for the way I was when I was much younger, and the way my father (whom I dont have any contact with) is and was.

they say you can tell who a man is by looking at his past and relatives, and that is what I am apologizing for.

There is a cherokee elder where I live, whom I love dearly, told me "Ron, you want to make amends for what you did as a kid and what your father said and did, the apologize, but not just to the ancestors, but to the living as well" And that is what I am trying to do now :)

Ron

Hey man - you were a product of your upbringing - how could anyone not be? As long as you're not still behaving the way your father taught you to - you have nothing to apologise for!

[<_-~*No_nutts*~-_>]

Hey I know how you feel! I have a problem right now because I live in a community where there are lots of "wetb**ks" And I will talk sh** sometimes. But my husband's family, half of them are mexican and I was just talking to his stepbrother (who is mexican)and he (my husband) works with alot of mexicans that don't or barely speak english and we were talking about how unfair it was that Arnold wanted to give illegals driver license and what not. Well I said that's messed up but they were saying "Well how would you feel if you were so poor and you could cross the border and make money to feed your family and whatever...how would you feel? you would do it!" And it made me think. Although it makes me mad sometimes it made me think and alot of what they were telling me reminded of the rez about how poor people are sometimes and how people talk crap about natives on the rez and say we are nothing but a bunch of drunks and about how hard alot of us work to feed our families. It made me think BUT some of them are still illegals and those jobs they are taking are jobs that we could be havin! I don't know, I can feel for them but still.......I don't know how I should feel because the fact is some of them shouldn't be here but I feel for them because of their situation. But like I said , that's a job that I could be havin' even if it is less than desirable. :dontknow:

[Wakalapi]

No one should ever need to apologize for who they ARE or what they WERE. If you have something you DID that you feel you need to get off your chest, I respect and appreciate that. But never regret your own essence.

[Crazy_Cree_Chica]

Rock on Ron:)

[DANCINGEAGLE]

Hey Ron, you have nothing to apologize for. I respect you for posting on here and airing your feelings. I know that it was not easy but you did it.

I have told the people at my church, and others that I've talked to, and told them that children are products of their home environment. Sometimes a child will be the product of how their parents are. When a child sees and hears prejudice, that is what they grow up with. Sometimes a person will change from that attitude and sometimes they won't. It's all up to the individual.

Brother, I want you to know that all is forgiven. You have a big heart for doing this and that is admirable. It's funny how the military will change a persons perspective on life. I know it did for me.

:) : :) :)

[Crazy_Cree_Chica]

yup what they said..your a very strong person!!I admire that

[David Schneider]

Originally posted by Wakalapi
No one should ever need to apologize for who they ARE or what they WERE. If you have something you DID that you feel you need to get off your chest, I respect and appreciate that. But never regret your own essence.

Yo, yo; lighten up. As the economists say, everyone always maximises his (or her) utility. He apologized because it gave him pleasure. Let's all be happy! The pursuit of happiness is our constitutional right.

By the way, if I am not offended, can I accept an apology?