Massacre at Sand Creek...Will Humanity ever Change.?

[Stuart G]

Eight Days ago, a friend of mine brought up this topic, Sand Creek, in a discussion group.
... Those who know of it, know..........For those who don't...
It was indescribable horror of the cavalry massacre at Sand Creek
upon innocent, helpless Native Americans.
For some reason this thought came to me today. Will man ever change?
Are we better now?

[uppityperson]

1. Sand Creek was atrocious. I think humans have not evolved socially or emotionally as far as they

have technologically. I know Sand Creek massacre was not high tech, beyond having guns which was higher tech than the NA's had, but still.

Will mankind change fast enough to survive itself? I don't know, have wondered this myself.

[Stuart G]

3. I think that there is hope, but.

I must agree with you. Will mankind change fast enough to save himself? I don't know. Perhaps the election of Obama is a good first step, but will that be enough considering the hole we are in? I guess that there is always hope.

[Democrats_win]

2. WW 1 Christmas truce shows the possibilities. Leaders are a problem though.

The WW1 Christmas truce when the brutal Trench Warfare stopped for one day while enemies celebrated is a great story.

An Author on the subject points out that leaders, who were in Chateaus twenty miles away at the time, had units redeployed so that the war could continue.

[happyslug]

4. And in Subsequent Christmases ordered Artillery fire on enemy trenches

Useless artillery fire, except to keep the Germans in their trenches so they could NOT mix with French and British Troops. Please note the pope at that time, Pope Benedict had worked for a Christmas truce that he hoped would be extended to a full time truce, he efforts were viewed with succession by both sides whose leadership wanted to carry on the war. Thus the leadership of both sides viewed the actions of the troops in acting as if a truce had been declared with alarm, the troops were NOT waiting for Orders but willing to act on their own.

[Stuart G]

5. A while ago ..

I posted about Jimmy Carter's contribution in eliminating a disease. So there is hope
.. Then we read about the U.S condoning torture and rendition..often of totally innocent people, who were in the wrong place. Even those guilty do not deserve this.
Yet we move on. That is the past now. The future is unknown.

[NOW tense]

6. Humans are always capable of the lowest imaginable.

We are that way because we have always been capable of convincing our selves that others are lower life forms then us. We attach labels to ourselves and believe those labels are greater then someone else's' labels. We trick ourselves into dehumanizing others so we can justify killing them or treating them poorly. Until we are capable of seeing everyone as just people trying to get through this existence, we will commit crimes against humanity.

Isn't that why we come up with racial slurs? Isn't that why Right Wingers use the word Commie? Isn't that why some people have been brainwashed into thinking that gay marriage will destroy the world? We do it all the time. We vilify, we separate from the people we vilify, and then get scared of them and kill them.

[Hawkowl]

7. Homo Sapiens?

No. If humanity survives long enough to evolve, we will be another species. Just like Bonobos are different than Chimpanzees. Right now the Chimps of humanity are winning.

[NOW tense]

9. Great answer I like it.

[happyslug]

8. The Colonel of the regiment that "fought" Sand Creek was later Court Martial

He tried to run for higher office but Sand Creek kept coming out and he lost those races. He was court martial, but the Court had to dismiss the case for he had resigned from the army and with that resignation all Jurisdiction of the army over him ended (This would remain the rule till the 1980s when Congress would change it, permitting the Military to call back into service personnel whose had resigned or enlistment had run out). The Judge of the Court Marital and the member of the Court Marital all held him liable but the law was the law and they had to dismiss the case do to the fact he had resigned his commission. The State of Colorado never brought criminal charges against the Colonel, probably do to its popularity in Colorado, but the commander never held elected office afterward (And even had to give up his lay minstrelsy by the Methodist Church do to his actions at Sand Creek, which was the only reprimand he ever received from any official organization).

[Traveling_Home]

10. Killer Angels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRB2dGI1vRM

Gettysburg: The "Killer Angels" Monologue

[Stuart G]

11. Almost 40 years ago, I learned about Ibo Tribe genocide in Nigeria..

It dawned on me then, mankind had not improved much since the Holocaust. Sadly, since then, there has been Cambodia, 1974, and Serbia. and too many others. I learned about the Japanese Massacre in China..I think it was l936 or 7, and this massacre at Sand Creek. I later taught the book "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" to Juniors in High School.
Perhaps Dylan was right.."when will we ever learn..."