A part of the Struggle.

Native American/Indigenous issues get very little airtime, especially in Western Mass. I'm not sure why this is but it is. Native issues are as much a part of the social/economic justice struggle as anything else is.
I have been following "Six Nations" fight to prevent Officers of the Canada Border Services Agency from carrying guns at the Cornwall crossing. This boarder crossing is on sovereign Mohawk land. If Canada wants to arm CBSA then they should do it in their own country.

picture from http://www.mohawknationnews.com

Here is a bit of an article by Kaheninetha Horn editor MNN Mohawk Nation News, clan mother, grandmother, mother and activist.........

HARPER’S PENIS ENVY IS THE PROBLEM AT AKWESASNE

MNN. June 2 2009. In the US everyone needs guns. Canadians don’t need guns to protect themselves, yet! It is still different enough. Canadian society went hard against anyone that used guns in a crime. In the US if someone burglarizes, the home owner can shoot and kill them. In Canada guns can only be used in self defense. They always thought they could work things out.

Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, has taken on the US attitude where most enforcement agencies need guns to deal with criminals or the public, who will also need guns to protect themselves from the police. There are countless super violent standoffs in the US. This is being invited into Canada by Harper.

Harper wants to appear more masculine so that he is no longer just a sidekick of the US. To be the dominant party, he has to be as big and tough as Obama or Bush. He needs a macho image to compete with them. He needs a gun! Harper wants all enforcement agents to have guns. This idea is already expressed in many recent government legislation.
A truck driver in the US needs a gun to protect himself from being hijacked or killed. They used to get arrested when they crossed the border into Canada for carrying guns. They had to leave them behind. In Canada they still should feel safe. Things haven’t changed. It will always be a safe place even though Harper wants to change it.

What is the problem? It’s penis envy. In the minds of many men a gun is a phallic symbol which is a sign of masculinity and virility. This is untrue. If you get into a fight to defend yourself without guns, it requires a bigger person.


You can read the rest at:

http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?en=en&layout=mnn&newsnr=720&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews3.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26sortorder%3D0&srcscript=/news/news3.php