February 2007 INDN’s List spoke out this week against the racist and hurtful comments made by Rep. Butcher of Montana toward his fellow legislator, and friend of INDN, Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy. We want to thank the many of you that heeded our call to write Rep. Butcher and for sharing his response with us.

“You left-wing radicals should get a life with your ‘political (sic) correct nonsense!” opened Butcher in a form email to our concerned INDNs.

While the representative accuses Montana Democrats and INDN’s List of politicizing the issue, the only thing “political” is Butcher’s nasty politics-as- usual response to thoughtful, concerned citizens. We know better. There is no political gain in racism and bigotry, no political gain in perpetrating hateful myths and misguided stereotypes, no political gain in sheer disrespect for the values of average Americans.

Rep. Butcher knows that, which is why he apologizes in public – on the House floor – while insulting and dismissing genuinely concerned citizens in the privacy of his emails. Butcher says people upset with his comments “look stupid to average Montana residents” and “have lived outside the mainstream for too long.” We don’t think he ought to have the privilege to deride others in private while publicly (and deceitfully) appearing to regret his remarks. (See below to read the full text of Rep. Butcher’s reply.)
Although Butcher dismisses his use of the word “chief” as a compliment and absolves himself from any guilt by pointing to his Viking ancestry, in which – apparently – making insensitive comments that play on racial stereotypes is okay. They “were also called chief!” Less easily explained are his reference to Representative Windy Boy’s gavel as a “war club,” although one can imagine his logic: Vikings used clubs too! And what about his 2001 labeling of American Indian reservations as “ghettos”? Our Viking villages were pretty shabby, we might imagine he’d say. More than the politicizing of an innocent moment of indiscretion, Butcher’s history shows that this is just the latest in a pattern of racial insensitivity and disregard for the standards of others.

Rep. Butcher concludes by asking for “some useful suggestions instead of this nonsense.” (We’re guessing he’s not referring to his nonsensical Viking excuses.) In our email we called on the legislator to show the basic standards of decency common to the overwhelming majority (we thought it to be a useful suggestion), but – lacking that – he has shown nothing but a fundamental unwillingness to consider how his racist attitudes contribute to the continued marginalization of American Indians, and, one also assumes, any member of the American Community that doesn’t look like him . Instead of offering solutions to our country’s tortured past of racism and intolerance, he offers nothing but epithets and excuses.

Meanwhile INDN’s List is offering a positive vision for America, one in which American Indians serve alongside other committed public servants who strive to build a better future for our families, and the families of all Americans. One in which our leaders join the democratic system to replace a legacy of hate, exploitation, and disenfranchisement with a prosperous Indian Country, and a prosperous America, full of hope and opportunity.

Help INDN’s List make that vision a reality and make legislators like Butcher a thing of the past. Give today!

Representative Butcher’s reply to concerned INDN’s List supporters:

From:HYPERLINK "mailto:senatorbutcher@aftco.net" Senator Butcher To: (Name deleted by INDN’s List) Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 8:36 PM Subject: RE: Apologize to Rep Windy Boy

Mr. & Mrs (Name deleted by INDN’s List):

You left-wing radicals should get a life with your "political correct" nonsense! In case you have lived outside the mainstream for too long, the word "chief" is used as a descriptive term for someone in leadership--I have been called that on numerous occasions and I sure as heck did not see that as a racial slur since my Viking ancestors were also called "chief"!

Jonathon Windy Boy and I are good friends and have worked together for three terms and I have nothing but the utmost respect for his ability as a legislator and as a person. Jonathon understood that I was complimenting him as I addressed him entering the room to take his seat beside me as head of the democrats (vice-chairman) in the Ag committee which I chair. It was not Jonathon that tried to create an international incident, but some democrats looking for headlines. All they did was look stupid to average Montana residents--of course a lot of out- of-state democrat operatives do not understand that.

I do not worry about democrats and republicans since I was a democrat until 8 years ago and I have a lot of democrat voters as well as the republicans who send me here--I got over 60% of the vote in my district last election and they do not buy this mudslinging you people throw at me.

I would appreciate some useful suggestions instead of this nonsense! Ed Butcher,HD 29

Read on...