From Park Rapids Enterprise Newspaper:
Goodbye,
Alberto Gonzales
As chairwoman of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe Indians, the largest tribe in Minnesota, I call for the immediate resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The mishandling of justice in the firing of eight US attorneys by Alberto Gonzales has a devastating effect on public safety on the White Earth Indian Reservation. As the scandal unfolds, it becomes obvious to me that the Department of Justice under Alberto Gonzales demonstrates an anti-Native American position.
Five of the fired attorneys served on the subcommittee assigned to Native American issues in the Justice Department. Former Minnesota US Attorney Tom Heffelfinger managed the subcommittee from 2002-05. He was on the list for dismissal before his resignation in February 2006.
When Tom Heffelfinger resigned, the White Earth tribe lost a hard working, dedicated leader for public safety on our Reservation. Mr. Heffelfinger was an unwavering advocate for more federal funds and better programs to combat the increasing crime rates in Indian country.
Apparently, the Attorney General believed Tom Heffelfinger and his subcommittee devoted too much time to public safety on Indian Reservations, an attitude that I find disgraceful, unjust and appalling to Indian tribes.
At a hearing May 17 on law enforcement in Indian country before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, W. Patrick Ragsdale, Bureau of Indian Affairs, testified that more than half of Indian law enforcement operations are understaffed while providing services to a population largely with high unemployment rates and lack of municipal infrastructure.
The shortfall in resources and enabling conditions on the Reservation add up to “extreme shortcomings of the criminal justice systems in Indian country… For many of the 1.6 million citizens who live on or near Indian Reservations, life has become much more violent,” stated Ragsdale.
Federal funds and resources are at an all time low on the White Earth Indian Reservation as a $600 billion war rages on. We need the Tom Heffelfingers.
The real victims of injustice, most likely because of an indifferent attorney general, and the failure of the federal trustees in fulfilling their trust responsibility, are the Native Americans.
Goodbye, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Erma J. Vizenor
White Earth Tribal Chair
White Earth Tribal Chair
4 comments:
I did not see the whole CSpan interview with Alberto but, it was a substantial number of times he said he could not recall. Much more than someone in his position should have said.
Cannot remember only works with Ronnie and he was what, 70+ when he was still the pres.?
Well, today was Friday and the bad news for the White House comes out in the late afternoon, so what else did we get besides that Bennett dude (or whatever his name is) aid guy resigning?
Speaking of getting ripped a new one, check out what a former high school government teacher said about the I didn't-read-my-own-postcards guy on the Wogen Watch blog.
"I mean, how is it that 1800 mailers are sent out with a person’s name on them and yet that person has no idea where they came from?"
LOL! Even a caveman knows that postcard dude full of crap.
Kittybowtie:
Ronnie was 72 years old. And look for more bailouts from the WH staff as more graft is revealed. And it is Bartlett, kittybowtie, not Bennett! Hee hee...
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