Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

November 11, 2012

Duped and sleep walking: US pandering to media and politicians


There is no glory in war, no glory in newspaper cover ups, and no glory in military contract blood money

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/11/duped-and-sleep-walking-us-pandering-to.html

While most of the media is pandering to Obama and the US government which uses drones to assassinate its targets and innocent bystanders around the world, many Americans are preparing to delude themselves on Veteran's Day about bogus US wars.

It is good time to remember that Obama went to Cushing, Okla., to promote the southern route of the Keystone XL tarsands pipeline, the same tarsands pipeline destruction that is now terrorizing small family farm owners in northeast Texas and gouging out their farmlands over their protests. But let's face it, few people care about poor farmers, or the pristine water that the tarsands pipeline will contaminate.

Delusion over drones and military contract coverups

Few people have the courage these days to protest outside the CIA headquarters and Censored News celebrates those who did. As the brave protesters were opposing the drones used in the US targeted assassinations, television news here in Tucson was cheerleading for new US military contracts for Raytheon Missiles, which makes missiles to kill people.

Raytheon Missiles also has a factory on the Navajo commercial farm, Navajo Agricultural Products Industries, and produces missile parts. That was one of the censored issues by Indian Country Today before I was terminated without cause in 2006. I began Censored News as a result. ICT editors forbid me to even investigate the fact that Raytheon Missiles has a production plant on the same land that the Navajo Nation grows potatoes for commercial potato chips and other foods.

The main question is whether Raytheon is dumping anything toxic there, since NAPI is growing food crops there too. The military contractors are notorious for using Indian land for toxic dumping. One of the reasons Indian Country Today forbid me from investigating this is because NAPI was negotiating trade with Cuba at the time. The last thing they wanted was for Cuba to know that the Navajo Nation has Raytheon Missiles on the same farm property. Indian Country Today was always quick to cover up anything like this.

The Navajo Council promoted the Raytheon contract, without questioning if these military products are used to kill other Indigenous Peoples. Raytheon promoted the contracts under the disguise of economic development, which should be called exploiting people desperate for jobs. Similar schemes, and secret backdoor deals involving corrupt Navajo politicians and non-Indian attorneys, result in the leases of Navajo land to coal mine companies and power plants on Navajoland.

NAPI also promoted the fact that it used Monsanto seeds, when Indigenous around the world were burning these genetically modified seeds. Since NAPI has been using genetically modified seeds all these years, neighboring Navajo farms in the Shiprock, N.M., region now have their traditional crops contaminated through cross pollination by the wind and natural pollinators.

There is no glory in war, no glory in newspaper cover ups, and no glory in military contract blood money.

The media and politicians are responsible for cheerleading for bogus US wars and share responsibility for the large number of suicides in the US military.

University of Arizona, in partnership with Homeland Security, annihilates Native American rights

Currently, one of the most censored stories is the fact that the University of Arizona has a partnership with Homeland Security and is engaged in drone design, cyber intelligence, and mapping of Native American lands in Arizona, including Tohono O'odham lands. These programs are public information and featured by the university on the web.

The university, aided by its public relations spin masters and the media, attracts millions of dollars in grants for the university, which preys on Native peoples suffering for grant dollars, and donations through the university's foundation.

The University of Arizona has a long history of annihilating American Indian rights, including taking the lead in placing telescopes on sacred Mount Graham, sacred to Apache and other Indian people.

Today, the university is featuring drone design competitions, continuing their cyber spy programs and programs that train students how to target people of color on the US/Mexico border. All people of color are victims of this rabid targeting.

The US Border Patrol has militarized Tohono O'odham land with its spy towers, helicopters, searches, spying and abuse of women and elderly. Border Patrol agents terrorize O'odham during ceremonies, and destroy the land and resources with abuse and arrogance. The border wall contractor Boeing dug up the remains of Tohono O'odham ancestors on O'odham land.

While the university gains access to Indian lands through special projects, it also engages in partnerships with the very corporations and US puppet masters which exploit and destroy American Indian rights.

Don't expect the media to expose these things. In fact, I haven't seen a staff reporter for Indian Country Today out on a news story in Arizona in many years. I do see them plagiarize.

Brenda Norrell has been a news reporter of American Indian news for 30 years. During the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation, she was a reporter for Navajo Times and a stringer for AP and USA Today. While serving as a longtime staff reporter for Indian Country Today, she was repeatedly censored, then terminated in 2006. She began Censored News as a result. Censored News is now in its seventh year and has no advertising, grants, sponsors or revenues.

For permission to repost in full contact Brenda Norrell, or feel free to share the link:
brendanorrell@gmail.com
 

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