Guest Editorial . . .
Twist and spin. That seems to be all you hear any more. Twist and spin.
And most people can see right through it. Yet that doesnıt stop it from going on.
Take the U.S. presidential election. You can see the spinning and twisting of words and their meanings, and itıs as though neither side actually hears the other.
If Al Gore wins, he loses in Congress; if George W. Bush wins, we all lose in the long run.
Of course, thatıs only an opinion. But in some circles, itıs starting to become fighting words.
The U.S. to other countries seems on the verge of having riots and marches. Itıs that close, they say.
Whether Americans can pull back from the brink remains to be seen in the months ahead, no matter who wins the presidency.
Some political observers think the U.S. as a nation is shuddering at its foundations, and perhaps not really for the first time. It is either strong enough to survive this latest polarization of political views, or it will weakened it and divide it even more.
Republicans in Washington are threatening to void the electoral vote in Congress if Al Gore is elected president. Democrats threaten to retaliate.
But itıs all twist and spin. Who can we really believe any more?
Hopefully, those of us living on tribal nations like Rosebud can learn from the examples we see around us and chart a better future for our children.
If we lose America, do we lose ourselves as well? Or is that just more twist and spin?
Mitakuye Oyasin.
(From the Sicangu Sun Times, the only Indian-owned and operated independent newspaper on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota.)