Victory Cries at Little Bighorn Include a Few Tears for Custer

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ^ | June 25, 2003 | JOHN J. FIALKA

[SJackson]

CROW AGENCY, Mont. -- It's a lonely time to be kindling the flame of Gen. George Armstrong Custer.

Wednesday morning, there will be war whoops and dancing when the National Park Service dedicates a $2 million memorial to commemorate the Indians who died in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. The bowl-shaped monument sits just a pistol shot away from the hilltop grave marker where Custer and most of his men went down under a hail of arrows and bullets. This year's program makes no mention at all of Custer or his followers.

[Elsie]

The Colorado Republican says, "I said to myself, by God, if I can ever make any changes so Indian people are welcome there, I'm going to do it."

Hallelujah!

---

From an Indianapolis, Indiana Hoosier

[Elsie]

"I'm a believer that there are things you can change," he explains, "but one thing I realized after I've gotten older is that you have to know what battles you can fight."

And.. after you get a bit MORE wisdom.......

"I'm a believer that there are things you can change," he explains, "but one thing I realized after I've gotten older is that you have to know what battles you can fight WIN!."

[meenie]

Not far away at the Crow Agency, you can get a glimpse at the abandoned housing projects that the US government has built over the years for the descendants of Custer's victors. It is a monument to the misguided policies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as the inability of the indians to adjust to the reservation life.

[Dionysius]

LOL. Don't give them any ideas. They'll find some way to get them to vote. It's only natural the pests would back their fellow Dem vermin!

[mass55th]

I believe today (6/25) is the anniversary of Custer's Last Stand.

[Kenton]

I have no problem with telling the Indians' side of the story, it's all part of American history. But as long as we're going to start celebrating those Americans who fought against the federal government, I think they need to start erecting some monuments to the Heroes of the Confederacy on Federal land.

[Elsie]

I've seen those and more; at the Wounded Knee settlement.

Hundreds of unkept treaties, by OUR Government, has led to this tragedy.