Indigenous Peoples’ Day — Great idea, but why does it have to replace Columbus?

P&C drink and review Rasputin, an imperial Russian stout from North Coast Brewing Company, then discuss Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day.

The U.N. designated Aug. 9 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1994, but nothing much has been done with it since. Instead, people want to replace Columbus Day with a celebration of indigenous people.

Why can’t we honor Columbus and indigenous people?

Do people have to be perfect before we can honor them? If so, we shouldn’t honor Columbus or anybody else.

Right-wing terror groups

The Justice Department and federal law enforcement foiled a plot, apparently by a right-wing militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen, against the Governor of Michigan. 13 people charged with plots against MI government, including 6 who planned to kidnap Gov. Whitmer

There are ways things are done in the civilized world. When you don’t like a statue of Christopher Columbus, you petition the government to take it down. You don’t go out with chains, pull it down and throw it in the river.

And when you’re upset about the Governor’s rules for fighting a pandemic, you go to court, or you vote her out. You might even organize peaceful resistance against the rules and risk getting yourself arrested. You don’t try to kidnap and kill the governor.

Detroit U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider responded to the plots saying that Michiganders “can disagree about politics, but those disagreements should never, ever amount to violence.

Well, not really. America is founded on the idea that there is a time and a place for armed resistance to the government.

Governor Whitmer has imposed some strict rules on Michigan, but they don’t come anywhere near the level that would justify violence.

If what we’re hearing about this plot is true, and if they’re found guilty after a fair trial, I’d be in favor of hanging them. This kind of thing can’t be tolerated in a stable, lawful society.

The undecided voter

The alleged political wisdom is that there are people who will always vote Republican, people who will always vote Democratic, and a small number of swing voters. Candidates have to appeal to the swing voters to win.

Among those swing voters there are the people who are undecided. This has always been a mystery to me. The parties are so far apart on so many things, it seems hard to imagine not being able to choose between them.

Frank Luntz, who does focus groups for Fox News, cleared that up for me last night.

When I consider a candidate or a party, I look at their policies. I don’t care that much about their style or personality.

These undecideds are the opposite. They don’t care too much about policies. They want to know who they like, and who they can trust.

It reminds me a little of the debates I used to have about various Christian denominations. I always focused on the doctrines of the church, but many people are more concerned about the quality of the child care during Sunday School, the friendliness of the people, the type of music they have in worship, and things like that.

These undecideds want to know who they like and trust — Trump or Biden. And I can certainly understand how they would be undecided about that!

The political views of your dentist

I went in to get my teeth cleaned this morning, and my hygienist told me a story.

She was cleaning some lawyer’s teeth, and one of the dentists was in the next booth over, talking about politics from a conservative point of view. The lawyer was incensed. He asked, “Who is that? I don’t ever want him working on me.”

A few things come to mind here.

First, how would the lawyer feel if people declined his legal services because they didn’t agree with his politics? Wouldn’t the lawyer insist that he was able to represent his clients — guilty or innocent, conservative or liberal, young or old, etc. — irrespective of his political beliefs? And if a lawyer can claim such a thing, can’t a dentist claim it with even greater justice? After all, the law is political. Teeth are not.

Second, how did we get to such a place? How did so many people become so intolerant?

Generally speaking, when I go to someone to get a service, my concern is that they’re good at what they do — that the mechanic is a good mechanic, the dentist is a good dentist, and the tailor is a good tailor. I don’t care what they believe about the Green New Deal.

I don’t know the political views of my dermatologist, and I don’t care. I suppose there are limits to that. If I knew he was a Nazi, I might decline to give him my business.

Is that why we’re in this crazy place? People have been hurling around wild accusations based on the slightest departure from orthodoxy. (“You’re literally Hitler!”)

Do people actually believe that nonsense?