LA VOZ DE AZTLAN EDITORIAL
Los Angeles, Alta California
April 23, 2007
The worst massacre in US history was not at
Virginia Tech but at Wounded KneeThe killing rampage at Virginia Tech college on April 16 is being described in numerous news reports as "the worst massacre in US history". This is totally false. The worst massacre in US history occurred on December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
The gunman at Virginia Tech slaughtered only 32 victims but at Wounded Knee, the 7th US Cavalry massacred 300 Sioux Indian men, women and children. Of 350 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee only 50 survived the killing rampage. The US government covered up the extent of the massacre by only reporting Indian dead as "64 men, 44 women and girls, and 18 babies". All of the bodies were buried in one communal grave.
One would think that journalists under the employ of major news networks are well educated and knowledgable of US history. So why are they reporting that "Virginia Tech is the worst massacre in US history"? Is it because in their minds American Indians don't matter?
It appears that the attitudes of US news reporters towards Native Americans have not changed much since the following news report was published in the St. Louis Republic on December 17, 1890, twelve days before the Wounded Knee Massacre and soon after the murder of Sitting Bull. Chief Sitting Bull was the last Sioux to surrender to the U.S. Government:
"The Last Of Sitting Bull"
St. Louis Republic, St. Louis, Missouri
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1890The death of Sitting Bull removes one of the obstacles to civilization. He was a greasy savage, who rarely bathed and was liable at any time to become infected with vermin. During the whole of his life he entertained the remarkable delusion that he was a free-born American with some rights in the country of his ancestors. Under this delusion, when civilized immigrants pushed over the Black Hills country in search of gold he considered them trespassers on the lands of his people and tried to keep them out. He was engaged in this absurd and wicked attempt when General Custer surprised his camp in the interests of civilization . . .
Related La Voz de Aztlan article;Virginia Tech killing incident is reminiscent of the massacre in San Ysidro by a racist
