I really thought it was the last one

The Rude Pundit (and be warned, he really is rude) made a fabulous point that I thought needed to be raised. Despite all this concern about life coming from President Bush, and the rush to fly from Crawford to sign the "look at me, I care about life" bill, Rude Pundit points out that Bush has said nothing about what happened at Red Lake. Nothing. Not a word.

On Thursday, Bush issued an Easter message, wherein he talked about the resurrection of Christ and said, "[W]e thank God for His blessings and ask for His wisdom and guidance. We also keep in our thoughts and prayers the men and women of our Armed Forces -- especially those far from home, separated from family and friends by the call of duty." He remembered the soldiers. He always remembers the soldiers. They are ever present.

In each of these statements and events, Bush did not ask for anyone to remember the Indians of Red Lake, Minnesota. Bush did not ask for us to pray for them. Bush did not send his regrets. Bush made no appearance to mourn. Bush is silent. He has planned to go to Europe, but has no plans to helicopter into the reservation.

What message does that send?

I hate to say it, but it sends an age-old message to Native Americans. It also says that Bush's great culture of life is very, very limited--to people who might vote for him.

But, as Cold in Laramie just pointed out, there is more than just Bush to be frustrated here. Why, he asks, was the Columbine event a "massacre" while the Red Lake is referred to as a "shooting?" Why talk about these in different terms? Are Indian kids somehow expected to die violently? Is this a throwback to the 19th century when Indians died in "battles" but whites were "slaughtered" in "massacres?"

I hate to say this too, but it speaks to how we culturally frame these issues. Urban youth experience a shocking level of violence in their lives, but American only freaks when it happens in a suburban school. Now it has happened on an Indian reservation. White America has no idea what to do with that. Can we blame it simply on weak gun control? What about teaching evolution in schools? Not allowing prayer? Those were all ridiculous explanations for Columbine. Do most Americans see Indians in the context of a John Wayne movie? Can we still not see Indians as people?

I think Rude Pundit gets many things wrong, even in this piece, but this contrast of the outrage over Terry Shiavo v. Red Lake is instructive, and not in a positive way. I am not suggesting that Republicans turn Red Lake into another circus, but their avoidance of this really echoes.