Opinion

Opinion: Blogger ban discredits Turtle Mountain Band

Monday, May 28, 2007

"When a Minot, N.D., man was banished from the Turtle Mountain Reservation in early May for his online article that called for elimination of the reservation system, it did more to discredit the tribal council than it did Rob Port, whose article also appeared in the Dakota Beacon, a conservative publication from Bismarck.

The Minot Daily News reported, “Port’s article stirred outrage among many members of the tribe because of his description of squalid living conditions and people living ‘selfish lives full of self-gratification and little achievement while the government subsidizes them.’”

It’s easy to see why Port’s article created hard feelings, but his views are not the first in that vein and they won’t be the last. There may even be members of the tribe that have similar feelings.

Provocative language can be unpleasant and it can be miles off base, but a knee jerk reaction like the ban can be misconstrued, too. Some may think, “thou doth protest too much.” At any rate, a real opportunity to educate and refute any misconceptions is squandered."

Get the Story:
Tony Bender: Opportunity for dialogue squandered (The Fargo Forum 5/27)
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Relevant Links:
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians - http://www.tmbci.net