So I've been thinking a lot about the last discussion (1/29) in which we talked about Killer Custer. Although I didn't love the book, I found a lot of the topics we discussed in class rather intriguing. Mostly, I have been thinking about Manifest Destiny. Although I think most people would agree that white superiority is the backbone of Manifest Destiny and Domesticity, perhaps more worthy of consideration, I pose that white supremacy may still be alive today. Before I offend anyone or over-step the boundary of that previous statement, let me explain more precisely what I mean. The first discussion question presented by Elaine and Sara was: 'Where can we see Indian cruelty in today's society?' The answer that we posed in class was that the Indians have become this extinct subject, mostly because the Indian population has either assimilated into the 'popular culture' or have become residents of the reserves. In this 'out of sight, out of mind' instance, it is hard to say exactly if there is cruelty towards Indians today. The topic in class then moved towards the benefits that Indians receive as "compensation" for the cruelty of the late 1800's. Compensation seems reasonable enough, and it doesn't necessarily scream cruelty - at first glance. But as I thought more about the "compensation" I began to realize that not much has changed. Just as the whites offered the Indians the choice of assimilation or annihilation in the time of the Indian wars, Americans are still offering Indians a similar choice: assimilation or extinction. I use the word assimilation because as I see it, the compensation that is offered to the Indians is not a gift of Indian restitution but rather the white man's restitution. We offer education and money or opportunity to make money, all things of the white man. We offer reservations. We give land, but we do not offer the freedom of the land.

So I guess all I am trying to say is this: white superiority may be a thing of the past. But have the objectives of the white man become as extinct as the topic of Indian cruelty?