McCain needs a Native American sweat lodge

Native American Veterans Support John McCain for President but Not His Party
Mike Graham
March 17, 2008
Native American veterans will join with active duty servicemen and women in addition to other veterans groups around the country to elect John McCain as our next president. Native American veterans have no cause to support Republican Party candidates running for state and federal office due to the parties' anti-native platform on issues and bills concerning the Native American community.

John McCain, during his time in the U.S. Senate has been at the forefront of making the American dream possible for millions of Native Americans. McCain serves on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and has made it his policy to stand up to fellow republicans wanting to slash funding of Native Americans programs. As president, John McCain would be the eight hundred-pound political gorilla against anti Native American groups.

During President Bush's two terms in office he has fully supported republican representatives in blocking bills that would bring about much needed change in the Native American communities. This action is proven with Bush's statement that he would veto a bill that would reinstate the Native Hawaiian government that was illegally over thrown by the U.S. Government.

For years republican representatives have used their committees like the Republican Steering Committee to hold-up funding on bills covering wide spread health, education and poverty issues within the American Indian and Native Hawaiian communities. Oklahoma's two senate republican representatives Tom Coburn and James Inhofe are at the top of the list of non-support of Native American issues. Oklahoma is in dire need of two new senators that will represent all of their constituents.

The American people should be aware of a national anti Native American group based in Oklahoma going by the name of "One Nation United." This group is supported and financed by many corporate companies around our country. One Nation United offers campaign support to state and federal candidates they feel will support their views against Native Americans.
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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/9601

This just made me cringe. One of the facts that I was not aware of in Chaplain training with IFOC was that 100% of people who have been tortured have PTSD. Considering McCain was held and tortured by the VC in Vietnam, that one is a given. The Native American's know full well the price paid by the spirit and have held cleansing ceremonies, put troubled spirits into sweat lodges to cleanse them for centuries. If anyone in this nation should understand what PTSD is, it is them.

Given the fact McCain has been called "Senator Hothead" along with reports of his outbursts, the last thing this nation needs is someone more stubborn and arrogant than Bush. McCain had many chances to stand up and fight for the wounded, fight for the troops and take a stand against torture, but he has not. I will never forget the YouTube video of McCain being asked about PTSD from a Vietnam veteran suffering from it and he was annoyed by the question so much so that he turned away from the veteran and made a speech instead of listening to the veteran. How the Native Americans can support McCain is really baffling.

My issues with McCain is that he did not stand up for veterans as a senator and one of them but wants to run as a combat veteran instead of addressing his poor record on veteran's issues. Knowing the problems PTSD can cause, none of them should prevent him from being a public servant but all of them should prevent him from being in charge of the nation. Being a veteran does not entitle him to a free ride when it comes to his record on veterans issues. He needs to be held accountable just like everyone else. Had he not been a veteran, I doubt he would be where he is today. People would be looking at his record more than remembering he was a POW.