Your point about this post being inappropriate on Independence Day is legit, it's your opinion as an American and I'll support and respect your right to hold that opinion. I don't disagree with that – I just don't agree that Yaman and Saleema are "enemies". One, I don't even know Saleema nor have I seen many of her comments, so it's completely uncalled for me to make such an assessment. And Yaman is someone I speak to outside this blog, and in our group conversations – always political – he's certainly never come across as hostile towards the US.

I think what becomes most important in such cases is to bring recognition to the genocides and slaughters and the injustice faced by indigenous peoples everywhere in their individual countries. Their existence has been denied for far too long. From this education, we can then continue and move on and away from the sort of rigid national identities and boundaries we've created for ourselves and move towards identities which are more inclusive and broad.

Yay. Sparklezzz.

Sana, the purpose of making this post on US Independence Day is clear. They are being "critical" of US Independence. That's an attack on the legitimacy of the very existence of this country. *Tell me* how that is not a manifestation of ill will against the United States? Are you even serious with this argument? I thought you were a fair minded person, but it seems you are quite a bit more "fair" to some people than to others. Which is not really "fair" at all.

You deliberately set out to trash the US on the day we celebrate our independence.

Americans who celebrate US Independence. Which clearly does not include you, despite your claim of being American.

Not to mention – when I hear the word enemy I think of someone who wishes nothing but ill and harm upon his/her adversary.

Those two statements are contradictory. In fact, you have the same understanding of the word "enemy" that I do. You just choose to believe that Saleema and Yaman are not motivated by ill will towards the US, despite evidence to the contrary. That's your call, but it doesn't make me wrong when I choose not to give them the benefit of the doubt

Except that you just accused me of threatening to kill somebody, which is unacceptable. Not to mention defamation, a criminal offense. That's way beyond the normal anonymous abuse that KABOBfesters seem to think passes for humor.

And I'm not shitting on the day, dude, I'm shitting on the genocides. Thanks.

Finally, no one on this blog has ever tried to downplay the Arab wars of expansion that occurred 1400 years ago. However, we have nutjobs here trying to downplay the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Native Americans.

A lot of people died and many were forcefully enslaved to create our country, we should never forget that.