Essay on State Violence Against the American Indian Movement

The American Indian Movement was formed as a result of the violence faced by Indians in the United States. For instance, a 20 year old Indian man was stubbed to death by a non-Indian in a gas station in the town of Buffalo Gap. The government did not protect their rights. For example, the mean brothers had inherited 190 acres of land on pine ridge but like the other allotments it was held by the federal government, who later released it to a white rancher. AIM was formed to question the government on its unfair treatment on violence and inequality of Indians. AIM faced a lot of brutality from the states during their meeting with the state such as the police such as a fight broke in Custer in the courthouse and the police used teargas and riot sticks on men as well as women. The Indians were branded names like Fool Crow, Crow Dog, Catches, Iron Cloud and Kill Enemy in Wounded Knee. In Wounded Knee the police used guns when in encounter with the AIM members even a federal spokesman admitted that the U.S forces fired at least 4000 rounds. The press was denied access to the village by the government.

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The state should have enhance anarchism in Oglala because it would have removed violence from human relation. The state should not have used fire arms to stabilize peace because it is evil and unjust to oblige a person to obey the will of another at pistol point. Therefore, violence is justifiable only when it is necessary to defend oneself and others from it. The state was not just to the Oglala people because it used violence were it was not necessary. Inequality in the area was only effective to the whites thus, this was one of the reason why peace was not maintained. This is because for two people to live in peace they both must want peace and the government had the power to equally serve the people without biasness. The government was the main cause of rebellion from the people of Oglala because it served its own interests and ignored those of the Indian community. Therefore, the formation of AIM was a way of the oppressed to defend and contain violence for the good of all mankind.

Racism contributed to the building up of violence in Oglala. The macro situation revolves around emotions of fear, tension, and panic with strong element of emergency. Therefore, due to killings of the Indians by whites thus the Indians reacted out of fear, anger, and emotions due to the immorality. Pictures and stories regarding the violence its a clear indication how the state was brutal to the Indians. During the AIM meetings the government had the ability of turning an emotional situation to their own advantage and to the disadvantage of the members by prearranging their meetings. Therefore, the situation of confrontation was not the key factor that determined whether they will fight, how they will fight or who will win and what damage will be made. Some of the factors that make the minority of people successfully violent makes the rest un-violent. For instance, racism and inequality by the government are major factors that affects most people and are result of violent in most countries. However, most of the time people find ways to confine violence, to back down from the brink but short-term micro-situation can trigger violence.