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== Oil drilling and Native Americans ==

With the current energy crisis, there has been a lot of talk about offshore drilling and drilling in ANWR, which 
any person with half a braincell should support. But with the "blame America first" liberals rebuffing every
effort to make our country energy-independent, it's time to start looking at some alternate location in which we
could push for drilling on our own soil. I was browsing through this week's issue of Newsweek and ran into something
very interesting (yes, THAT mainstream liberal newsmagazine - but as the saying goes: "keep your friends close and
your enemies closer.") One article had a brief blurb about oil reserves in the so-called "Great Basin," which
encompasses Nevada, and much of nearby states like Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, and Idaho. So why aren't we drilling there?
The old "endangered species" environmental-wacko argument is only part of the reason. The main cause - Native American
tribes object. I find this ironic on so many levels. Aren't Native Americans all about being greedy? - and surely, oil
would bring them big profits. I guess they feel destroying their own culture with casinos is sufficient to fill their
coffers, and they can use the "protect our sacred land" excuse as a cop-out for forbidding drilling. It should be exactly
the opposite. Indian Casinos - bringers of crime, prostitution, and sin - should be banned. The Native Americans should
"live off the land" as is their own mantra. And what's in their land - oil! And plenty of it. I am guessing Congress hasn't
even bothered to try to change laws so we can drill there out of "politically correct respect" for the Native Americans. 
Another reason might be that the land is technically part of some Indian reservations, so the U.S. doesn't have jurisdiction
there. False. America is one united country, and any autonomy given to the Native Americans is just a friendly gesture, which
they should not abuse, and certainly not in a manner to hurt the national interest. If this country was communist, or taken over
by terrorists, I assure you there would be no "autonomy" for the Native Americans. Plus, as I first mentioned, the Indians
would actually benefit. I am all for sharing the profits with them - especially if it would help eliminate their rogue
casinos and make this a more respectable country. So it's a win-win situation, and it boggles the mind why the option
of drilling in the Great Basin hasn't been explored more publicly.