The Forum

Fighting crime on the reservation

Federal law, in its majesty, treats all Indian reservations the same. Some are large—like the Navajo—with their own schools, police and courts. But others are tiny—maybe four or five families left—and they have no resources. Still, federal law applies equally to the rich nations and to the poor. Some kind of justice.
- JackChanse

More on BIA law enforcement
I’m a Native American Gang Specialist from Rapid City, S.D., and a career law enforcement officer. I’ve provided gang training services for law enforcement, educators and community members at Wind River many times over the years and I’m very familiar with the issues occurring there. You captured the essence of the area and the myriad challenges that law enforcement (and the community generally) face each day, and I want you to know that I appreciate your effort in doing so.
- Chris Grant

Scaling back Social Security
So SSA is being told that it can’t allow the general public to physically walk into an SSA office and apply for things? Instead, you’ll have to go to a law office and apply over their video connection—and perhaps pay $200 an hour for the privilege? This is all being driven by SSA’s austerity-mad management, which in turn is being driven by the congressional teabaggers, who are in turn being driven by billionaires who care more about having that eighth house in the Hamptons than their  fellow Americans.
- Jane Snape

Maybe some sort of partnership can be done with the post office so that one building could be used for a dual purpose or even some dual job duties. Before we start replacing good people with unaccountable government contractors, we need to rethink the whole concept and get creative. A lot of various benefits have very similar issues. Good training of good people can go a far better way. And if an SSA worker has to pause and sell some stamps in between taking and processing a retirement claim, at least all are still employed and efficiency could
be enhanced.
- Linda Joy Adams 

Securing the Mexico border 
Wow! The influx of Latin American refugees is a security crisis? Tell that to the Turks, Lebanese, Jordanians and Iraqis—and there is a real war raging over there. We seem so preoccupied with defending other people’s borders (at huge expense) that we do not see a far more obvious and pressing threat along our own border. It makes one wonder what the National Guard is actually for. Apparently it is not guarding our nation.
- Tomonthebeach