erin (she/her)

University of Minnesota

usdakotawar.org

The 38 hangings were far from the worst of the Dakota genocide. Lincoln’s role was one of reducing cruelty while still punishing those guilty of massacres of civilians. Originally, hundreds of men were going to be hanged, but Lincoln commuted the sentences of all but the worst offenders. Unfortunately, two of the hanged men were innocent, and it’s unclear how the mistake was made. Far worse was the banning of Dakota people from Minnesota and the internment in camps, leading to widespread death by disease, though these were the actions of the Minnesota government.

There are very legitimate criticism to be had of Lincoln, like being the sitting president as one of the states committed genocide, or the appeasement tactics to slaveowners before civil war became inevitable. I do not think this one makes sense to be top of the list, as by all accounts Lincoln was attempting to reduce cruelty where possible and yet still punish mass murderers.

For a bit of additional background, the Dakota war, during the Dakota genocide, was an uprising of some Dakota, attacking anyone of white or “mixed-blood” descent. The state of Minnesota had broken numerous treaties and continued to seize land from the Dakota people, leading some to fight back. However, the massacring of civilians and anyone of non-pure blood is evil, and many Dakota who did not join the rebellion rescued hostages and helped resist wholesale slaughter. The Minnesota government is absolutely at fault for the conditions leading to and the execution of the Dakota genocide, but the rebels chose to commit racially motivated massacres of non-military targets. This does not make the later retaliation justified, but it does explain the hangings.

As for number two, I cannot speak to the other commenter’s beliefs or intentions, though I do not believe women were combatants in the Dakota war.

Note: Some historians object to the term Dakota war, as only a small faction joined the conflict, while a much greater number did not. I’m using the term as the consensus name for the conflict, not out of belief that it is accurate.

I should hope most people have a reading speed above 2 words per second

Hi! I’m gay and engaged to my long term friend. I recommend holding off on any serious expectations like marriage until you’ve lived together and shared a bed for a while, 6 months at least. You really don’t know how a relationship will go until you’re around each other ALL the time. You will see each other at your very best and very worst. You’ll get in arguments about inconsequential stuff, because sometimes one of you is tired or cranky or had a bad day. You need to learn how you communicate and resolve conflicts as a couple, not just as friends. My fiancee is my best friend first, and always will be, but we had to learn how we work as partners.

I’m so so happy you’ve found love and with someone that you’re already friends with, but I think you need to be very careful about putting too much pressure on this relationship. It will go better without the pressure, and you’re less likely to run into disillusionment when things get harder, which they will. Give yourselves time to find out who you are together before making the lifelong commitment, even though that may be your goal the entire time. It certainly was for us.

My tongue is exactly the same with the “D” in “dentist” and “dog.”

Low draw means low power and penetration. For speed shooting or distracting/stunning a target, that would be helpful, but you’re not gonna kill someone unless it’s a very lucky shot. There’s a reason war bows were such high draw weight, and it wasn’t for piercing plate. More power means more energy retained over distance and more energy delivered to the target. If you’re needing to speed shoot in close quarters in a self defense scenario, you’re probably better off using the bow as a club or stabbing them with an arrow directly. Archers usually carried other weapons for that reason.

As a trans person in a trans friend group, this is fucking hilarious. Trans people tend to have more casual views on sex and relationships, and often don’t care for, or at least are okay eschewing, monogamy. If you’re willing to question the gender systems that society forces on everyone then you’re willing to question other things. No group of trans women is spontaneously having an orgy (unless that was the plan going in), its hyperbole for the joke, poking fun at the tendency for trans friend groups to all have been sexual partners at some point.