Mike,

I just posted a thread on racism, because of what occured on this same topic earlier tonight. I had wanted people to read it to see where it had gone wrong and how we can communcate better here on the BB, and elsewhere for all involved. Since you have deleted the thread, which is alright and understandable, I will try to briefly highlight what happened for the benefit of the RASCISM thread - which has the potential to be the most important and productive thread ever on a NW fishing website, if handled right. ....

What occured earlier was angry re-action to the Yakima Tribe sending a bill for $32,000 to the Bonneville Power Administration to pay for a couple of raindance ceremonies by the Tribe, due to the drought conditions this year. The angry re-actions were justafiable in any way it could possibly be looked at, even by the Yakimas themselves if they took a closer look at all the factors involved. However, upon a closer look at the posts in the first thread, I realized that some of them, including mine, contained racially insensative overtones. While I believe they were mostly benign insensativety, others thought they were outright inappropriate racism. That is why I started the RACISM thread, so we all can help understand each other better and can head toward a healing of our differencecs. ....

Since that thread will be about racism, please keep this one only about your opinion of the Yakima Tribes action - without racist remarks thrown in. Thanks. - RT