Forum: A few things left off the menu

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 3, 2026

HERALD FORUM | Rebuttal of McCune

Senator McCune’s recent commentary about how Christianity is the foundation of our country has conveniently left out certain of history’s “buffet” items not in keeping with his personal palate.

This country was populated with Native Americans long before the white settlers, who came in search of relief from religious persecution and forced application of a limited menu of religious thought in their former countries. Unfortunately, our country’s religious zealots in control in those days made the flawed human decision to force their personal form of faith on the natives by using gifts, flattery, and fakery.

If you do a search on Marcus Whitman, coupled with the terms smallpox and measles, you will see he brought devastation to the Cayuse tribes and, undoubtedly, to those the Cayuse traded with. This buffet item was absent from McCune’s commentary. There will be those in Walla Walla who won’t be honoring that part of its legacy.

The blood oath to defy a harsh and controlling king, which McCune cites as key to the brave foundation of this country, has certain parallels in today’s America. Let us all hope and/or pray to our deities of choice that this upcoming celebration of our country’s founding reflects the truth about all our history’s menu items. Let us all hope and/or pray that sensible minds prevail and our K-12 curriculum continues to reflect all the truths about our history, so our children are offered the full buffet rather than less healthy items.

Tina Glover lives in Tulalip