So Elizabeth Warren was a Republican up until 1995.

[daredtowork]

260. Just Read the Article

Warren can't remember whether she did invoke her heritage in the past.

I'm 1/8 Abenaki, so I'm more Abenaki than Warren is Cherokee, and I believe I'm eligible for tribal membership. But I've never sought that membership, and I personally believe I shouldn't seek benefits earmarked for a minority unless I culturally identify with that minority and/or I identify culturally with that minority. Because my Mom was embarrassed over her background, and my grandfather died when she was young, I didn't find out about my heritage until I was I was in my twenties. I partake in no Native American culture whatsoever besides passing historical/mythological interests. Also my looks take after my father: if there is any Native American blood in me, it's well hidden. I'm confident. That's one basis for discrimination I'm confident I've never experienced.

Therefore, I don't check the Native American box on forms.

Doesn't it seem like I've given it a lot of thought?

I've given it a lot of thought because I come from a poor rural background. I have a lot of student loans - identifying myself as Native American might have alleviated some of that. I never got to finish my doctorate - identifying myself as Native American might have changed that. I've had a rough time in the job market because of disability - identifying myself as Native American early on might have opened up more opportunities for me. I get to think a lot about what I missed out on.

I'm a pretty mellow person who just accepts my life and keeps trying to move forward with what I've got, but angry Teahadists tend to practice the "politics of resentment". So even if they CHOSE not to check the Native American form checkbox of their own free will, chances are they bear quite a bit of ill will towards those they SUSPECT (cue "conspiracy theory" theme music) did check the box and made out like bandits. Sometimes they might have occasion to witness some scammer who does seem to be getting away with something (sort of like the "examples of fraud" that fuel the anger at the supposed "Welfare Queens&quot . This resentment is broiling right now because *a lot of people have Native American blood* and *a lot of forms ask people to choose if they are Native American*. These repeated mini moral stands that people make every time they fill out a gosh-darned form is what's going to come back to haunt Elizabeth Warren.

Again, I'm not challenging whether whether Warren is or not. That doesn't matter at all. What I'm saying is this is a very explosive issue, and the fact people think they just have to verify whether Warren really is Native American or not just goes to show they don't understand where the ticking time bomb is hidden here.