I was really surprised to see the outrage among natives for the codename Geronimo being used in the Bin Laden attack, as described in your recent article.  When I first heard about the raid, I thought, "Cool, those kick-ass Navy Seals named their raid after the most kick-ass warrior in American history, Geronimo!"  I was really proud.  But now it seems we're all looking for another chance to be offended and presuming that it was some kind of slur.  I don't see that and don't agree at all.

The article also made the false claim that the paratrooper yell "Geronimo" was also a slur.  As this article (http://www.b-westerns.com/geronimo.htm) points out, the paratrooper cry came about because of, once again, the kick-ass warrior image of Geronimo, and NOT because "you had to be crazy like Geronimo to jump out of a plane." 

Better research would help.  But more importantly, we need to be tough warriors, not wimps who go around looking for chances to get our feelings hurt.  We're Indians.  We can take whatever they dish out, and not even REAL slurs can get to us, much less phony slurs like these.



Jim Beaver
Cherokee
Los Angeles, Calif.