‘God, I don’t want to die,’ U.S. missionary wrote before he was killed by remote tribe on Indian island

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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
70,208
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He's still an American.. A stupid American is still American. Are you implying we should have left the hostages in Iran to rot?

They weren't soldiers either, but we still attempted a rescue with Deltas, Failed or not.

My guess is it would only take a single platoon to recover the remains.

Consider his family.
Consider the platoon members' families and the islanders' families.
 

whm1974

Diamond Member
Jul 24, 2016
9,436
1,567
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He's still an American.. A stupid American is still American. Are you implying we should have left the hostages in Iran to rot?

They weren't soldiers either, but we still attempted a rescue with Deltas, Failed or not.

My guess is it would only take a single platoon to recover the remains.

Consider his family.
The native didn't take him hostage and make demands for us. He chose of his own free will to go there despite everyone warning him not to.
 
Nov 25, 2013
32,083
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Nothing a platoon of Marines with a Supercobra can't handle.

They'll get the body back, and make it an educational experience for the tribe.

Better suggestion: you want his body so badly *you* go and get it. It may well be an "educational experience" for you.
 

thecoolnessrune

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
9,671
580
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Better suggestion: you want his body so badly *you* go and get it. It may well be an "educational experience" for you.

It's a bunch of black-enough people acting aggressively with weapons. They just need to send some regular cops out there.

That tribe is playing their own slow game for their darwin award anyways. No one needs to do anything. They've already chosen to lose.
 
Nov 8, 2012
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Heh, the International Christian Concern does not fail to amuse:

“We here at International Christian Concern are extremely concerned by the reports of an American missionary being murdered in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to both John’s family and friends. A full investigation must be launched in this this murder and those responsible must be brought to justice.”

https://www.persecution.org/2018/11/20/american-missionary-reportedly-murdered-hostile-tribe-india/

So persecuted.
I'm sure they would valiantly defend the people that solicit their stupid religious propoganda to my front door too. Oh what valiant heros.
 
Nov 25, 2013
32,083
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It's a bunch of black-enough people acting aggressively with weapons. They just need to send some regular cops out there.

That tribe is playing their own slow game for their darwin award anyways. No one needs to do anything. They've already chosen to lose.

Apparently they've lived there for about 50,000 years. So, any day now, eh?
 
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thecoolnessrune

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
9,671
580
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Apparently they've lived there for about 50,000 years. So, any day now, eh?

Well you and I both know I didn't say "any day now". :D I don't hold them to any feelings of false grandeur here. They are a hopelessly inbred group of people (unless they've been kidnapping inhabitants of other islanders, but there's no such reports), who have chosen strong isolation. The only reason why they continue to exist in modernity is due to A. Not having anything of value to foreign countries and B. due to the benevolence of a modern country (India).

Aside from getting a long run on the inbreeding thing, you and I both know that more has happened to humanity in the last 500 years (and even moreso the last 120 years) than the last 50,000. These guys get a cookie for surviving as long as all the other major groups of humans.
 

pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
13,633
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Apparently they've lived there for about 50,000 years. So, any day now, eh?

It is a horrifying history of atrocity and decline, though. The trend in numbers is bleak.

At the risk of being a bit glib about a tragic topic, it seems like a reason to be thankful interstellar travel is so difficult/unlikely. Contact with more powerful civilisations is probably unlikely to go well in general.


(I guess that's basically what War Of The Worlds was all about - the British imperial guilty concience, worried that someone might do to us what we did to others...if the domestic institution of slavery has left a disfiguring mark on US culture and society, empire has done much the same for most of Europe...I kind of think in a just world the British would feel as traumatised by the imperial era as the Germans are by the Nazi one...though instead it's gone the other way, with many Germans seemingly forgetting their lesson rather than the British learning theirs)


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/27/missionary-death-sentinelese-andaman-islands
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
31,441
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It is a horrifying history of atrocity and decline, though. The trend in numbers is bleak.

its pretty amazing that a stable population has lived so long on a very small island (it's about 5 miles by 5 miles) without totally destroying the ecosystem there. Being self sufficient, sustainable, and keeping a healthy population for such a long time is (AFAIK) unique in such a small landmass.
 

whm1974

Diamond Member
Jul 24, 2016
9,436
1,567
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its pretty amazing that a stable population has lived so long on a very small island (it's about 5 miles by 5 miles) without totally destroying the ecosystem there. Being self sufficient, sustainable, and keeping a healthy population for such a long time is (AFAIK) unique in such a small landmass.
Yes it is, and I can't really blame the tribe for wanting to keep to themselves.