We hadn't been reporting on Congressman Bill Janklow's unfortunate collision in his home state of South Dakota in which a motorcyclist was killed because, well, accidents can happen to anyone. It's that one moment in time you can't take back, the "what if I had gone through the intersection thirty seconds earlier," etc., etc. Whether fault is involved or not, a fatal accident is not one in which the driver wishes harm to occur. It occurs either because the driver was careless or reckless or because fate designed it that way. Think of all the times you've sped or indadvertently ran a stop sign, but thankfully, no one got hurt. Isn't that a "simple twist of fate?" (line by Bob Dylan.)

That being said, we have just finished reading this BuzzFlash report on other allegations in Janklow's past, and we are very concerned about them. Paticularly about his past record of treatment of Native Americans. And this comment, which he allegedly made to noted First Amendment attorney and author Martin Garbus, which Garbus published in his book, Tough Talk:

Garbus notes: "On his [Janklow's] way to election as attorney general [of South Dakota] in 1974, he began issuing statements aimed at endearing himself to white, anti-Indian voters. 'The only way to deal with the Indian problem in America,' he admitted saying, is to put a gun in the AIM [American Indian Movement] leaders' heads and pull the trigger."

Like Buzzflash, we don't know if the allegations against Janklow are true. But if they are, unlike the motorcyclist's death, there's no way they can be chalked up to an unfortunate accident.

Update: Is the reinvestigation into the death of Indian activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash just a coincidence?