Broadcaster Press 03 October 15, 2013 www.broadcasteronline.com Johnson receives Attorney of Year Award By David Lias david.lias@plaintalk.net VERMILLION – U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson returned to his hometown Monday, Oct. 7, to accept the 2013 Attorney of the Year Award from the USD Women in Law group at the School of Law at the University of South Dakota. The award presentation was made in the law school courtroom. Johnson briefly spoke to members of the USD Women in Law group about why seeking to remedy civil rights violations is a priority with his office. That priority came about, in Lions’ OCT. 16-17 DAYS At the National Guard Armory next to Lions Park Serving 11:30am-1pm & 5:pm-7:pm $5 Pre-sale $6 at the door Kids under 8 eat free Vermillion Lions Club part, from the influence of Johnson’s first boss, Karen Schrier, who today serves as federal district judge on the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota. Johnson said he is also influenced by the biological mother of his adopted son, Peneal, called Pen by the Johnson family. Several years ago, when Johnson and his wife traveled to an African orphanage, they had an opportunity to meet the woman while in the process of adopting her son. “When we talk about civil rights in South Dakota, part of the reason that this is so important to me is I think about Pen’s mother, and the reason she was willing to give up the most precious thing in her entire life is because of the vision that she had of America – that everyone would be treated equally under the rule of law and that her son would have every opportunity to achieve his dreams if he came to the United States of America.” South Dakota has much progress to make in the field of civil rights, he said. “The Justice Department has had a close relationship with South Dakota when it comes to civil rights. Until the 1960s, when ever there was an Indian Country issue facing the Justice Department, the Justice Department was against the tribes,” Johnson said. “Land rights, water rights – you name it, we opposed the tribes.” Bobby Kennedy helped changed that when he became U.S. Attorney General. He ended the policy of the Justice Department opposing every single federal legal issue involving tribes. “His connection with tribes was deeper than that,” Johnson said. “It was particularly deeper when it came to tribes in South Dakota.” During his 1968 campaign for the presidency, Kennedy stopped at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and interacted with reservation families, particularly one family of a young boy who had just lost both parents to a car accident. “The connection that Bobby Kennedy with Native Americans in South Dakota continues to this day,” Johnson said. Before properly addressing issues involving civil rights, he said South Dakotans must become familiar with its history. “As young lawyers,” he told the law students in the audience, “this is a history we have to wear. Most of this history was created by other lawyers in South U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson speaks to members of the USD Women in Law organization in the courtroom of the university?s law school. The group earlier presented him with their 2013 Attorney of the Year Award. (Photo by David Lias) Dakota.” Dakota Territory’s history includes the passage by the territorial legislature in 1862 of an anti-civil rights law, to make it clear that Native Americans did not have the same rights as white citizens. The passage of the Indian Citizenship Act by the U.S. Congress in 1924 did little to alleviate this problem in South Dakota. The South Dakota Legislature responded by allowing Native Americans to vote only if they severed all ties to their tribes and could proved that they were “civilized.” “During this time – and this is a dubious distinction – it was more difficult for a Native American in South Dakota to vote than it was for a black man in Mississippi to vote,” Johnson said. “That’s part of our history. That’s part of who we are.” In the 1950s, the Native American population that lived in “organized” WANTED Buying all types of SCRAP IRON Farm Machinery • Cars & Trucks References Available • Top Market Prices Paid Home: 402-945-1512 • Cell: 402-533-3640 K&K Iron & Metal counties in South Dakota was allowed to vote, meaning those who resided in unorganized counties on the state’s reservations could not. Congress tried to alleviate such civil rights problems in South Dakota and other states with the Voting Rights Act of 1960. “It had almost no effect in South Dakota,” Johnson said, “so they went back and they amended the Voting Rights Act in 1975 to make it absolutely clear that they were also talking about Native Americans and their right to vote. They included South Dakota counties and the counties that needed to be pre-cleared before they made changes to people’s right to vote.” The South Dakota Legislature, however, refused to enforce the Voting Rights Act until 2002. “We were the last state in the country to utilize, to accept, the Voting Rights Act,” Johnson said. “ … When you look at the history of civil rights in South Dakota, there are important lessons to be learned, and I think one of them that applies so much to this group is that it takes people who are organized, and it takes lawyers. As lawyers, you are going to be on the front lines of the civil rights movement if you choose to be. “This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue; this is a civil rights issue, and the question is ‘should the rule of law apply equally to every citizen in this state.’ And the answer needs to be ‘yes.’” • Water & Sewer • Basement Excavation • Demolition • Site Preparation • Ditching • Grading Mike Pollman PO Box 424 • Wakonda, SD 57073 Phone/Fax: 605-267-2768 Cell: 605-661-1063 xkv8tor@yahoo.com • Liscensed • Bonded • Insured Rock • Sand • Gravel Quartzite • Fill Material Oh dear what rotten luck I’ve wrecked my car and hit this buck The deer are active this time of year Fortunately the Collision Center is always near. Fall Special: Deer Damage 911 Chevy Ln., E. Hwy. 50 Yankton 665-7670 SPORTING GOODS 407 Washington St. Gayville 267-7670 BOAT – GUNS – ICE FISHING & HUNTING EQUIPMENT & MORE Wednesday, October 23rd - 6:00 p.m. Auction Location: Rounding 3rd Bar Banquet Room, 304 W. 3rd Street , Downtown, Yankton, SD BOAT: 15ft Old Town Discovery Sport w/ 5hp Merc, Minn-kota 50lb elec trolling motor, pontoons, Spartan Trailer – EXCELLENT; GUNS & AMMO: AR-15 .223 Prairie Panther in Shadow camo; Thompson Center Encore—sold with 50cal BP barrel; TC Accessory barrels--20ga, 25-06, 22-250, 7mm mag, & .223 w/ walnut forearms for each; DPMS Savage Marc II Acutrigger .22 bolt w/ Bushnell scope; AccuTec .380 auto pistol; Trailside Trig .22 w Simmons scope, auto; 2,400 rds of .22 shells; 200+ rds of .223; 100 rds of .22-250; 20 ga & 28ga shells; other assort ammo; HUNTING EQUIPMENT: Final Approach Goose blind; Double Bull pop up blind; Cabela’s Alaskan guide back pack; tree stand; Real Turkey decoy; turkey decoys; MoJo dove decoy & other decoys; deer target; dog carrier w/ ins. cover; shooting rest & bags; deer feeder; 300lb scale; clay pigeon thrower; bow fishing equipment; Inter Nature bow; many more smalls; ICE FISHING EQUIPMENT: Otter II Cabin 2-man Pop-up Ice Shack; Clam Pop-up; Jiffy Ice auger; Aqua-vu Scout XL 50; Vexilar Flasher; Mr. Buddy heaters; tip ups; several fishing reels; OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT: meat processing; meat slicer; stuffer; grinder; complete line of dog training equipment; collars; controllers; heating pad; dog washer tub; turkey calls; duck calls; hunting knives; wireless predator call; coolers; 2 new 12V marine batteries; oars; EZ up w bug screen; 4-man tent; oversize cots; sleeping pads; camping stove; lots of cast iron pans; camping dishes; seine nets; rods; reels; canoe wheels; plus many items too numerous to mention AUCTIONEERS NOTE: Most of this equipment is in like new condition and excellent shape. 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