1911 - After a year of petitions, protests, objections and disgust - this lawmaker says something incredibly stupid:

Senator William J. Stone of Missouri really loves the movies. He often takes them in during daily sessions of Congress. Now, it's important to remember here that this is the year the various tribal delegations were in town, objecting to their false portrayal in motion-pictures, and petitioned the government to make such movies illegal - because they were so atrociously bad. 

But Senator Stone is a fan. A big, huge fan. What we would today call a "movie buff."  And he REALLY likes the cowboy & Indian action pictures. 

So what does he say about these offensive films? Well.. he thinks all the politicians should watch them. 

The article states: "His historical knowledge concerning the Indians is refreshed after viewing an Indian picture, and he says that he is in better position to discuss the affairs of the first Americans after he peruses an Indian picture on the films."

 Now... let that sink in for a moment.

He views the false, offensive Indian pictures that the tribal delegates have petitioned to be censored, BEFORE he goes back to work to discuss the affairs of the first Americans. He would be Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs 1913–1914. I wonder if he got all his historical education and political inspiration from the films of that time too. (FYI: There was another big protest in 1914 over the depiction of indigenous people in "historical reenactments" of events such as Wounded Knee and General Custer.) 

This is an appropriate way to close out 1911 - since, pretty much, after a year of protesting and petitioning, the grievances were ignored and the movies would get worse than the delegates could possibly imagine. 
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