Powhatan’s Question
// July 11th, 2006 // Comments Off // General
In 1607, the Native American Powhatan asked the white settlers a question that now, 400 years later, seems more relevant than ever:
“Why will you take by force what you may have quietly by love?”
We Americans think of ourselves as innovative, enlightened, and civilized. Many of us consider ourselves motivated by high moral or religious ideals. We say all these things about ourselves, and attempt to teach these values to the next generation. But our actions speak louder.
The action in Iraq right now is not as much about protecting America as it is enriching a certain small group of Americans. And the people, especially the kids of the next generation, are not fooled by the rhetoric of our leaders. Democracy cannot be forced on a people. But they might voluntarily choose it if a truly charitable relationship had been established with them.
Settlers on the continent four centuries ago could have benefited greatly from a friendly co-existence with the natives. In return for truly civilized behavior toward the various Indian nations, Americans would have benefited from the vast body of knowledge and spiritual experience and environmental wisdom which our Indian allies would have shared with us. Instead, we brushed them aside as savages, and nearly exterminated them.
If we really are civilized and enlightened, we will progress in our ability to form healthy diplomatic relationships with the people we share planet Earth with. It’s either that, or America goes down in history as another failed attempt at empire.
