I’m reading “Mayflower’ by Nathaniel Philbrick. It’s about the Pilgrims founding Plymouth, Massachusetts. Only, it had already been found.Half of the folks who boarded the Mayflower died before they arrived in the New Word. The ones who staggered on to land were hungry, sick and ill equipped to survive the harsh New England winter. Couple that desperation with the core belief that the Native Americans were heathens and not as valuable as, say, Pilgrims. What you get is a recipe for justified theft.The very first time they encounter an Indian camp…they steal their corn. Not an auspicious beginning.
The book outlines several generations of confiscation and war. We want what you have but don’t want to compensate you for it. So, we’ll just take it. (Sound familiar?)
There were brief moments of peace. The Thanksgiving dinner was one. Each moment was created in the spirit of free enterprise…
Here’s what I have to offer. What have you got? Let’s help each other. Let’s trade. Let’s do business together.
That’s how you make peace.
