Bush's Radio Address: Every Thanksgiving, we remember the story of the Pilgrims who came to America

[bigtree]

November 25, 2006

Bush: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/11/20061125.html

"Every Thanksgiving, we remember the story of the Pilgrims who came to America in search of a better life and religious freedom. Much has changed in the four centuries since these humble settlers landed at Plymouth Rock. While they were only a shivering few, we are now a strong and growing Nation of more than 300 million. And the desire for freedom that led the Pilgrims to the New World still guides our Nation today."


Typical of Bush to frame the Pilgrim's theft of the land they happened upon, and the oppression of the "savages" they encountered and conquered, as all about the humble settlers' "desire for freedom." Not a word from Bush about the "freedom" of the first inhabitants. It makes the blood boil to hear Bush use the same jingoistic nonsense that the first band of misogynistic thugs used to justify their marauding invasion and occupation of the first inhabitant's land, and realize that it's the same nonsense which guides his thinking about the inhabitants of the lands he's invaded and occupied.


from a Pilgrim's journal (letter by Caleb Johnson): http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/PrimarySources/MourtsRelation.pdf


. . . some will say, what right have I to go live in the heathens’ country?

And first seeing we daily pray for the conversion of the heathens,
we must consider whether there be not some ordinary means, and course
for us to take to convert them, or whether prayer for them be only
referred to God’s extraordinary work from heaven. Now it seemeth unto
me that we ought also to endeavor and use the means to convert them,
and the means cannot be used unless we go to them or they come to us: to
us they cannot come, our land is full: to them we may go, their land is
empty.

This then is a sufficient reason to prove our going thither to live,
lawful their land is spacious and void, and there are few and do but run
over the grass, as do also the foxes and wild beasts: they are not
industrious, neither have art, science, skill or faculty to use either the land
or the commodities of it, but all spoils, rots, and is marred for want of
manuring, gathering, ordering, etc. As the ancient patriarchs therefore
removed from straighter places into more roomy, where the land lay idle
and waste, and none used it, though there dwelt inhabitants by them, as
Gen. 13:6,11,12, and 34:21 and 41:20, so it is lawful now to take a land
which none useth, and make use of it.

And as it is a common land or unused, and undressed country; so
we have it by common consent, composition and agreement, which
agreement is double: first the imperial governor Massasoit, whose
circuits in likelihood are larger than England and Scotland, hath
acknowledged the King’s Majesty of England to be his master and
commander, and that once in my hearing, yea and in writing, under his
hand to Captain Standish, both he and many other kings which are under
him, as Pamet, Nauset, Cummaquid, Narragansett, Nemasket, etc. with
divers others that dwell about the bays of Patuxet, and Massachusetts:
neither hath this been accomplished by threats and blows, or shaking of
sword, and sound of trumpet, for as our faculty that way is small, and our
strength less: so our warring with them is after another manner, namely
by friendly usage, love, peace, honest and just carriages, good counsel,
etc. that so we and they may not only live in peace in that land, and they
yield subjection to an earthly prince, but that as voluntaries they may be
persuaded at length to embrace the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus, and rest
in peace with him forever.


some things never change



http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[Submariner]

1. You can bet the Indians loved the Pilgrims

[Bitwit1234]

2. Lawsuits

And the government that leases the land belonging to the Indians to the corporate oil and lumber industries. The government that has been faced with a lawsuit for tens of tens of years because they are cheating the Indians out of their money. That's the govenment for you...

[liberal N proud]

3. Bu$h remembers the Pilgrims but forgets why they came to America

as he pushes the right wing Christian fundamentalist agenda. They fled religious persecution and we have come full circle where we must worship only as the fundies think we should.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. History has shown us what happens when fundies get in power

1692. Salem, Massachusettes. The Witch Trials were used by the clergy to try and usurp power from the Royal Governor, but it didn't work-people finally came to their senses. But not until several people, my 9-great grandmother included, were dead before their time.

[bigtree]

6. The Pilgrims were hypocrites in their complaints of religious persecution

They not only wanted to worship as they pleased, they wanted everyone else to worship as they did. They had no respect at all for the beliefs of the inhabitants they encountered.

some things never change

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. The "freedom" many of the Pilgrims came for

was the "freedom" to tell everyone they had to do things their way. When Gabriel Wheldon decided he liked hanging out with the Wampanoags better than living in the English style, he was banished from the colony, which didn't matter to him a whit. He moved to Cape Cod (along with Stephen Hopkins, himself a "Stranger" or non-Puritan, who had been hired to be a liason between the Pilgrims and the Indians)and married Massasoit's neice. Their daughter married Giles Hopkins, Stephen's son. Funny, but after a number of years, all was "forgiven" as far as these folks and Plymouth was concerned...maybe it was too hard for even them to swallow stealing land from fellow Englishmen.

[bigtree]

7. Massasoit's bargain with the Pilgrims was an ultimate surrender

He wanted to use the Pilgrims in an alliance against his rivals, the Narragansett. In the end, by allowing, and enabling the Pilgrims to establish themselves, on the land, and in direct trading relationships with the other tribes which had been previously managed by Massasoit, the bargain ensured the survival of the expedition.



from Pilgrim Hall Museum: http://www.pilgrimhall.org/massa-tr.htm

THE TREATY WITH MASSASOIT

"... the coming of their great Sachem, called Massasoiet. Who, about four or five days after, came with the chief of his friends and other attendance, with the aforesaid Squanto. With whom, after friendly entertainment and some gifts given him, they made a peace with him (which hath now continued this 24 years) in these terms :

I. That neither he nor any of his, should injure or do hurt to any of their people.
II. That if any of his did any hurt to any of theirs, he should send the offender that they might punish him.
III. That if any thing were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should do the like to his.
IV. That if any did unjustly war against him, they would aid him; and if any did war against them, he should aid them.
V. That he should send to his neighbours confederates to certify them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in the conditions of peace.
VI. That when their men came to them, they should leave their bows and arrows behind them.

[BrotherBuzz]

10. The treaty lasted and held many years with the Separatists

Trouble started, and the treaty failed, when the Puritans usurped authority. Like ayeshahaqqiqa, I am descended from Strangers, and tend to view the history of that period from a different perspective. In some small way, the Plymouth Colony experiment (allowing 'Strangers' - non-believers - all the rights and privileges of the church members) was just as much a victim of the 'ultimate surrender' as the Indians.

Would have, could have, should have.

The Theocratic Puritans were the trouble, not the Separatists.

[philosophie_en_rose]

8. ... and cut out paper Indian headdresses and ....

:eyes:

Did Bush graduate from kindergarten?

[subterranean]

9. Give credit to Bush

He made it through the whole speech without mentioning "September the 11th" even once! When's the last time that happened?

[bigtree]

11. he wanted you to think of it though

freedom, freedom, freedom, (Bush is Miles Standish, pass it on) freedom, freedom . . .