In 1760 General Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the British army declared, “Indians always do mischief.” (Blackhawk, page 149). This sentiment set a tone that has persisted now for 265 years of white American antipathy towards all other races and (later) ethnicities. Unlike the French before them, when the British won dominion over interior lands hypocrisy and duplicity became their standard for diplomacy, and though this worked for a bit, by 1763 Native Americans recognized their tactics for what they were. It was at this time (during Pontiac's War of 1763) that Amherst purportedly ordered the delivery of smallpox-infected blankets to Indian villages saying, “We must use every stratagem in our power to reduce them,” and ordering that all prisoners “be put to death, their expiration being the only security for our future safety.” (Blackhawk, page 159).

This mindset solidified even further as colonists in pursuit of land began rebelling against the (half-hearted) British policies of consensus, pacifism and tolerance. This uprising alongside the more-often cited taxation eventually led to revolution. In his book “The Rediscovery of America” Ned Blackhawk succinctly states: “Indian hating is an ideology that holds Native peoples are inferior to whites and therefore rightfully subject to indiscriminate violence.” (Blackhawk, page 164) — this All-American precept would evolve over time to apply to others as well. America, for 265 years, has consistently visited violence in some form - (physical injury, hatred, separation, isolation, servitude, confinement, fear, hunger, homelessness) - on the poor, the powerless, the downtrodden (often synonymous with non-white race and ethnicity) all in pursuit of property, wealth and power…

…which is and always has been the true American Dream.

From where I sit, for those in power with wealth and property, it appears their dream has been fulfilled, yet they continue to pursue more property, more wealth, more power. In pursuit of our American Dream, it is obvious that enough is never enough. And it is this greed and desire dating all the way back to George Washington and the British colonists that to this day defines us as a nation and as a culture.

As previously described, this year I was forced into retirement and forced to take a part time job. I got on as a bank teller and every day I work I see wealth and entitlement and I see poor people struggling to play by the rules; and there are a lot of rules. This week I saw a man (in the drive-thru) get angry over having to explain a technicality on a $300 check (less than 1/10th of 1 percent of his account balance) so he drove off, leaving the check and not caring about the fate of his $300. A few weeks ago I saw a man confused and near tears over multiple $35 non-sufficient funds fees from multiple ACH withdrawals (some automatic) totaling less than $100 - he received a check register and an academic lecture (from the branch manager) on how to balance his checkbook.

Do we have our priorities turned around?

A little bit?

Maybe?

Though he didn't appear to care, would Mr. Carte Blanche object if we took his $300 downtown to hand out to the homeless?

All this from “Indians always do mischief.”