The first of Pennsylvania’s prominent politicians were Protestants of the Quaker persuasion. After discovering that Indians, unused to alcohol, could be made helplessly addicted to it, they took the “Not” out of “Thou Shalt Not Steal.”
The Lenape, Iroquois, and many other tribes were induced to sign treaties they could not read. “Just make your mark here, Chief. Then, you can have another drink. We’ll throw in a few blankets and bags of beads for the women, too.”
One treaty transferred to Quakers “land to the West that could be traveled in a day.” Cunning Quakers had relay runners stationed a few miles apart so that a great distance could be traveled that day.
Once, Connecticut settlers claimed Pennsylvania land. Peace-loving Quakers, conscientious objectors when facing military draft, hired a mercenary army and burned them out in vicious Pennamite Wars. “This is our land because we stole it first!”
Vast chunks of Pennsylvania were similarly “purchased” from helpless tribes. Tens of thousands of little Indian villages, and their few dozen or few hundred people, disappeared forever. Speculators profited by re-selling to developers who re-sold smaller parcels.
Soon, hardly any Indians remained in Pennsylvania. The entire State had been stolen by Pennsylvania’s predominately Protestant political establishment! The virtual extermination of countless Indians, vicious land-grabs, and the Pennamite Wars are not popular subjects. Pennsylvania’s primarily Protestant political leaders decreed: “Public schools will stop teaching history that makes us look bad.” Barely one Pennsylvanian in several hundred has even heard of the Pennamite Wars. Even fewer wonder: “Why aren’t there any Indians around here?”
Today, smarter Pennsylvanians realize: “Pennsylvania’s politicians wiped out the Indians! Now, they have to steal everything from us!”
What do we do? Since the Reign of Nero, The Church has taught that we must pray for the souls of those so overwhelmed by a love for money that they are willing to kill (today by abortion) and plunder (today by vicious taxation) their neighbors to get a little bit more of it.
Catholics prayed for Nero’s soul, then. We must pray for the souls of our oppressors, today. Sadly, some seem to be Catholic.
