05-01-2021, 10:24 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-01-2021, 10:59 AM by Michigan Swamp Buck.
Edit Reason: Added extra comments
)
Ninurta . . .
This period in history, with the idea of manifest destiny, the settlers of European descent were expanding ever further west into the same territories that the Natives had been getting pushed into from nearly day one of colonization. Most of the tribes had been decimated by foreign pathogens like small pox and by then it had become a fight for survival for the Native Americans. They were fighting the very extinction of their race in addition to their cultures.
Of course, even with strong Christian faith, the European settlers found ways to dehumanize the Natives and used scriptural loop holes to rationalize their own savage violence against the Indians. I'd have to say that early on in the colonies and the later western territories, anyone trying to make it in the wild lands were in a struggle to survive by any means necessary.
Now in relation to old western movies and TV shows, the majority of story lines were about wanted criminals of the white kind, bank, train and stage robbers along with murders that were on the loose. They concentrated on the lawlessness of the old west that was highly exaggerated. For example, in Gunsmoke, Matt Dillon and the lawless criminals would have at least one gun fight (or more) in Dodge City in every episode, however, the historical fact was that Dodge City had a law against being armed in town, the level of gun violence portrayed in Gunsmoke is off the charts compared to reality.
In later years, the stories had white violence ramped up, while Native Americans were characterized as the noble savage, a victim of white hostility. It wasn't the clear cut white hats against the black hats and Indians on the war path any more. We ended up with flawed white heroes with selfish intentions, the bad guys that were the good guys by the lower percentage of their lawless acts. Obviously moral relativism had crept into the stories and blurred the line between right and wrong. That was the growing communist influence at work in my opinion.
ETA: From what I've been watching, the TV series "Wagon Train" has the highest content of moral themes of civilized people obeying the law, carefully observing justice and actually using Bible references (Bible frequently mentioned). The Rifleman had similar themes, but no Bible stuff that I remember. It is interesting to note that "No Place to Hide", the unaired 1965 "Lost in Space" pilot episode had the whole family praying with the Bible, but that wholesome Christian family settling in the new frontier theme disappeared for the most part when the program hit the air.
Quote:It's absolutely true that Indians could be violent and dangerous savages, but what is rarely pointed out is that the white folks who met them were usually just as violent, just as dangerous, and just as savage. They had to be, in order to not just survive, but prevail. It wasn't a one way street, in either direction, and there is damned little entertainment that accurately shows that.
This period in history, with the idea of manifest destiny, the settlers of European descent were expanding ever further west into the same territories that the Natives had been getting pushed into from nearly day one of colonization. Most of the tribes had been decimated by foreign pathogens like small pox and by then it had become a fight for survival for the Native Americans. They were fighting the very extinction of their race in addition to their cultures.
Of course, even with strong Christian faith, the European settlers found ways to dehumanize the Natives and used scriptural loop holes to rationalize their own savage violence against the Indians. I'd have to say that early on in the colonies and the later western territories, anyone trying to make it in the wild lands were in a struggle to survive by any means necessary.
Now in relation to old western movies and TV shows, the majority of story lines were about wanted criminals of the white kind, bank, train and stage robbers along with murders that were on the loose. They concentrated on the lawlessness of the old west that was highly exaggerated. For example, in Gunsmoke, Matt Dillon and the lawless criminals would have at least one gun fight (or more) in Dodge City in every episode, however, the historical fact was that Dodge City had a law against being armed in town, the level of gun violence portrayed in Gunsmoke is off the charts compared to reality.
In later years, the stories had white violence ramped up, while Native Americans were characterized as the noble savage, a victim of white hostility. It wasn't the clear cut white hats against the black hats and Indians on the war path any more. We ended up with flawed white heroes with selfish intentions, the bad guys that were the good guys by the lower percentage of their lawless acts. Obviously moral relativism had crept into the stories and blurred the line between right and wrong. That was the growing communist influence at work in my opinion.
ETA: From what I've been watching, the TV series "Wagon Train" has the highest content of moral themes of civilized people obeying the law, carefully observing justice and actually using Bible references (Bible frequently mentioned). The Rifleman had similar themes, but no Bible stuff that I remember. It is interesting to note that "No Place to Hide", the unaired 1965 "Lost in Space" pilot episode had the whole family praying with the Bible, but that wholesome Christian family settling in the new frontier theme disappeared for the most part when the program hit the air.