So, let's get this out of the way. The concept of Manifest Destiny is the purest form of racism that you can find. There are cutesy descriptions of what it means but the way I see it, Manifest Destiny is the idea that Europeans were favored by God and God's invisible hands cleared the way for European settlers.
I have to admit that my interpretation of the term is based on my experieance of learning about the term in high school. I think that I was in the 9th grade and had just moved from Iqaluit in Canada, so if it was something that was covered in a previous history lesson I missed it. The way that I remember it being described was American settlers wanted to move westward but there were always struggles with Native groups. Native American immune systems are incompatible with European 'herd' diseases. The invisible hand of Divinity was clearing the land ahead of settlers. I made my own connection to conclude that settlers believed that God favored them and wanted them to inhabit America and He showed His favoritism by killing the Natives for them.
I was frustrated and appalled that people would believe that God favored one race over another. (I was raised to believe that God loved all of mankind equally.) There was no outlet for my frustration because there was no class discussion of what was really going on. We simply moved on to the next topic.
And so I remained in a fog of confusion over what was really bothering me about this concept. For many years I couldn't understand why it annoyed me so much. Because the concept was explained in vague terms and covered up with just enough political correctness junk to mask the real meaning.
I think that there are many ethical implications for teaching the concept of Manifest Destiny in this way. This is the best example of history being written by the winners. It's a form of brainwashing and it creates a culture of sub-conscious racism. It penetrates so many facets of American culture and I cringe every time that it is thoughtlessly mentioned in movies and television.
What happens is that well-meaning and kind people, who would never have overtly racist thoughts or behavior, end up saying subtle racist phrases. When I try to explain my ideas I am responded with 'well, isn't that what happened?' and 'don't call me racist!'. (I have a very hard time explaining where I am coming from and it's very frustrating. I even worry that what I am saying here won't be understood.)
So here is the discussion on theology that we can't avoid. I don't believe that there is anyone that can prove to me that God created a ranking system based on the color of a person's skin. Even if you aren't religious, prove me wrong with science. There is no inherent difference between races, we are all the same. Why would God want to kill millions (I will have to talk about pre-Columbian population in another entry) of his children? I believe that what happened was a test for both Natives and Europeans. It's unfortunate that most Europeans interpreted susceptibility to disease as a sign of their superiority and used the knowledge of lack of immunity against Natives. It's also unfortunate that Natives allow history to be taught in this way.
No, God did not favor Europeans and gave them America from east to west coast. And I'm not saying that anyone is racist for using unconscious racist phrases. It's just a product of the way that history is taught in public schools and it needs to change. Educate yourself, stop and ask yourself if this widespread idea is ethical, and teach your children to read between the lines and ask questions for themselves.
