Before that, though, Costner was discussing the beginnings of the United States of America, noting that the European dream of starting over in another country ruined the dreams of America’s indigenous people who had long inhabited the land.
“There was this promise. If you were lucky enough to get across the ocean — a lot of people left Europe because they didn’t want to be third-class citizens of a monarchy,” he said. “They knew they weren’t gonna rise and neither were their children. But if you could get across this Ocean, there was this place called America — it didn’t have a name yet — but you could make up your life, whatever you wanted to be.”
He continued, “That promise was if you’re strong enough, if you’re tough enough, if you’re resourceful enough, you can hold onto it … The promise of America ran right into the dream of another people that had been existing quite nicely without us.”
Costner declared that Westerns are “not simple,” pointing out how difficult people had it when there was “no law” and there weren’t “50 restaurants” to choose from.
“When I fly over America sometimes I look down. There’s big open spaces out that window,” he said. “I’m thinking, ‘God, we just had to have that too.’ And the people that were here — they’re gone for the most part.”
The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
