I want to start by saying that although the following are political matters, the over-arching point is NOT political. The point has to do with humanitarian things and I make it having humanitarian reasons. Make no mistake, bin Laden's death will help Obama at the polls; but that's the thing. It doesn't matter. It can be one of the trying things about holding democratic power: when your idealogical opponent does a thing that is good for your country; you had better suck it up and support him all the way on it, because it is good for you too. My point being that those who DID offer their full support and congratulations (Trump's surprisingly classy response comes to mind) will probably see this event in a relatively reduced way actually helping their campaign. So I think the implications at the ballet box will for the greater part balance out by November, 2012.
On Sunday, May 1, 2011; there took place an absolution from sins never committed; a validation of an un-ambiguity; and vindication from crimes for which there were neither guilt nor criminal. There was a victory Sunday; and not just the victory of which we have seen and heard so much; the victory of the Commander-in-Chief, a man who never himself served in the military until being sworn in as POTUS, his national security team and all those boots on the ground including Seal Team 6. We all know the magnitude of that accomplishment. But the aforementioned victory, a strategically brilliant operation that began in late 2010 and resulted in a small firefight and the most wanted man in the world summarily executed; was glaring proof of another more subtle victory, over yet more sinister forces. These forces have been present in American society since before the country's founding; for centuries there has been a foolishness infesting some of those who call the shots in the New World. Recently this infestation has been for the most part purged; but still, like a tiny trace of tumor still hiding within our racial conscience, there is a not-insignificant number who still are afflicted.
There is much foolishness among humans; we all know it. We see it all the time, every day. We see it in ourselves (well, i do at least). But there is one bit of foolish myth that has been and continues to be particularly vexing to me:
The notion, still held by many, that African-Americans are no good.
That they can't be counted on.
That if you count on them, don't trust them.
That if you trust them, don't let them make decisions.
That if you let them make decisions, make sure they're not BIG decisions.
And of course, IF you do make the mistake of not following the above; you'll be sooooorrrryyyyy.
Barack Obama's victory over Bin Laden shows glaringly clear for all to see that "people of color" CAN be trusted, even with the most sensitive military operations. That they can see those operations through to completion. That they ARE good. Some will refuse to see it. Like I said; there are some, I fear there are a few even among the US military who still hold to the monstrous opinions above in their deepest thoughts. Feelings like that are never disposed of easily, especially when they are so deeply entrenched. And undoubtably this is a very old thing among the United States military establishment; so many times it has been an up-hill battle to convince the brass that the blacks were worth a damn at anything, despite them showing that worth again and again:
If you've seen Men of Honor then you know the name and story of Carl Brashear. He was the first African-American US Navy Diver. He enlisted on February 25, 1948, shortly after desegragation. He did well, and by all accounts was treated fairly; that is until he started wanting more for himself; until he decided he wanted to be a Navy Diver. Purportedly; when Carl showed up at the US Navy Diving and Salvage School in Bayonne, NJ, the training officer thought he was supposed to be a cook. As one might expect Carl experienced much more similar nonsense during his time serving his country; but he saw all of this as nothing more than a challenge. He graduated from USNDSS in 1954 and went on to also become the first African-American US Navy Master Diver and, after a tragic accident in January 1966 which left him without the lower portion of his left leg, the first amputee diver (of any color) to be certified or re-certified as a U.S. Navy diver.
In June 1941 the Tuskegee Program was officially begun with the 99th Pursuit Squadron, that being the first African-American group of military aviators. Their service was, not surprisingly, frought with an almost unimaginable amoung of racist feeling coming from the (white) officers above them and alongside them. They were appalled to see blacks actually flying airplanes. A report issued by the Army War College in 1925 had declared that the African-American was "cowardly and morally unfit to contribute to the military in a meaningful way." What were their reasons? Oh who needs reasons when you're a bunch of racist pigs. And the feeling persisted. As Lt. Col. Harry Stewart writes here
The airmen who did not go overseas and trained at Selfridge Field, Michigan as bomber crew in the 477th Medium Bombardment Group experienced a great deal of racism. These highly trained military officers were treated as "trainees" and denied access to the base officers' club, an act contradictory to Army regulations. There was a rather heated reaction and the Group was transferred to Godman Field, Kentucky. The unfair treatment and hostility continued at Godman Field and in early 1945, the group was transferred to Freeman Field, Indiana where the hostilities finally reached a climax. When black officers tried to enter the Freeman Field Officers' Club, against direct orders for them to stay out, one hundred and three officers were arrested, charged with insubordination and ordered to face court martial.
The consummate skill of these aviators was demonstrated repeatedly during the war; this from the
Tuskegee Airmen wikipedia page:
The 99th was finally considered ready for combat duty by April 1943. It shipped out of Tuskegee on 2 April, bound for North Africa, where it would join the 33rd Fighter Group and its commander Colonel William W. Momyer. Given little guidance from battle-experienced pilots, the 99th's first combat mission was to attack the small strategic volcanic island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean Sea, to clear the sea lanes for the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943. The air assault on the island began on 30 May 1943. The Italian population of 11,500 surrendered on 11 June: it was the first time in history an enemy's military resistance had been overcome solely by air power.
And again in 1949; this from a March 31
article by James Dickson,
But if World War II established blacks could fly military aircraft in competent fashion, it was the Tuskegee Airmen's showing in the May 1949 Air Force Weapons Meet that proved blacks could aim high, as well. For almost two weeks that May, top representatives from every branch of the military engaged in aeronautical competition at the Las Vegas Air Force Base (now Wright Patterson). By the end, the men from the 332nd Fighter Group had won.
There is a story, possibly apocryphal but I believe it anyway, of an Airman fresh off the boat from Europe after having been wounded; the Silver Star he'd just been awarded gleaming on his chest, he decided to go out to a restaurant because he was hungry. Did I mention he was in Tennessee in 1943? He smelled a delicious smell wafting out the door of what looked like a nice place and decided to go in. When he looked at the door he clenched his fists. There was an old familiar sign: White's only. Then he looked through the window and saw something much worse; a trio of white American officers eating lunch with a high-ranking German POW. They felt they were right to treat a Nazi with honor due his rank, while sending their countryman with the medal on his chest around back because his skin was a certain color. Like I said; that might or might not have actually happened, but it is all too feasible.
During WW2, because of the threat of a Japanese offensive on American soil in Alaska, a decision was made to build a highway connecting the continental US to Alaska. Due to the segregation of the armed forces and the bigotry of their leaders, black soldiers were in large part relegated to non-combat roles. Therefore three regiments, the 93rd, 95th, and 97th engineers, were sent to Alaska to build a road. As Heath Twitchell writes in his book Northwest Epic : The Building Of The Alaska Highway:
As a result, relatively few black infantry, armor, or artillery units were organized during World War II . . . . In the end, black soldiers were assigned to more than their share of units engaged in low-tech, high-sweat duties in the Engineers and Quartermaster Corps. Although the Corps of Engineers put most of its new black soldiers into general-purpose construction battalions and regiments, shortages of heavy equipment sometimes resulted in the black units' being issued fewer bulldozers and more shovels and wheelbarrows than the white units got. Another touchy issue was where to station the new black units. In the United States, military leaders felt they had to worry about the impact of large numbers of young black soldiers on nearby civilian communities.
But yet these again proved to be mere obstacles, mere bumps in the road if you will, to the men of the 93rd, 95th, and 97th. As Ken Coates writes in
North to Alaska!
Most of the tales about the black troops contain two elements - memories of men as excellent workers and references to their intense dislike of the cold. One officer wrote, "During the most severe weather encountered, it is believed that Negro troops, properly led, have accomplished more physical labour than other troops in the same area engaged in similar work." Ruth Gruber, an official with the U.S. Department of the Interior, quoted the soldiers' officers as saying, "The Negroes were better soldiers and builders than the whites. They put our gold-bricks [slackers] to shame. We never had a bit of trouble with them; they policed themselves . . . ." Today, it is clear that the black soldiers managed to perform as well as the white soldiers, despite the disadvantages imposed by a racist and discriminatory age.
If you've seen the movie Glory, you have seen a (more-or-less) accurate depiction of the same exact type of poisonously ignorant feeling directed at the soldier who happened to be of African descent. Despite the top guys being told repeatedly by their officers in the field of the valor and fighting competence of these men, still there were these silly yet so deep-seeded fears. From the wikipedia page Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War
The issue of raising black regiments in the Union's war efforts was at first met with trepidation by officials within the Union command structure, Abraham Lincoln included. Concerns over the response of the border states (of which one, Maryland, surrounded Washington D.C.), the response of white soldiers and officers, as well as the effectiveness of a colored fighting force were raised........
In general, white soldiers and officers believed that black men lacked the ability to fight and fight well. In October 1862, African American soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers silenced their critics by repulsing attacking Confederate guerrillas at the Skirmish at Island Mound, Missouri in October 1862. By August, 1863, 14 Negro Regiments were in the field and ready for service. At the Battle of Port Hudson, Louisiana, May 27, 1863, the African American soldiers bravely advanced over open ground in the face of deadly artillery fire. Although the attack failed, the black soldiers proved their capability to withstand the heat of battle, with General Banks recording in the his official report; "Whatever doubt may have existed heretofore as to the efficiency of organizations of this character, the history of this days proves...in this class of troops effective supporters and defenders.....
Although black soldiers proved themselves as reputable soldiers, discrimination in pay and other areas remained widespread. According to the Militia Act of 1862, soldiers of African descent were to receive $10.00 a month, with a optional deduction for clothing at $3.00. In contrast, white privates received thirteen dollars per month plus a clothing allowance of $3.50.[12] Many regiments struggled for equal pay, some refusing any money until June 15, 1864, when Congress granted equal pay for all black soldiers.[13] Besides discrimination in pay, colored units were often disproportionately assigned laborer work[14]. General Daniel Ullman, commander of the Corps d'Afrique, remarked "I fear that many high officials outside of Washington have no other intention than that these men shall be used as diggers and drudges."
I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that the vast majority of the above prejudices, 99.99% of them, no longer infest the US military. The commitment among the powerful in the United States to see a fully equal and free military is undeniable. These pages show some of the timeline of that commitment: African American Military History , African Americans in the US Army
It is to the few bad apples, still trying to ruin the pie for everybody, that I wish to address myself.
Now I know full well that I'm likely not telling most of the people likely to read this anything they don't already know. It's general knowledge today that the above references are just a few facets of the ugly and convoluted history of racism among the powerful in America. It continued openly until very recently, when compared to the whole span of centuries it's been going on. I am certain it continues to this day with some of those who weild the sword of the most powerful nation on earth. I'm not naming any names here, for the prime tool in this game won't be accusation, but forgiveness; not recrimination, but confession. Those who still have these Jim Crow feelings casting a shadow on their vision know who they are and don't speak them openly, it's possible they think they have discarded them completely from their judgement of others; as if such a thing were possible. But really, is it? No, I don't think so. Not without a lot of convincing. Not without a lot of bald-faced evidence. Up until May 1, 2011 that evidence, though most definetely existant, was avoidable, was deniable. No more. Now it is right in their bigot faces, much as they might still try to avoid and deny it.
I think Obama's actions in killing Osama bin Laden is like a UV light for racists; it makes them damn easy to spot. Because honestly; if a person is pro-US military, pro-war on terror and pro-killing bin Laden, and that person is criticizing the POTUS for his mastermind of bin Laden's death, I can't see any reason other than racism for that criticism.