Hunting The Muse

Very good points. Neocons refuse to address that last point especially. Instead they simply take credit for it all. The far right of the GOP is taking their own party farther and farther from its roots.

I am a black republican, and I would consider myself quite conservative. I think that your labelling of all republicans as "necons" and assuming that most or all blacks are democrats is bigoted and racist.

James, no one said either of those things, and if they had, neither would be bigoted or racist. The neocons inhabit the Republican party because they are right wing. Al Gore got 90% of the black vote. You're using the call of racism as a debate tactic, which undermines the seriousness of trying to address racism itself.

I can't say whether James' complaint was a conscious tactic on his part. Curt is right, though, to point out that the cynical misuse of such tactics has made it harder to get at the truth of things like racism. For my part, though, I was making the distinction between the GOP and neocons, who are a loud and powerful faction within it. By my understanding, the two become diametrically opposed to one another, new generation against old, as more time passes. As for racism itself, it infected both ends of America's political spectrum a long time ago. I've experienced my share of it. (I was hoping to exchange it for a full refund one day, anyway....) Seriously, the only way to inoculate ourselves from it is with intellectual honesty and heartfelt compassion. And we won't get it until our country's current infatuation with cultural misinformation comes to an end.

Historically speaking, both Democrats and Republicans have been racist. The Democrats were the bad pro-slavery guys in the 1800's and the republicans were the good guys. They flip-flopped in the 1900's, I just cant remember under what Republican Presidency. After the 40's, Republicans just became more blatant. Oh yeah, Elijah Cummings from my home state of Maryland is a senator, he was also spoke at the DNC. Even though, this might hurt Obamba again, I was pleased to here that Alan Keys joined the race. This can be seen as a smear tactic or on the bright said, a new back republican because Keys is on the Republican ticket.

I disagree with him, but I like Alan Keyes for the most part. His bid for Obama's seat, however, takes a couple of critical hits from the start. Keyes lives in Maryland, not Illinois. He can move there, but his attacks on Hillary Clinton's move to New York suddenly take on a hyprocritical note. To make matters worse, the fact that the GOP had to look outside the state to find another black politician just looks terrible. Calling it a cynical move, no pun intended, is an act of charity. Ouch.

Anyone, of any color, can be a racist, brainwashed fool. True story: this past weekend I took a bike ride into D.C. I sat by the Georgetown waterfront, and a black man on the bench next to me started a conversation. The subject eventually swung to politics and I was shocked - actually, thoroughly sickened - and the intensity of this man's racist, backward, brainwashed state of mind. He claimed he was a Republican who worked in the Reagan administration, helped create the Dept of Homeland Security, went to Harvard, attended schools with the Bushes.

He grew up in a military family, claimed to have close relatives who were ambassadors, claimed to have known Nixon, etc. He was instensely enthusiastic about being a tool of the racist Republicans. Based on his upbringing, this man definitely deserved to be a Republican. Of course, he also seemed like an ideal Klan member, but that's besides the point.

Anyway, the point being - even though it IS accurate to say that most of black America would identify with Democrats (which really aren't much better), there are a select few who are willingly and gladly working for the enemy.

I grew up in a small town in central Florida in the 30's and 40's. Blacks were not allowed to use the same bathrooms as white, wasn't allowed to eat in a white dining establishment, had to set in the back of buses. They could come to the white side of town only to shop and work. they were referred to as Niger's or Negroes. In those days they lived on the other side of the tracks as we used to say, in their own community. they had their own Churches and Schools. I remember the KKK would drive through their neighborhood at night to scare them, burn crosses in their yards. I never knew of any time that any African American was lynched in my home town.

I work for a small Dairy where we had two Black teenagers working there. we all got along and joked with one another and only once did we have any trouble between us. One of the White boys (now I will use Boy loosely with no disrespect) wanted to wrestle with one of the black boys who didn't want to, he kept pushing the black boy until he gave in and then the trouble started. The black boy put the white boy on the ground and then the white boy started to get mad. The other white boys started laughing at the white boy and then the black boy got up and said that he didn't want to hurt the white boy and that was the end of it.

Over the years I have made friends with a lot of African American and respect them as Americans not as a race of Americans, most if not all of them were born in the United States not Africa as a matter of fact I know of no friend of color who was born in Africa.

Now what is the point that I am trying to make? It takes time to heal old ways and as one grows older he can see where things wasn't right when he was growing up. I do not believe that Riots and burning business is the answer, do you? The black race has come a long ways from the time I was a teenager, I am now 75 years old put 22 years in the Marines along side of African Americans, work with State Farm Insurance with African Americans and have an African American who is my neighbor, a Democrat. If this upsets anyone, it wasn't intended to, it was how I was raised back in the 30's and 40's and how I changed over the years.

HISTORY TEST

Please pause a moment, reflect back, and take the following multiple
choice test. The events are actual cuts from recent history. They
actually happened!!!

Do you remember?

-1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by
a. Superman
b. Jay Lenno
c. Harry Potter
d. Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40

1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and
massacred by
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

2. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in
Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year
old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his
wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy
diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

9. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill' s women
problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10.On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as
missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining
two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted
and crashed by the passengers.Thousands of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

Nope, I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do
you?

So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly
fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer
be allowed to profile certain people . They must conduct random
searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with
proper identification, secret agents who are members of the
President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal
hips, and Medal of Honor winning and former Governor Joe
Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone
because of profiling.

1. Who killed Lincoln?

a) A strawberry muffin
b) The moon
c) Darth Vader
d) A male killer whose full name included his middle name

2. Who killed Kennedy?

a) A wet t-shirt
b) The tooth fairy
c) Papa Smurf
d) A male killer whose full name included his middle name

3. Who was the Green River killer in Seattle?

a) Your mom
b) Santa Claus
c) The color blue
d) A male killer whose full name included his middle name

4. Who was the businessman that killed several people after hiring them to work in his contracting company in Chicago?

a) A goat
b) Fourteen kittens
c) A poinsetta
d) A male killer whose full name included his middle name

Nope, I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you?

This is exactly why we should profile all men who sometimes sign their names with their middle name spelled out. Our safety from serial killers depends on it!

Racist.

tunesmith,

"A male killer whose full name included his middle name"

Now what you didn't say, was what race were these killers. You cannot profile by a name.

Now I hope that you wasn't calling me a Racist, if you are, man you are way off base.

This is from a very good friend.

What is your reply.

RIOT!!

Vietnam was only one of several battlefields during the 60's and 70's.

It is unbelievable how the American elite have treated the riots, sabotage and other attacks on non-black military personnel--including fragging/killing of staff NCOs and officers, by black military personnel during the Vietnam era. It is as though the wanton, vicious, traitorous acts never happened. No books have been written, no days of remembrance for ships almost destroyed, no newspaper or magazine articles about the military bases that were subject to destructive, injurious riots, or memorials for the dead and injured from the racial assaults. Virtually none of the terrorist acts has been acknowledged. I will wager that no American publisher would accept a book about any of the bloody racial violence so prevalent in the military during the years 1967-1975.

Americans normally rush to the aid of people in grave danger. A total stranger will be helped in time of emergency. In the face of dire consequences the brave heart and fighting spirit of average people have been clearly demonstrated time and time again. Heroism is our heritage.

I was Commanding Officer of VMA(AW)-533 during a riot on the evening of January 1, 1972. It was the second and worst of two riots I experienced after arriving at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan in June 1971. My billeting accommodations were in one of the many four bedroom apartments with a shared head in the Senior Officers Quarters just inside the main gate. AT 2200 hours I was brushing my teeth in preparation for retiring when scuffling and shouting noises were heard from the street out front. I looked out the door and saw 200 feet away under the street lights a man being stomped by about twenty blacks. Shouting "Knock it off! Stop!" I charged out of the door, jumped off the three foot high porch and ran toward the downed Marine. After giving a couple of final kicks, the group of blacks ran toward the Officer's Club with clinched fists raised high in the air. Three rioters could be seen attacking a Marine on a bicycle in the O'Club parking lot. Upon reaching the victim, I saw blood running from his mouth, nose and ears. Under the street lights his skin appeared yellow-gray. I thought he might be dead and I decided to capture an assailant for courts martial. A jogging straggler, who I had seen give the last kick, was shouting with his fist high in the air and didn't hear me sprint up behind him. I grabbed him around the waist from behind, interlocked my fingers, raised him high upon my chest and carried him back to where the body was laying in a pool of blood. The culprit was screaming and cursing as he struggled to get loose. I noticed that no other SOQ residents had come out to help the assault victim and I was alone with a very angry captive. Suddenly, I was surrounded by the twenty blacks. They had rushed back to rescue their accomplice. The group commenced beating and flailing me. I used my captive as a shield. Some attackers were kicking my legs but the added weight of my prisoner helped keep me upright. I rotated left with my prisoner on my chest so he was catching a lot of blows meant for me. Unexpectedly, I felt sharp, stabbing pains in my back--like knife punctures. I then became worried. I figured, "This bastard is not worth losing a kidney." So I started whirling like performing the hammer throw in sporting events. I spun faster and faster and, timing my release perfectly, I flung the captive toward my SOQ room. His weight punched a hole through the circle of attackers and I broke through the hole in a dead run for the SOQ porch. I jumped the three feet up onto the concrete porch and put myself directly behind a column which was one of several that supported the second story porch deck. The attackers had to jump up onto the porch in order to reach me. Why they didn't all jump up on the porch at once and overpower me, I will never understand. They were content to jump up individually and I would kick, push and knock the attacker back off the porch. Finally, two did jump up simultaneously on each side of the column and while I was handling the attacker on the right, the offender on the left caught me on the left temple with a roundhouse right. My legs wobbled and I damned near went out. But, the puncher quickly jumped back off the porch. My shouts that I was an officer and they were under arrest were ignored. Two of my roommates would stick their heads out of our front door and shout orders but when the assailants leaned in their direction they slammed the door. No one in the SOQ came out to help me although several officers were peeking out of their windows. Finally, after what seemed like ten minutes, the blacks walked off with their fists in the air shouting obscenities. I hurried out to the body of the original assault victim, rolled him over and checked his vital signs. He was alive. I recognized the Marine as an older major nearing both the end of his unaccompanied overseas tour and his retirement. Some SOQ members had called earlier for Security personnel and an ambulance but security had been told to not engage the rioters and emergency personnel elected to not approach until the mob had departed. The medics rushed forward and the comatose victim was taken to the base hospital.

The Major lived. Over 100 non-black Marines were treated at the hospital emergency room for various injuries. The dozen punctures and lacerations on the left side of my back were treated. The cuts looked like Exacto knife work. The major left the hospital in a week or so and then sort of adopted me as his caretaker. He hung around my room for a couple of weeks until they sent him back to the United States for retirement.

It seemed that finding and arresting the attackers was left up to me. Iwakuni Air Station and the Marine Air Wing appeared uninterested in learning the identity of the rioters. My Suzuki van had wide blue stripes down the sides and a huge diving hawk on each back door which matched our squadron Intruder paint scheme. I was easily recognizable. None of the Hawks of 533 were involved in the riots. One day, as I drove on the base, I noticed two Marines passing the black power sign with clinched fists high in the air. One of the greeters had a short cast on his right arm wrapped in Ace bandages. I stopped and arrested the Marine. I advised him of his rights under Article 31 of the UCMJ and said he was being arrested for assault on New Year's Day. He said, "I was on liberty in Fukuoka on January first." I said, "Your bandaged right arm was outside my SOQ room!"

My XO, Andy Martin, and I found my captive who had delivered the last kick to the downed victim's head. We were walking through the support squadron's mail area looking for the Commanding Officer when I recognized the assailant in the mail line. I arrested him and took him topside to the CO's office. The spit-shined attacker worked as the orderly for H&MS-12 Commanding Officer. He was a perfect looking Marine when not in his safari jacket, beret, and leather gloves attacking non-blacks. The CO of H&MS-12 refused to believe his orderly was an attacking rioter. I had to contact my Air Group Commander, Ed Rutty, to get a search warrant and find the blood spattered clothing in the suspect's wall locker. I had a hard time getting any rioters prosecuted. When I was brought into the courtroom to testify in one General Courts Martial, the defendant was seated in the middle of about twenty blacks in the spectator area. The prosecutor asked me to point to and identify the defendant. Fortunately I was able to spot him hunkered down in the group of his peers. The CG First MAW, Major General Owens, pressured me to drop the charges. I refused to bow to the politics of the case. Generals at all levels wanted the riots kept quiet--as though no riots or injuries had occurred. As a Squadron CO, I felt punishment for the attackers was the only action I could take and still be able to shave in front of a mirror. The accused was found guilty and a sentence imposed of five years of confinement at hard labor and a dishonorable discharge, however a pretrial agreement reduced the sentence to seven months in the Brig and a Bad Conduct Discharge.

When will historians recall such events as this?

Marvin, someone who is a racist can easily react to their racist impulses and comb through history to cherry-pick stories and moments in history to validate their racism. It's just like a scientist who has a conclusion already picked out and sifts through their data looking for data that will support it while declaring other data irrelevant.

Besides, there was a lot of racial tension that flared up in violence on both sides back then - it's hardly a surprise to anyone. Any discussion of the violence would need to be part a larger analysis of the racial tension of the age and the battles on both sides. I certainly would hope that if a book centered only on stories of african americans committing violence on whites, that it wouldn't be published, because it would be ignoring all context.

I'm closing down the comments on this thread because we're way off topic and I hardly want to invest energy in determining exactly what makes and doesn't make someone a racist.