I was going to post up something I found recently that attempts to explain some recent occurances on the meaning of 'Patriotism', and a tie in with 'route66' diary is appropriate on this day.
After all I'm one of the millions, in this country, who have been called 'UnPatriotic' for having not walked in lockstep with the criminal cabal, and their followers, who have led this country into it's extreme failed policies of an Occupation built on Lies and Fixed Intelligence and done in All Our Names!
I'm not a Black American, I'm one of us many Lilly White Folks.
I happend upon this article Defining patriotism the other day, with a Video at the top.
The article leads off with this:
Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s patriotism came under suspicion when he decided not to wear the flag lapel pin.
Than a comment about what his wife said as well as the once Rev. of the church he attends had said, which we all know to well.
In the video we hear from Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Roger Wilkins, who says:
blacks have just as long a history of patriotism as other Americans, but “our patriotism is rooted in a country that abused us, our ancestors, in a terrible way.”
Wilkins wrote a book, Jefferson's Pillow: The Founding Fathers and the Dilemma of Black Patriotism, to answer the question of black patriotism: “How can you be patriotic when the historic moment that we revere the most, The Revolution, was run by a bunch of guys, many of whom owned slaves.”
Watch the video:
Do I understand what Barack says about the lapel flag pin,Yes!
Do I understand his wifes statement, Yes!
Do I understand where Rev. Wright is coming from, Yes!
Do I understand Roger Wilkins, Yes!
I grew up when Segregation was still very rampent in this Country, also learning the history of same through the books and movies on how we tried to totally eleminate the Natives of this Land and almost succeeded as some of our Lily White ancesters placed those that survived under our control!
When I finished the Navy Bootcamp, '67 to '71 was my tour of duty to country, my first duty station was the Meridian Naval Air Station, Meridian Miss., which is now also called McCain Field.
When I arrived there the trial of the killings of the young civil rights workers was just gearing up, made more infamous in the movie 'Mississippi Burning' and was to take place in Meridian some 15 miles from the base.
I was still there when Martin Luther King was Assasinated.
Back than Meridian was still a Heavily Segregated town, as was still most of the south. Black Americans who were serving this country stationed there were denied the freedoms and human rights they were serving under the constitution and flag for. When going into town they had seperate, and labeled, drinking fountains, movie theaters, eating establishments............................................................., everything!
After leaving there, a years tour, I went to Panama for the next year and a half. Panama is a country of many Black Latin Americans, yet right from the get go the Racist Attitude from the States hit.
On arriving and checking in, though being a seaman gunnersmate, I was to work at the Waterfront for the first couple of months, taking over the Base Armory later as the Gunnersmate running it was preparing to leave. One of the first questions asked, by the Navy LT, I was to work under, when checking in with him was "If I minded working under Black Navy Chiefs?", you had to see the way he looked to get the point, I sat there and just looked at him for a few than simply asked "Why?", his response was that there were two Black Chiefs in charge of the Waterfront. My response back was a simple "Nope" and again "Why?", no answer came.
Leaving there, and heading into my last year, I was sent to CounterInsurgency training in Coronado Calif, than In-Country Vietnam. Let me just say here, there are a huge number of Black and Brown and other skin color Americans, who served in Vietnam, whose names now are Honored on "The Wall", and if you pay any attention an awful lot who are dying and being maimed in todays Occupations!
Who are those accusing others, especially today, of not being Patriotic, why the Lily White Crowd!
Who are the ones condemning others for not wearing a tiny lapel flag pin, why the Lily White Crowd!
Who are the ones condemning Mrs. Obama and not understanding her statement of the History we now are living, why the Lily White Crowd!
Who are mostly the ones slapping cheap magnetic ribbons, now disappearing, on their vehicles to show their patriotism? and support?, why the Lily White Crowd!
Who are the ones Condemning Others for not walking in lockstep to their definition of patriotism, why the Lily White Crowd!
I could go on but I Hope you get the Picture I'm trying to paint here, We're Still A Racists Nation, and not only as to color of ones skin, Racism covers Hate of Others under any Reason, being Intolerant towards those who Share not only this Country but this Planet!
Happy Flag Day Everyone!!
And for you Fathers, Happy Fathers Day tomorrow!
This series offers a glimpse into the lives of several women who served in the United States military -- their personal experiences of combat, of returning to civilian life, their dual roles as service member and mother, and some of the more difficult issues that women veterans face -- military sexual trauma and homelessness.
The current front page, Time Magazine, report mentioned in the video
In this photo from her book, Mary Tillman gets Pat ready for a walk in 1977. She remembers him as an infant who "was a little malcontent," unhappy when swaddled and early to crawl.