[Austin-ghetto-list] Bush War needs more than arab approval

Thu, 4 Oct 2001 21:10:27 -1000

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Seems that not everyone is happy about the war.  looks like we can =
expect some anti-war support to grow.  Check this article out!
Bill

www.counterpunch.org/ervin.html
"No Palestinian Ever Called Me Nigger"
By Lorenzo Komboa Ervin

Curtis Gatewood is the outspoken leader of the Durham, North Carolina =
branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People =
(NAACP). He recently made "controversial", though truthful and =
courageous remarks denouncing the United States government for planning =
military retaliation for the Pentagon and World Trade Center attacks, =
and the use of Black males as cannon fodder and mercenaries in any front =
line attack.

At a September 15th monthly local NAACP meeting, he said that African =
Americans should not have to fight in any military action, and that a =
violent U.S. counterattack would be wrong. "Black males can no longer be =
used as sacrificial lambs at the time of war," he said in his three-page =
statement.

"Those black males who make it back home alive from war are likely to =
come home and be discriminated against by the [very] people whose =
businesses were headquartered in the World Trade Center, racially =
abused/profiled by an American police officer, killed on the streets in =
their crime-infested neighborhoods, or harmed by Bush administration =
policies," he said.

He also said that the U.S. government has oppressed Africans, Middle =
Easterners, and other people of color worldwide. Because Bush was =
selected president by a "right-wing Supreme Court", he said, the attacks =
were *not* "an attack on freedom."

Media reports of the remarks sparked threatening phone calls to the =
NAACP offices, according to an NAACP officer, Anita Keith-Foust. It also =
caused NAACP national President, Kweisi Mfume, to denounce the remarks =
and to apparently silence him from making other such comments in the =
future, similar to the fashion former Nation of Islam spokesperson =
Malcolm X was silenced by NOI leader Elijah Muhammad in 1963, when he =
spoke out about the assassination of President John Kennedy, calling it =
a case of "...chickens coming home to roost..."

What should we make of all this? These comments by Gatewood certainly =
echoed my own, and I am sure those of many other Black people. We are =
supposed to, as Malcolm X put it over 35 years ago, "...bark when the =
white man says bark, and bite when the white man says bite!" He was =
referring to our being used as troops all over the world. Now we are =
supposed to fight and die for a racist corrupt government in yet another =
imperialist war, when it is the USA which has clearly brought on this =
attack. We are supposed to fight for a country where we still have =
limited social, economic and political rights, and where we are still =
subject to death by any racist cop or citizen, where there is widespread =
poverty, mass imprisonment of the youth, and massive unemployment =
concentrated in the Black community. The obvious question is what the =
hell are we fighting for? To avenge America? To mourn America? Why, we =
don't owe this country anything, and what we do owe them, they don't =
want! They have killed and enslaved generations of our people, down to =
the present day. They have yet to pay reparations for those crimes they =
have committed against our people; they refused to even discuss the =
matter at the recent World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South =
Africa.

Our fight is *in America* and *with America* for full human rights and =
liberation, not in Kabul, Pakistan, Khandahar, Islamabad, Algiers, or =
hundreds of places we know nothing about and have no beef with their =
people. It is this country which is *our* enemy, and which is depriving =
us of our human rights. This hypocritical country, which is bleeding us =
dry and subjecting us to continued oppression and servitude in numerous =
forms. We ain't got this situation straight yet, and now we are supposed =
to go galavanting across the globe to fight for this white racist =
government. Colin Powell may be a dog for Bush, but it don't mean the =
rest of us have to
be!

Curtis Gatewood just said something that all of us should be saying. We =
need an *independent political stance* away from military intervention, =
and to say *no you cannot just use Black kids for the next Vietnam*. =
However, shamefully, most of the Left, Liberal, and Black organizations =
(even so-called "radical", or "nationalist" groups) did not follow the =
lead of this courageous man, instead they mourned with America.

Well, our time of mourning has to be tempered with the cold =
understanding that we have to look out for *our interests*, not the =
Pentagon's or Wall Street's. We regret the thousands of deaths of people =
who died in the process at the WTC, but we know it is Washington's fault =
this happened. We also know that if this happened in the Middle East, =
carried out by Israel or the US Army, hardly anybody in this country =
would say anything.

Clearly this country is not the "peace-loving, innocent country" that =
George W. Bush claims it is. This is the biggest gun runner in the =
world, and the biggest instigator of wars. This is a government of =
thieves and enslavers, and they have dominated the peoples of color of =
the world with military and economic force ever since its creation. We =
cannot jump like dogs to defend these people.

It is not the people in the Middle East or Africa who call us nigger, =
and keep us oppressed, it is the white government in America. If anyone =
on the face of the earth attacks the slavemaster's plantation, I ain't =
going to be standing out front growling to stop them from setting his =
house on fire. That's his problem, and you reap what you sow. The real =
terrorists are in the Pentagon, the executive boardrooms on Wall Street, =
and in the White House, where they have always been. Hell, the United =
States secret intelligence services (CIA, military intelligence, DEA and =
others) created the Taliban as a government and Osama Bin Laden as a =
terrorist, if that is what he is. Do we now want to die and kill others =
over this cynical reality? Don't be fooled by right-wing patriotism, =
which is nothing but American fascism.

So we should support Curtis Gatewood, hold him up as an outspoken hero. =
We need to ask why all of the other Black and progressive organizations =
have not been as forceful in their comments, and we need to ask why they =
are not building an anti-war response to this military retaliation =
planned by Bush.

We need to all start to speak the truth to our people, and not curry =
favor for jobs or social approval. We need to do things which are =
considered unpopular in a hysterical climate, but have to be said and =
done nevertheless. George W. Bush is not our friend, Colin Powell is not =
our brother. They want to kill us off, either in war, in prison, or with =
a policeman's gun. We face genocide from this government, always have. =
Now we need to get organized to build a movement which can put forth a =
progressive agenda on how to use military spending, so that money they =
want to squander on war can be used for schools, hospitals, and to =
rebuild the inner cities of this country which look like bombed out =
cities already.

Whatever organization you belong to, start to push them to come out =
against the war and to actively campaign against war in the Middle East =
or anywhere else. We have got to get our kids to say "Hell no, we won't =
go!" and "No Viet Cong ever called me a Nigger!" just like they did =
during the Vietnam war of the 1960s. CP

=20

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<DIV>
<H1>Seems that not everyone is happy about the war.&nbsp; =
looks=20
like we can expect some anti-war support to grow.&nbsp; Check this =
article=20
out!</H1>
<DIV>Bill</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<H1><A =
href=3D"http://www.counterpunch.org/ervin.html"><FONT=20
size=3D3>www.counterpunch.org/ervin.html</A></H1>
<H1>"No Palestinian Ever Called Me=20
Nigger"</H1>
By Lorenzo Komboa Ervin
Curtis=20
Gatewood is the outspoken leader of the Durham, North Carolina branch of =
the=20
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He =
recently=20
made "controversial", though truthful and courageous remarks denouncing =
the=20
United States government for planning military retaliation for the =
Pentagon and=20
World Trade Center attacks, and the use of Black males as cannon fodder =
and=20
mercenaries in any front line attack.
At a September 15th monthly local NAACP meeting, =
he said=20
that African Americans should not have to fight in any military action, =
and that=20
a violent U.S. counterattack would be wrong. "Black males can no longer =
be used=20
as sacrificial lambs at the time of war," he said in his three-page=20
statement.
"Those black males who make it back home alive =
from war=20
are likely to come home and be discriminated against by the [very] =
people whose=20
businesses were headquartered in the World Trade Center, racially=20
abused/profiled by an American police officer, killed on the streets in =
their=20
crime-infested neighborhoods, or harmed by Bush administration =
policies," he=20
said.
He also said that the U.S. government has =
oppressed=20
Africans, Middle Easterners, and other people of color worldwide. =
Because Bush=20
was selected president by a "right-wing Supreme Court", he said, the =
attacks=20
were *not* "an attack on freedom."
Media reports of the remarks sparked threatening =
phone=20
calls to the NAACP offices, according to an NAACP officer, Anita =
Keith-Foust. It=20
also caused NAACP national President, Kweisi Mfume, to denounce the =
remarks and=20
to apparently silence him from making other such comments in the future, =
similar=20
to the fashion former Nation of Islam spokesperson Malcolm X was =
silenced by NOI=20
leader Elijah Muhammad in 1963, when he spoke out about the =
assassination of=20
President John Kennedy, calling it a case of "...chickens coming home to =

roost..."
What should we make of all this? These comments =
by=20
Gatewood certainly echoed my own, and I am sure those of many other =
Black=20
people. We are supposed to, as Malcolm X put it over 35 years ago, =
"...bark when=20
the white man says bark, and bite when the white man says bite!" He was=20
referring to our being used as troops all over the world. Now we are =
supposed to=20
fight and die for a racist corrupt government in yet another imperialist =
war,=20
when it is the USA which has clearly brought on this attack. We are =
supposed to=20
fight for a country where we still have limited social, economic and =
political=20
rights, and where we are still subject to death by any racist cop or =
citizen,=20
where there is widespread poverty, mass imprisonment of the youth, and =
massive=20
unemployment concentrated in the Black community. The obvious question =
is what=20
the hell are we fighting for? To avenge America? To mourn America? Why, =
we don't=20
owe this country anything, and what we do owe them, they don't want! =
They have=20
killed and enslaved generations of our people, down to the present day. =
They=20
have yet to pay reparations for those crimes they have committed against =
our=20
people; they refused to even discuss the matter at the recent World =
Conference=20
Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.
Our fight is *in America* and *with America* for =
full=20
human rights and liberation, not in Kabul, Pakistan, Khandahar, =
Islamabad,=20
Algiers, or hundreds of places we know nothing about and have no beef =
with their=20
people. It is this country which is *our* enemy, and which is depriving =
us of=20
our human rights. This hypocritical country, which is bleeding us dry =
and=20
subjecting us to continued oppression and servitude in numerous forms. =
We ain't=20
got this situation straight yet, and now we are supposed to go =
galavanting=20
across the globe to fight for this white racist government. Colin Powell =
may be=20
a dog for Bush, but it don't mean the rest of us have =
to be!
Curtis Gatewood just said something that all of =
us should=20
be saying. We need an *independent political stance* away from military=20
intervention, and to say *no you cannot just use Black kids for the next =

Vietnam*. However, shamefully, most of the Left, Liberal, and Black=20
organizations (even so-called "radical", or "nationalist" groups) did =
not follow=20
the lead of this courageous man, instead they mourned with =
America.
Well, our time of mourning has to be tempered =
with the=20
cold understanding that we have to look out for *our interests*, not the =

Pentagon's or Wall Street's. We regret the thousands of deaths of people =
who=20
died in the process at the WTC, but we know it is Washington's fault =
this=20
happened. We also know that if this happened in the Middle East, carried =
out by=20
Israel or the US Army, hardly anybody in this country would say=20
anything.
Clearly this country is not the "peace-loving, =
innocent=20
country" that George W. Bush claims it is. This is the biggest gun =
runner in the=20
world, and the biggest instigator of wars. This is a government of =
thieves and=20
enslavers, and they have dominated the peoples of color of the world =
with=20
military and economic force ever since its creation. We cannot jump like =
dogs to=20
defend these people.
It is not the people in the Middle East or =
Africa who call=20
us nigger, and keep us oppressed, it is the white government in America. =
If=20
anyone on the face of the earth attacks the slavemaster's plantation, I =
ain't=20
going to be standing out front growling to stop them from setting his =
house on=20
fire. That's his problem, and you reap what you sow. The real terrorists =
are in=20
the Pentagon, the executive boardrooms on Wall Street, and in the White =
House,=20
where they have always been. Hell, the United States secret intelligence =

services (CIA, military intelligence, DEA and others) created the =
Taliban as a=20
government and Osama Bin Laden as a terrorist, if that is what he is. Do =
we now=20
want to die and kill others over this cynical reality? Don't be fooled =
by=20
right-wing patriotism, which is nothing but American fascism.
So we should support Curtis Gatewood, hold him =
up as an=20
outspoken hero. We need to ask why all of the other Black and =
progressive=20
organizations have not been as forceful in their comments, and we need =
to ask=20
why they are not building an anti-war response to this military =
retaliation=20
planned by Bush.
We need to all start to speak the truth to our =
people, and=20
not curry favor for jobs or social approval. We need to do things which =
are=20
considered unpopular in a hysterical climate, but have to be said and =
done=20
nevertheless. George W. Bush is not our friend, Colin Powell is not our =
brother.=20
They want to kill us off, either in war, in prison, or with a =
policeman's gun.=20
We face genocide from this government, always have. Now we need to get =
organized=20
to build a movement which can put forth a progressive agenda on how to =
use=20
military spending, so that money they want to squander on war can be =
used for=20
schools, hospitals, and to rebuild the inner cities of this country =
which look=20
like bombed out cities already.
Whatever organization you belong to, start to =
push them to=20
come out against the war and to actively campaign against war in the =
Middle East=20
or anywhere else. We have got to get our kids to say "Hell no, we won't =
go!" and=20
"No Viet Cong ever called me a Nigger!" just like they did during the =
Vietnam=20
war of the 1960s. CP
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
 
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