With Memorial Day fast approaching, we know it’s that special time of year. What special time of year, you ask? You know; that moment when U.S. politicians, especially the right-wing, conservative ones draped in American flags, come out of the woodwork to spout their usual rhetoric: “We love, love our veterans, especially us Republicans who are America’s true patriots. U-S-A! U-S-A!”
Every Memorial Day (and Veterans Day) these GOP “super patriots” say the same thing, then go to their state legislatures or to Congress in DC and vote against any and every piece of legislation aimed at improving the lives of vets. Research it yourself. Annually, Republicans vote down funding for VA improvements, funding to end veteran homelessness, funding for life-saving body armor for those currently serving abroad in the armed forces, etc.
And as with all things in this land, the demographic that gets hit the hardest is the Blacks.
There is a laundry list of things that need to be done if this society is to truly honor those who risked their lives fighting for the ideals this land put on paper – giving VA hospitals the funding needed, ending veteran homelessness, stopping the bogus claims of patriotism then voting against vets, supporting programs that directly help vets who have fallen through the cracks of society, etc.
But the best way to fully and righteously honor veterans and the ideals they fought for – ideals, by the way, which this land has never lived up to – is to end the spoken and unspoken war on Black people.
Without getting into the intricacies of it, as go Black people, so goes this nation and planet. Another way of phrasing that is that what’s good for Black people (members of the Pan-African family) is good for the planet (the entire human family).
This country has invested 400-plus years in exploiting and oppressing Black people, all while profiting off Black labor, ingenuity and brilliance. Thus, every institution in this land is infected with the foundational disease of believing in the fallacy of white supremacy. Hence, whether educational, economic, medical, religious or military, every institution in America is hard-wired to maintain this sick, twisted power imbalance, even at the risk of its own destruction.
The only reason the U.S. even stands a chance at surviving, the only reason this country hasn’t imploded already, is the insane grit, dogged determination, unrivaled brilliance, and messiah potential of Black people.
Moves, individual and institutional, to end this ongoing conscious and subconscious war on Black people will benefit every facet of society exponentially. This includes those veterans who could actually see those high-falootin’ ideals be realized.
Hell, democracy was merely a word on paper and a false pronouncement by Americans of all political stripes until the blood, sweat and tears of Black people gave this country its first glimpse of the slivery of democracy that exists. And believe me; it’s just been a sliver. But without the Blacks, not even that sliver would exist.
Ending the educational, healthcare, economic, political, theological, etc. war on Black humanity is this nation’s only chance to honor veterans… or seniors… or children… or any other group this land falsely claims to care about.
And even as I’m writing these words I place no confidence in those who have been slaves to this “American” machine for decades upon centuries. No. I’m like John Cutter, Wesley Snipe’s character in the classic movie “Passenger 57.” The only folk who have the intestinal fortitude to end this war on Blackfolk is Blackfolk. So, like John Cutter told his movie villain, “Always bet on Black.”
I’m betting on the Blacks to do this thing. Just like we provided any legitimacy to the words “We the people” and “liberty and justice for all.” Hell, we still haven’t tasted that, but we made it realer than it’s ever been.
I’m betting on the Blacks to do this thing. Just like we gave this land any and all of its culture and music that’s worth a damn. I’m betting on the Blacks to do this thing. Just like we did when we gave the world religion, art, science and civilization.
And as we bet on Black and move to end this unholy war that’s been waged against us, please believe, we’re not doing this for anybody’s red, white and blue. Yes, our glorious work will benefit veterans and honor their heroic sacrifices from here to Timbuktu. But, we’re doing this for us. We’re doing this for our people in Mali, Haiti, and Timbuktu. For those in Grenada and Grenada, Mississippi. And every other place where you’ll find us.
When we dismantle and disembowel the mechanisms of war that have been aimed at us for seeming eons, we will unleash a sense of divinely inspired humanity upon… humanity. A reality where our “better angels” will move us to care for the widow, house the orphan, welcome the immigrant, and yes, honor the veteran. And if our better angels don’t compel folk enough, these Black hands will.
