Continued from Counting 5 years plus Part 1 ...
But as for African Americans and Iraq. I have heard many say, this is not our war. That this is merely a war over oil, and something only the rich are concerned about. Some have said it’s a battle against other Black people and they will not support it. Yet I have never heard the media discuss this.
If this is a sentiment held by many African Americans then it needs to be addressed. Issues that separate America do not go away without being brought to the light and dealt with. The fact that only Dennis Kucinich is willing to support, and even speak about, reparations and or a national apology for Slavery should be example enough.
I will take a stab at this though. Iraq is not Bush’s war, its America’s. Al Queada attacked America. While some (Rosie O’Donnell) may not believe fire can melt steel, I and steel workers understand that it can thus when the Twin Towers were attacked it was an attack against me and you. Perhaps if more of the people questioning this fact were in NYC and had friends that were there they might realize this. Being Americans that are Black, which means they were attacking us too.
Across the world, African Americans are seen as Americans first, color second. That’s not a guess, it’s what I have lived. So when Al Quida says they want to destroy us, they mean everyone that does not believe their fanatical brand of Islam. So we are as involved in this war as anyone. Another thought to keep in mind. Many Africans do not see Black Americans as being the same as them. We are Americans, not Africans. Some may feel Al Quida is Black, but this is not a reciprocal thought. Moreso, they wish us dead not because of race, but because of religion. Even if they might agree on color (which the German men - arrested prior to attacking Americans in Germany – were white to my knowledge but were of the same fanatical faith) faith trumps all. So for those it applies to, don’t fool yourself that an agent of Al Queada would spare Harlem any more than Wall Street.
As for oil, I’ll grant it was probably one reason among many. Just as freeing slaves was one cause of the Civil War – though probably 5th on the list no matter how time has romanticized the facts and improved its importance. Is that a bad thing? No. America uses a lot of oil. There is no difference in race when it comes to electricity to run the lights, computers or gas for the cars. All Americans use oil, and more of it available is good for America, until we find a separate energy source. To claim that oil is of no benefit to any group in the nation is a lie. It may not be the best reason, but the reality is that it is a reason all the same.
So what will happen in the next 5 years? Will we still be fighting the Iraq War? Will Michael Vick be just getting out of jail, or returning to the NFL? Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him? Will Wesley Snipes have cleared his name and proven the government’s claims false? Will there finally be coverage of issues and events that African Americans find important, or just the spotty headline grabbing tidbits that fall far short of real journalism? Or will the major news media still be chasing and incised by OJ Simpson.
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