There should be a special memorial celebration someday when white America will be forced to honor all of the Native, Black and Asian Americans who fought for the freedom and preservation of America, during the same period when they were being egregiously discriminated against by white Americans, and while some of them were still slaves.
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Memorial Day 2008 In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Slave!
Today, I knew better, however, I decided to attend a Memorial Day celebration at Chabot Park in San Leandro California, anyway.
Veterans who served in WWII, the Vietnam, Korean and Iraqi invasion and occupation war were honored. We all stood for the presentation of the color guard, and eat your heart out Senator Obama, I took my hat off. I stood there thinking of my dad and his fellow black comrades who were shipped off to fight against Hitler during WWII, only to return home and be subjected to the same racist conditions that they were exposed to before they left America to fight for someone else’s freedoms.
Towards the end of the program and just prior to the picnic, a white American who served in the Vietnam War proclaimed that America is the greatest nation in the world. And he went on to explain why America was without peer as far as other nations of the world were concerned. He explained how in America an individual is free (not a biblical concept by the way) to do whatever he wants to do.
Despite his faux pas, he wouldn’t close his mouth and sit down. The last phrase that
emanated from his lips prior to his wife having him to sit down were, “and Africa is crazy”. I spoke to a friend who attended the affair along with me, who had been a fan of Reverend Hagee up until the remarks that he released earlier in the week with respect to Hitler being an instrument in the hand of God to bring about the repatriation of Israel to its homeland. My friend and I had talked earlier in the week about the new-fangled white ministers who have suddenly decided to come over and to be nice to black people.
I explained that it was unfortunate that many of them failed to show up when Dr. Martin Luther King went to his cross. I also reminded him what the scriptures read, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In other words, platitudes do not matter; neither does pseudo-ingratiation matter. I encouraged him again to be cautious when dealing with white ministers, particularly those who show up on America’s airwaves.
I explained that in one singular instance that we had witnessed that what was in this veterans heart, just as what was in Rev. Hagee’s heart came out! This man made his desultory comments in deference to the dozen or so African-Americans who were in the audience. Before leaving, I stopped to thank the minister for the service and for providing us with a wonderful picnic meal. You see, this was a church-sponsored event. The gentleman who made the off-color remark(s) was sitting directly in front of the minister at the picnic table. He never looked up at me. I suppose that it was a good thing that he didn’t or else what was in my heart might have come out.
We have a long way to go in terms of race relations in this country. And he have a long way to go in terms of getting some Americans to understand that the America that has been the land of the free for them, has been the land of the slave for other Americans, and no amount of condescension or any caustic remarks like, you ought to be glad that you are here despite what we did to you or your ancestors will ever help to make things any better.
There should be a special memorial celebration someday when white America will be forced to honor all of the Native, Black and Asian Americans who fought for the freedom and preservation of America, during the same period when they were being egregiously discriminated against by white Americans, and while some of them were still slaves.
Well this represents two in a row for me; in 2007 I attended a similar church service in Vienna Virginia at the McLean Bible church. This year, 2500 miles away I experienced the same sentiments being shared in San Leandro California no less.
Next year, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day I will simply go to the beach or Lake Tahoe and honor the memories of loved ones I know who served the United States and fought for freedom and justice and protection for a nation that discriminated against them while they were doing so!
Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon
Addenda: When will the other 50% of white America experience a flushing out or a change of heart? I will be the first to admit that many white Americans already have experienced a change of heart, and not a simple exhibition or show of a change in behavior in spite of what still lies comfortably embedded in their hearts.
Today, I knew better, however, I decided to attend a Memorial Day celebration at Chabot Park in San Leandro California, anyway.
Veterans who served in WWII, the Vietnam, Korean and Iraqi invasion and occupation war were honored. We all stood for the presentation of the color guard, and eat your heart out Senator Obama, I took my hat off. I stood there thinking of my dad and his fellow black comrades who were shipped off to fight against Hitler during WWII, only to return home and be subjected to the same racist conditions that they were exposed to before they left America to fight for someone else’s freedoms.
Towards the end of the program and just prior to the picnic, a white American who served in the Vietnam War proclaimed that America is the greatest nation in the world. And he went on to explain why America was without peer as far as other nations of the world were concerned. He explained how in America an individual is free (not a biblical concept by the way) to do whatever he wants to do.
Despite his faux pas, he wouldn’t close his mouth and sit down. The last phrase that
emanated from his lips prior to his wife having him to sit down were, “and Africa is crazy”. I spoke to a friend who attended the affair along with me, who had been a fan of Reverend Hagee up until the remarks that he released earlier in the week with respect to Hitler being an instrument in the hand of God to bring about the repatriation of Israel to its homeland. My friend and I had talked earlier in the week about the new-fangled white ministers who have suddenly decided to come over and to be nice to black people.
I explained that it was unfortunate that many of them failed to show up when Dr. Martin Luther King went to his cross. I also reminded him what the scriptures read, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In other words, platitudes do not matter; neither does pseudo-ingratiation matter. I encouraged him again to be cautious when dealing with white ministers, particularly those who show up on America’s airwaves.
I explained that in one singular instance that we had witnessed that what was in this veterans heart, just as what was in Rev. Hagee’s heart came out! This man made his desultory comments in deference to the dozen or so African-Americans who were in the audience. Before leaving, I stopped to thank the minister for the service and for providing us with a wonderful picnic meal. You see, this was a church-sponsored event. The gentleman who made the off-color remark(s) was sitting directly in front of the minister at the picnic table. He never looked up at me. I suppose that it was a good thing that he didn’t or else what was in my heart might have come out.
We have a long way to go in terms of race relations in this country. And he have a long way to go in terms of getting some Americans to understand that the America that has been the land of the free for them, has been the land of the slave for other Americans, and no amount of condescension or any caustic remarks like, you ought to be glad that you are here despite what we did to you or your ancestors will ever help to make things any better.
There should be a special memorial celebration someday when white America will be forced to honor all of the Native, Black and Asian Americans who fought for the freedom and preservation of America, during the same period when they were being egregiously discriminated against by white Americans, and while some of them were still slaves.
Well this represents two in a row for me; in 2007 I attended a similar church service in Vienna Virginia at the McLean Bible church. This year, 2500 miles away I experienced the same sentiments being shared in San Leandro California no less.
Next year, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day I will simply go to the beach or Lake Tahoe and honor the memories of loved ones I know who served the United States and fought for freedom and justice and protection for a nation that discriminated against them while they were doing so!
Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon
Addenda: When will the other 50% of white America experience a flushing out or a change of heart? I will be the first to admit that many white Americans already have experienced a change of heart, and not a simple exhibition or show of a change in behavior in spite of what still lies comfortably embedded in their hearts.
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