 Vharlow, I never meant to dissuade you or anyone else reading from a respect for the military personnel. However, that said, I do not think that simply because you feel their work is necessary to your political ideas of how to remedy terror, that they are decidedly of a higher moral fiber or immune to the false theories of white supremacy or other divisive ideologies...
And I did also live among military personnel for a chunk of years, and know that as much as a mission may unite folk and cross those false barriers of race, sex, creed, and persuasion...there are also strains of racist thought, bigotry toward folk for any number of reasons, and a high and mighty attitude that is as pervasive in military institutions as in any other.
I do not want to write this to hurt anyone's feelings. So if you are in the military, do not take this personally. And if you are black do not take this personally.
But I heard it said by a man who was in the service one night, as he was putting his trash can to the road for waste management to pick up, "Well I'm feedin' the N!&&#*$ tonight!" with a satisfied and cold countenance.
What a terrible thing to say! And yet, I am sure this same man must have worked side by side with people of color. So what was that?
A monster can wear a uniform, just as much as any other clothes.
So again, in the interest of equality, we see the field leveled again. People in the military are not somehow any better or worse than the Average Joe Citizen. And may well prove to be valiant and we do commend such character, but may also demonstrate small-mindedness and we do grieve that it be so.
OD |