SILENCE MAKES INJUSTICE A REALITY
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Posted By: eddie barnes on September 25, 2007 To ask the question if racism still exists in this country seems as if we are trying to convince our selves that it exists. An African American should never have to ask that question. We know it exists. That question is like an African American asking hemself if he Black. The problem I have with that question is that it plays into the rhetoric of the folks that are trying to convince Black people that racism do not exist. The Jena 6 issue is just an example of what happens if you do not continue to confront the problem. A condoned place in a public facility for Whites only in 2007 tells the story. A lot of times we get side tracked with trivia instead of keeping our eye on the target. We have to look at all aspects of our society if we are to deal with these problems and attack them head-on before they get out of control. Do you know that in 2007 there has never been a 4 star African American General in the United States Marine Corps? Better yet, only White men have held this position. Why is that important? There is a saying that when things are out of sight they are out of mind. If African Americans don't bring the issues that have a profound affect on us to the forefront why should we think someone else should care? I hope we would take steps that really matters such and voting, writing to our political representatives to let them know that we are serious about issues that affect us. The fight for justice for African Americans is a contionus fight that African American have to command in a smart and professional manner. I have written two news paper articles concerning injustice in the military dealing with African Americans and not even one person responded Black or White. I understand why the White guy didn't respond. He knows it is true. However if African Americans don't respond it sort of condones the issue as being ok. One article is in the 27 August 2007 issue of the Marine Corps Times. The other is in the July 26 Birmingham Times. Both were to the editor of the papers. If you read the 30 July Marine Corps Times issue on Growing Minorities within the Corps, notice that the top general in the Marine Corps is talking to a group that is suppose to be concern about equal opportunity and justice in the military. The statements he made to the audience were just a regurgitation of statements made by other people that have pacified us in the past. They know what to say and do to knock us off track. I don't blame them for that because we should be strong enough to see though the rhetoric. We have to bring it out in the open or it will continue to happen. I spent over 29 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. I had no disciplinary action of any kind during my career. I am the first African American Chief Warrant Officer 5 in my Military Occupational Specialty to reach this level. Actually, there is about 93 Chief Warrant Officer 5 Marines in the entire Marine Corps. This is the highest rank in the Warrant Officer ranking structure. Yet, I was harassed, discriminated against and so on. I used the justice system to file a complaint on my commanding officer who participated in the racist behavior. Believe it or not, the people caught up in this type of behavior try to cover their tracks but leave lots of evidence for the justice system to conclude there is a problem. However, they know the justice system will rule in their favor. Therefore, they don’t have to be concerned and can take bold steps to ignore problems of discrimination. This allows them to even attack the person making the complaint. They didn’t even start an official investigation into my complaint until six months after I filed the complaint. This delay gave the respondent time to retire which was 18 days before the investigation started. You would think that a person like me with an outstanding record for over 29 years would not have to worry about this type of behavior. Wrong. That is another point. Regardless of your position as an African American you have to be on your guard against a biased justice system. I have a story to tell and I won’t stop until I tell it. It is amazing that our so called leaders will not take the time to just listen to someone like me with all the evidence to back up my claim. That is one of the reasons the problem continues. The problem with the Jena 6 didn’t happen over night. We don’t have to go looking for discrimination, racism, harassment denial of equal opportunity as if it is under a rock hiding. It is out in the open and most of the time African Americans feed the beast that perpetrates the issues. My father served in the military and combat during the Korean War. I served in combat along side my brother as a Marine. My son will serve in combat. Yet, I cannot get any one that is supposed to be our leaders to just listen to my story. I can tell you that it would bring a lot out in the open if they did. May be if I was rich I would be on the front page of every news paper and even on TV. Most of our people during the civil rights movement was not rich. They believed in something that was bigger than them. I retired with 29 years, 10 months 2 days from active duty in the United States Marine Corps. I served less than 60 days short of a 30 years career in which I lost a significant amount of longevity retirement pay for the rest of my life. I dedicated my whole adult life to serve this country. However, that was the only way to get out of a hostile work environment and secure the career and retirement I had already earned. I wonder how many African Americans military members that follow me will survive the journey. The bottom line is you have to take action and not allow people to direct your focus to nonsense. 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