THOUGHT OF THE DAY. As I watched a bit of the mainstream news coverage this evening, I was struck by an incredible parallel: 1st I turned to HLN News where they were discussing the Renisha McBride murder in which she knocked on a white mans door because she had car trouble and he shot her in the face with a shotgun. A white male lawyer was being interviewed, and he said to the host there are certain things that shouldnt even make it to court. We shouldnt even be talking about this. The white female host and a black female lawyer looked shocked. It even took me for a loop. He was basically saying that shooting a 19 year old black girl in the head because she banged on your door for help is so justifiable, its not even something even worth discussing. That was the level of demonic hate and disregard that this white man had for the life of a Black person. Then, I was so mad, I had to switch the channel to CNN, in which they were discussing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The white female host said that over 500 Palestinians have been killed, and 70% are civilian Palestinian children. Then she said (with a smile on her face) that a poll of americans was taken and that the majority of Americans support Israels actions. I was taken for a loop once again. Basically, the american people polled (Im sure no one who looks like me was polled) are saying that they approve of the massacre of innocent children.. Now I know many will say, so what else is new? and that is true. But to see 2 news stories back to back of white peoples support for the murder of innocent people of color in both Detroit and Palestine was a real kick to the head. If you dont consider those who talk and feel this way to be your enemy, then something is terribly wrong with you. Then of course one of Malcolms quotes came to mind: When they (Africans) came to the Bandung conference, they looked at the Portuguese, and at the Frenchman, and at the Englishman, and at the other — Dutchman — and learned or realized that the one thing that all of them had in common: they were all from Europe, they were all Europeans, blond, blue-eyed and white-skinned. They began to recognize who their enemy was. The same man that was colonizing our people in Kenya was colonizing our people in the Congo. The same one in the Congo was colonizing our people in South Africa, and in Southern Rhodesia, and in Burma, and in India, and in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan. They realized all over the world where the dark man was being oppressed, he was being oppressed by the white man; where the dark man was being exploited, he was being exploited by the white man. So they got together under this basis — that they had a common enemy. And when you and I here in Detroit and in Michigan and in America who have been awakened today look around us, we too realize here in America we all have a common enemy, whether he’s in Georgia or Michigan, whether he’s in California or New York. He’s the same man: blue eyes and blond hair and pale skin — same man - Malcolm Xs Message to the Grass Roots speech in Detroit (1963)
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 03:31:20 +0000