The First Lady put it this way, “For the First time in My Adult Lifetime, I’m really Proud of My Country.”
That statement raised the ire of many a history-ignorant individual of European and/or Anglo-Saxon heritage. But really, how could she feel otherwise?
European and the Anglo-Saxon colonizers tore African-American's ancestors out of their native land, enslaved them and brought them here to do the white man’s bidding. The first such group landed at Jamestown in 1607 and in the quaintly and simplistically named Latin America more like 500 years ago.
For almost 400 years those of black skin were treated as anything but human. Though African-Americans have been here almost four centuries helping the white man stand-up this republic, fighting in all of its wars, it has only been the last four decades Blacks have (at least on paper) enjoyed any manner of “equality.”
Until after WWII African-Americans were bought, sold and traded across the racist South.
In 1946 even in “liberal” California inter-racial marriage was not allowed. Only after the 1967 case of Loving vs. Virginia was that made possible by the Supreme Court. The following year one of the last known lynchings of a Black man occurred. But for at least another decade Blacks were denied basic civil rights and killed by white men across the South. In Texas Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are subjected to the same type treatment because of the color of their skin.
Despite the best efforts of Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 Blacks and those of Mexican ancestory were still denied even the most basic civil rights a century after the Civil War.
In Texas at least two Black men have in recent times dragged to their deaths by white men---the most recent in late October 2008.
More than half the prison-industrial complex population (2.3 million) across America in general and Texas in particular, is comprised of those of African-American desent though they only make up 12.8 % of the general population. Hispanics 13% of the general population are 25 percent of the prison-industrial complex population. Put another way, 3 of 4 inmates in America’s prison-industrial complex are of color---though combined African-Americans and Hispanics comprise only 26% of the general population.
Even today, redlining, zoning and steering advance the racist practice of denying Blacks and Mexican-Americans the right to purchase a home where white people simply do not want them.
Think of “w’s” new digs the Neo-con, some would say, Neo-nazi Dallas-Fort Worth area. These are the people who insist on making it a crime to even rent an apartment to Mexicans.
Those practices are re-inforced by the property tax based apartheid public education system.
How would you feel if someone treated you and your family to that----because of the color of your skin.
Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have toiled under the boot of the European and Anglo-Saxon in what is the native land of the Mexican. Still we are called "illegals." What is that? How can anyone be "illegal?" What is that about? Is that white-speak for "n----ger." Is the Mexican the new "n---ger?"
America’s roads, schools, hospitals and homes were built by immigrant Mexican and Mexican-American labor. The cost of those roads, schools, hospitals and lavish homes of mostly Europeans and Anglo-Saxons were made cost effective by virtue of the pittance paid those who come here seeking work from Mexico and the rest of Central and South America.
America has ridiculously and artificially low-cost fruit and vegetables because Mexican migrant workers and families have worked as quasi-slaves to make it so. Working under sub-human conditions, for less than minimum wage without healthcare or benefits of any kind.
People from Mexico and Central and South America come here looking for work because there is none in their respective countries. This so by reason of a combination of factors the greatest of which are America’s historical suppression, exploitation and domination of the region.
This is reminiscent of what Israelis do to Palestinians. Jews have occupied the Palestinian’s West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights since 1967---two generations.
Israelis treat Palestinians much the same way Anglo-Saxon America has treated Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.
Palestinians aren’t even allowed to collect taxes owed them---Israelis do that and then won’t hand the funds over.
Israelis in American and European supplied tanks and fighter jets drive into and fly over Palestinian lands that Israelis occupy and then kill Palestinians indiscriminately and with impunity. Israelis know big brother, America, is there to enable their racist, bigoted ways.
It is no coincidence that in the Middle East Israelis build fences. Consider the one being built here across the south while the white north, a 3000 mile stretch is largely unwatched, much less fenced. It is ironical and maybe a little humorous that even as American “leaders” taunted the Soviet Union to “take down this wall” we were constructing a real one to enforce the cultural one that has always been here.
Now Arizona has institutionalized that racism. More humorous still in a day and age when the world is more diverse than ever, when being multi-lingual is a plus (as our CIA and military are learning the hard way) barely literate Americans of Eropean and Anglo-Saxon heritage demand “English only.”
How would you feel if your family and you were treated this way? What would you do about it White man? Never mind those of us of color already know. Oh and about the First Lady, really, how could she feel otherwise?
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