Many of you, when watching the evening news may have heard this comment from the war supporting descendents of European immigrants about their freedom being threatened. These folks voice their support of this governments decision to invade another country so that young men and women can risk their lives to, as they say, “fight for our freedom”. Could be I missed something, as I have yet to determine, freedom from what?
I am trying to figure out this whole issue of someone’s freedom being taken away. I have yet to hear anyone whose ancestors were in chattel slavery to speak of this. Perhaps it is because for some folk, freedom isn’t totally free. Ancestors of European immigrants were not kidnapped and forced on the boat. They wanted to come to this place referred to as “the land of the free” and purchased tickets to get on the boat and some even stowed away. While many willingly altered their names and melted their culture in a pot, they were diligent in building businesses and communities, that were not destroyed simply because these entities were successful. They were not denied access to education, the right to vote, or forced to enter back doors to spend their money. They are not confronted with this madness of being, walking, driving, or breathing while black. Their level of intelligence is never questioned and they are never assumed to be in the “wrong class”, when they walk into the room where Advanced Trig is being taught. In law school, they are never accused of “taking” someone else’s seat who is more qualified.
So once again, I pose the question, freedom from what? How is it that a people without a history of chattel enslavement, but for some, whose ancestors may have been enslavers, speak of their freedom being threatened? Is this to suggest that the victors of this war will impose chattel slavery on those defeated? Does this imply that the rich folk will lose their mansions, cars, servants and money, if young American born men and women, barely out of high school and deployed to an alien land, do not risk their lives? Perhaps it’s just me, as it usually is, but somebody, somewhere, really ought to evaluate this picture and ask some critical questions when these folk talk about their freedom being taken. Maybe then someone can tell me, freedom from what?
Remember the words of Julius Nyerere, first president of Tanzania, “racial discrimination is the mother of war, and suffering, and loss of freedom for everyone” and never forget, Aluta Continua, The Struggle Continues, for the good of the people.