Durham, N.C., NAACP says:
'Abstain from acts of retaliation'
Minister Curtis E. Gatewood, leader of the Durham, N.C.,
NAACP, was chastised by the NAACP national leadership for
issuing a statement on Sept. 15, excerpted below, that opposed
“retaliatory action.” The Durham chapter voted
Sept. 23 to support Gatewood.
Let the record show that for the following reasons, the
Durham Branch of the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People is calling upon its Durham members,
constituents, supporters and other local citizens who pursue
global and local justice that we not partake in any
retaliatory action that may be instigated by the United States
government, as officials may plan to wrongfully counter-attack,
while murdering thousands and perhaps millions of innocent
people in response to the suicide attacks which took place on
Sept. 11, 2001. Further, for the same reasons, we ask that you
not be persuaded to prejudicially commit retaliatory
“terror” toward any local Arabs, Muslims, and
others assumed to be in favor of the Sept. 11 attacks:
• While we support the families; and pray for this
country and the many victims of the attacks that took place on
Sept. 11, 2001, our National and Local NAACP is a non-violent
organization which has been inspired by a spiritual and
cultural base that has taught us to be more obedient to God and
justice, than a nation’s arrogant calls for blind
patriotism, retaliation and hatred.
• The National and Local NAACP has continuously opposed
international and domestic practices of racism that have been
carried out by the U.S. government through domestic and
international policies/practice. Had America been the true
symbol of “freedom and democracy” as claimed by
U.S. President George W. Bush, chances are he would not
be the president during this tragic time. He was
selected president by a right-wing “Supreme
Court” who clearly violated the principles of
democracy!
• While we realize the perpetrators did not seem to
care about the race of those on the planes on that particular
day, nor the race of those working inside the buildings being
destroyed, the perpetrators did however make it clear through
attacking the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and reported
plans to attack the White House, their attacks were on the
American government. I remind you that while the NAACP would in
no way support the violent acts of the perpetrators, the Durham
NAACP does not support the calls for violent retaliation.
Further, the NAACP and other masses of African Americans were
denied the opportunity to be heard during the time the current
U.S. president, U.S. attorney general and other key officers
within the current administration were selected. Consequently,
while again, we clearly disagree with any such acts of war, we
also disagree with the U.S. president’s claim that
“this was an attack on freedom.”
• Black males can no longer afford to be used as
sacrificial lambs at the time of war! While President Bush was
making his initial speeches on how he plans to “hunt down
and punish” these “evil” people who attacked
“freedom,” he was simultaneously being protected by
secret service and military experts. Black males are likely to
be the ones put on the ground on the front lines to be
murdered, while Mr. Bush continues making such speeches. And
those Black males who through the grace of God may make it back
home alive from war, are likely to come home and be
discriminated against by the people whose businesses were
headquartered in the World Trade Center, racially
abused/profiled by an American police officer, killed on the
streets in their crime-infested neighborhoods, or at a minimal,
his life may negatively be affected by policies being
established by President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft.
Gatewood says, “We see a direct contradiction with
America’s repetitious call for Black men to be placed on
the front lines to die for this country at wartime, and then
put in the back of the line when it becomes time to share this
country’s economic prosperity and other acts of
justice!”
• We believe many of the American government’s
past and current domestic and foreign policies/practices have
contributed to the oppression of Africans, Middle Easterners
and other people of color around the world. Consequently, the
attacks, despite how we may disagree with them, may have come
as a desperate cry out from certain foreign oppressed voices
that see the American government and current administration as
a “threat to justice everywhere,” and may
not have otherwise been heard. While the perpetrators’
acts were indeed “evil,” they are dead. We must
concern ourselves with those who may commit evil acts in the
future, but not follow the perpetrators’ example
of killing innocent people.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page