Posted on 06/24/2007 12:55:12 PM PDT by Trueblackman
I can tell you as a Black Man who has served his nation, that the Black Community has no love for you if you did.
Most of the black Community lives in a delusional state about military service and life, parroting long ago debunk myths from left of center Black Politicians and washed up as well as burned out self-appointed leaders, whose day was 40 years ago.
The truth of the matter is very simply, a majority of Blacks hate to see another Black achieve anything, from education to a well paying job; any Black who achieves something without the stamp of victimization must be destroyed no questions asked.
Those Blacks who enlist or receive a commission are often torn down as “Sellouts and Uncle Toms, who are going out to fight the Whiteman’s Wars,” but you get respect from the same Blacks as long as you blaming all of your life’s ills on White Man.
A Male you achieve “Hero or Thug Status,” in the Black Community on the number of times you have been to jail or shot, the number of out of wedlock kids you have (and you receive bonus points if you don’t take care of them), how much poison you can sell to your own people and then call yourself a rap artist after a 2 year stunt in a county or state jail.
A female is all the talk of her peers if she finds herself “A Street Soldier,” (same as Thug), who she hooks up with becoming his “Boo or Thug Bitch,” pushing out his babies and collecting welfare. These are the modern day heroes among a majority of Blacks, but if you want better than all this and use the military as a means to escape this then be prepared to hear questions like “Why are you selling out and going to the military, you ain’t keeping it real doing that”?
Granted that I grew up middle class in Prince George’s County Maryland with both parents in my home, I chose to enlist in the United States Navy after a short stunt in college given that my Father and Grandfather were both in the military. When I was growing up and attending school, my fellow Blacks and some mostly liberal White would attack me verbally and physically for striving to obtain an education and wanting more, no it is better to be Black and Dumb and thus easy pick-ins for those who promote “Black Victim Status,” but from the first day I walked through the gate at Naval Recruit Training Command Great Lakes on that cold February Evening in 1993, I was told I could be more and more was demanded of me over the course of my 7 Years from Black and White Officers and Enlisted alike, but each time I returned home on leave I had to hear the questions like “How could you go in the Navy,” “The Military is racist” and “You are out killing some of your own people.”
I often chuckled to myself at the level of stupidity of these fools, first of all as a Black Man, I have a better chance of getting killed on the streets of Washington DC by another Black Man for $10, than Terrorist in Baghdad, I have encountered more racism from my own community than outside of it and lastly at least I have a job unlike most of my so-called enlightened peers.
Blacks who make the choice to serve often get no thanks from their own community and even worst their own families often times the only respect we get is from our fellow members, veterans and those outside our community. If military service is indeed a scarlet letter in the Black Community then I wear mine proudly because I am more than just someone’s victim in life.
I went thur those gates March ‘66. Thanks shipmate.
A former Tin Can and Swiftboat sailor
Have you been back home on leave lately? How is PG county, and Charles county? I used to live out that way. (Waldorf MD)
Amen. God bless you, and THANK YOU.
Well! They do from ME! I'm personally SPONSORING 4 black Sailors....so there! ;)
And thank YOU for your service!!!
I've noted more than once that the Civil Rights movement did not really get off the ground until after we had a large number of black combat veterans coming home from WW2, Korea, and Vietnam, people who were disciplined and unlikely to be cowed by some redneck sheriff with a puny handgun. The trend was more in the Korea/Vietnam era, since blacks in WW2 where more segregated into supply functions rather than frontline units
I may have already said this to you, but I’ll say it again: Thank you for protecting and defending me, my country, and 300 million others.
As an aside, I was shopping for CDs to listen to on my July roadtrip to the Pacific NW, and I decided to buy some rap. Then I saw on the labels such things as “East Coast Rap” and “West Coast Rap.” I decided then to pass as, last I’ve heard, the East Coasters and West Coasters are in a feud that has gotten people killed. There’s no sense in funding such a thing with my CD purchases.
Yes, it was interesting and enlightening. Thanks for the ping. Pax.
And thank you for your service to our country and for your excellent remarks, trueblackman.
People are people. It’s what they choose to do that distinguishes their character. It’s character that matters, not something so ridiculous as skin color. I honor you for your choices sir. Thank you for serving this country in the Military. It may be an easy choice for some but I know it can’t be an easy thing in the doing.
Aw, it's not so bad. A little hot. ;-) Tell 'em to turn off the lying, scumbag news.
And best wishes in your Army endeavors.
Don't joke about that! Hellfires are ambidextrious.
Mk 46 torpedoes, on the other hand, are left-right specific.
I've learned the hard way.
Thank you for your service to our nation!!!
Excellent. Thank you for your military service to our country.
What's "conservative TV"?
Do you really want to learn what happens when your load team screws up a load on a Nimitz class carrier?
It ain't pretty!
Yeah, we f'ed up a Mk 46 download. Accidentally hung up the arming lanyard against a swaybrace when we were dropping the weapon. Oops! We had to do proficiency loads in front of our MO and CAG Gunner for a week to prove we weren't completely incompetent.
The Navy doesn't f' around with mistakes.
Interesting subject. The other night, I watched the movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” with Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy,and Katherine Hepburn. While this was a comedy, this movie made an impact on me. As you know, it is about a white girl and and a black man who fall in love and want to marry. The black man, played by Poitier, is confronted by his father at his fiancee’s house for even wanting to go beyond his station in life. Poitier responded that his Dad saw himself as a colored man but he sees himself as a man. His Dad was holding back but the son saw unlimited potentials and was stepping out of the stereotype of a black man. Truly, we need more black men who see themselves as men, not just black men.
Thank you for your service to our country.
Great Post Kevin.
I think you will find my column this week, interesting.
Congressman Billybob
I’ve had the privilege of working with people like yourself: smart, industrious, having integrity, hardworking, with a desire to achieve — all the while putting up with an attitude from family and friends as you have described. I respect you as I respect them. Thank you for your service and thank you for being so decent!
Oh oh, I don't think you can say that......
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.