It was early 1979, we were eating lunch at the Ft.Rucker mess hall, all of sitting at a long table were AIT students. A Jewish friend sitting across from me says, " you know what is the biggest export of Pakistan, its people", everyone laughed, I did too, you know, " if the shoe fits", of course he didn't know why and how I had come to the states.
People generalize, we all do, some times it is called profiling, sometimes racial profiling.
Every time there is a terrorist incident, a large explosion, a bloody accident, I look at the news, hoping it is not a terrorist act, hoping it is not Muslims,, I am not a practicing Muslim, an Islamist, heck I am not a believer in any religion but, yes I am racially profiling my own self.
I don't want my kids to visit their grand parents in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia because I know it will arouse fear and suspicion in the minds of people with too much time on their hands, such as the FBI and NSA.
I worked hard in my military career as well as I finished a four year degree in four years, at night school, as well as being the first military instructor to receive "Senior Instructor rating" in my division. Each time I was promoted ahead of my peers, they said it was an equal opportunity promotion.
I raised my children telling them they will have to work three times as hard to be considered half as good, in 2013, it is still a white mans world, here in the south, it is only the white mans world.
I have no complains, i have been successful, I have a decent life, good kids.
On the second anniversary of 9/11 the local church asked me yo speak at the memorial service in the park.
" I proud that you have asked me to speak here and honored, I am honored that you noticed I am different, that after 25 years of service in the Department of the Army, retiring a Master Sergeant, earning a Meritorious Service Medal among others, I should speak to you about how I felt on that day, when the country I made home was attacked, why? Why me? Because I am not YOU, I am not LIKE you! Because my name is Mohammed, I am not
Supposed feel like an "American"."
So what does it all have to do with the death King's dream, everything really. We are judged by the color of our skin, we are also judged by our character, sometimes, when the people can first get past all the other generalizations.
Open your eyes, we do not live in a color blind society.
I am angry about the Zimmerman being found not guilty, I know Treyvon was racially profiled, I know that an armed man followed a person and confronted him for no reason at all and then after initiating a conflict he murdered that person, done, simple, guilty. But this is America, justice is not here, no fairness, and I can quote you case after case where justice was miscarried so badly that it can only be called an abortion of justice, but the six females have no guilt or shame, no remorse, Treyvon was black right, he was dangerous and criminal!
Get over it. When blacks today complain about travesty of justice they need to look, get beyond their Afro thinking, the slave and oppressed mind set, curb the criminal elements, and do something positive for themselves. I am tired of do gooders that are just too happy making excuses for bad behaviors and individual and group short comings.
We must recognize that the humans are racists, may be a few will ask for exception but yes, humans ARE racists, America is a racist nation, Americans, black, white, hispanics, and the rest we are all racists. We can not change that, but we can help, just a white person with a lot of tattoos and piercings will have a hard time getting job, you will have a time if the employer can't even spell your name, and that sag, no.
When we cry foul over the injustice in Florida, think how many blacks get away with murdering other blacks everyday,
As a father of a fifteen year old son, I have no doubt that Zimmerman racially profiled Treyvon, and intentionally and willfully killed Treyvon, but how many black kids are killed each day and no blacks will step up to provide evidence, if the blood of a black person is cheap you yourself have cheapened it.
Get beyond the psychobabble, beyond the comforting words of the preachers, and false promise of the self anointed gods of politics, do some thing real and positive.
People can profile all they want, hell "Hampton Inns" have an Indian kid in their ad, talk about a stereotype, you don't have to try to fit that profile. When I see a Muslim with long beard and high ankle pants, I puke.
Remember no matter how many white girls Kanye fuck or knocks up, no matter how many white girls blacks have, we are still racists and blacks have to live down some stereotypes and nit live up to them. Get educated, work hard, don't make babies, love and raise your kids. That is for starters. Get off welfare, clean up your neighborhoods, many years ago, like forty, I moved out of dorm for Pakistani and Indian students because it smelled like Indian cooking.
We are racists and we will always be racists, what can you do to help yourself and improve your lot.
Don't cry foul over Zimmerman. That is just in one in ten thousand blacks that will be murdered this year, by other blacks and the police, look around are you guilty, are you helping to bring it on yourself and your kids?
Many years ago,and in many of my writings, I have exposed the role of the society, the law, the politicians, the media, and the helping professions and the justice system to keep the down trodden low, don't fall prey to these, you have to get up and fight, not by routing or beating your chest, but getting up off your knees and staring them in the face.
