I had forgotten what I have said in many blogs. It is a saying that goes back, way back ‘history always repeats itself’. I see this happening each and every day. The problem is most people don’t see it and those that do are either the ones that are benefiting or just don’t care. I remember the dark days and see it happening again.
I remember, as a teenager that could not vote, going door to door helping people understand how to vote and what was required. White people did not have a problem voting but the Black people were denied the vote with the smallest excuse. In my state, they even had to count the number of jellybeans or marbles in a jar.
I remember marching, single file (there was a law that Black people could not walk down the sidewalk shoulder to shoulder and had to get off the sidewalk, into the street, to let a White person pass) for Civil Rights. Still, we were met with fire hoses, police dogs, and nightsticks. No warning as we were attacked. I still have the scars to prove it.
I remember the sit-ins, how we were abused. We only wanted to be treated equally. We were peaceful, quiet, well mannered, and dressed well. We were spat on, hit, and arrested. If the establishment knew we were coming, they would remove the seats, and we would have to stand.
I remember when there were certain cities or towns that a Black could not enter during darkness upon the penalty of a severe beating or death. It was usually death. I remember coming home from Europe to attend my grandmother’s funeral. It was at night; my luggage was sent ahead of me because I was bumped from my original flight (you can guess why). It was dark, my father was taking me to the airport to retrieve my baggage. As we drove through a town (the only route to get to the airport), the police stopped us, made up some sort of excuse, took us to jail, and towed the car. I was in uniform and they saw my badge (I was USAF Security Police) which made them decide to release us. No explanation, no expression of sorrow, nothing.
I remember being told I could never be part of the K-9 section of my unit. One of the handlers told me Blacks were not allowed although I frequently augmented them. It took me years to prove them wrong. As I made it, I was called all sorts of names, nasty notes left for me to read, and very few handlers spoke to me. I stayed and progressed to the top spot which was Kennelmaster (I had one of the largest active kennels in Europe).
I remember OSI (Office of Special Investigations…same as NCIS) investigating me, searching my office, off base home, and taking the ribbon from my typewriter, looking for something to charge me with in order to get me out of my position. The Commander could do it, but he did not have a reason except that I was a Black NCO with too much power.
I see the same things happening now. The present administration is taking all of the rights we fought for. Rights that are in the Constitution. Rights that the justices are turning their backs on to take us back to where we once were. To remember is saying not to forget and to saying not to forget is giving us the same old, same old. With oil running out, we will be back to my days of wood and coal heat (and cooking), candlelight (Electricity is generated by machines that run on oil), gardening for fresh food, in other words, back to the good old days (watch for the clan hoods).
Yeah, I remember. There is much more but you get the drift.
tega227 