ahar...@earthlink.net You guys are all making really important points. Thanks! Peace, Amy
Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: I, Too, Sing America >I can only speak for myself but I was struck by the sea of American > flags waving in unison for a number of reasons. I stopped reciting > the Pledge of Allegiance in the third grade, the same year my sister > and I became the only children of African-American descent at the > public grade school my mother somehow had managed to enroll us in. > > The city of Milwaukee had something called "intact busing" where they > would take an entire class of black children from an overcrowded > inner city school and bus them "intact" to a white school where they > would have no contact with the white student body. They would arrive > after the white students were in class and be ushered to a classroom > in the basement - then they would be escorted out of their basement > classroom and back to their bus before the white children were > excused for the day. I would watch this daily spectacle from the > window of my second floor classroom. Henceforth, I would choke on > the words "with liberty and justice for all." Couldn't say it. > Refused to say it. > > When George Foreman waved a tiny American flag when he won the gold > medal, I thought, "sellout." I was glad when Muhammad Ali knocked > him out. > > In the movie "Rocky," when Apollo Creed came dancing into the ring > wearing his red, white and blue trunks and his Uncle Sam hat, I > thought, "you punk." > > When they play the national anthem at sporting events I attend, I > never stand and I never remove my hat. > > Last night, when I went to see the Milwaukee Bucks annihilate the > Dallas Mavericks (133-99), I didn't put my hand over my heart or > remove my hat but I did stand in silence. In respect. In > acknowledgement. > > ~rave! > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, keithbjohn...@... wrote: >> >> Well said. One slight correction though: it wasn't for the first > time we were proud to be Americans; it was the first time we were > *really* proud to be Americans. There's a difference. I think blacks > have always loved this country, always been proud to be American, but > been saddened and upset by how it's fallen short of its promises. > It's like having a child that you love, that has so much potential, > but hasn't yet found his or her course in life. I've even heard > parents say, "I've always loved my son, always been proud of him, but > i'm really really proud of him for the first time." >> >> Frankly, by dint of volunteering for the military, by playing by > the rules, by raising our kids to worship a God and support a country > into which we were frankly dragged in chains, I think black Americans > can be said to have shown more genuine patriotism, more faith in this > country, than any other group. (Except perhaps Natives). I hope more > people get that message, but there are always the doubters: witness > Rush Limbaugh's "I hope Obama fails" rant. Sigh... >> >> Again, well said. >> -------------- Original message ---------------------- >> From: "ravenadal" <ravena...@...> >> > I, Too, Sing America >> > >> > In the tapestry that was the throng blanketing the public > concourse >> > stretching from the Lincoln Memorial to the portico where > President >> > Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office, I was struck by a >> > strange and incongruous sight: a sea of black people waving tiny >> > American flags. What bizarro world was this? Black people waving >> > American flags? Get the flux out of here! And yet, there they > were, >> > waving their red, white and blue flags proudly, enthusiastically > and >> > full of the vigor of having obtained their full statehood rights. >> > First Lady Michelle Obama was vilified for voicing an opinion > similar >> > to what these people were so obviously demonstrating: for the > first >> > time in their adult lives, they were proud to be Americans. >> > >> > ~rave! >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Post your SciFiNoir Profile at > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! > > Groups Links > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.12/1909 - Release Date: 1/22/2009 7:08 AM
