Volume 4 Issue 39…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…October 5, 2001

Note: The DISH is based on themes from T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution. According to the President's Initiative on Race, "The issues that this book brings to the forefront are important in our efforts to achieve the goals set forth by the President for the Initiative. This work will serve as a solid resource for us as we begin to examine these critical issues." For your copy of T.H.I.N.C., The DISH or to submit comments, contact ICIM, Inc. at (404) 244-6023. The DISH © 2001

by Ron Jacobs

While the US keeps its eyes on the Pentagon's preparations for war and its nose in the air fearing biological or chemical attack by unnamed terrorists, the men in blue got away with another murder. The officer who shot 19-year-old Timothy Thomas in Cincinnati, Ohio last spring was acquitted of all charges by a municipal judge on Wednesday, September 26^th.

While the media feeds us stories of heroes in Manhattan and GW Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft try to tear up the Bill of Rights in the name of security, terrorism against African-Americans by law enforcement continues its shameful history. If one recalls, Thomas' murder caused major unrest in Cincinnati last spring. On a smaller scale, more unrest was seen in the wake of this verdict. There will be those who decry violence as inappropriate in the wake of the terrible bloodshed perpetrated on 9-11 against New York City and the Pentagon by terrorists assumed to be associates of Osama bin Laden.

While they may have a point, it is important to recall the terrorism visited on people of color since America's founding. The legacy of African slavery and African American second-class citizenship, of which police murders are but the most obvious manifestations today, influences all facets of American life.

If there is war and U.S. soldiers find themselves fighting an unending campaign with deaths higher than those in Vietnam, one can be certain that a large number of those dying will be African-American. Unfortunately, those who come back alive will be subjected to the same type of policing that killed Timothy Thomas.

While African-American men and women have been told they are fighting for freedom in every war since the end of the Civil War, it has been elusive upon their return to peacetime America. Baseball hero Jackie Robinson served in World War II; he found himself in trouble because he opposed the racism he found stateside both on and off the baseball diamond. Black Panther Geronimo Pratt, a battle-decorated Vietnam veteran, found the racism and police mistreatment of African-Americans so distasteful he became a revolutionary who ended up being framed and imprisoned for 27 years on false charges of murder. The story of African-Americans used by the US to fight its wars then find nothing changes once the uniform is off is an all too familiar tale.

There were those against the Vietnam War who tried to link the war and racism at home. Some even made the claim that the two wars were the same. This conclusion requires no real extension of the imagination. Indeed, the attacks on New York and the Pentagon have brought out some of the worst racism against Asian and Middle Eastern people. The growing peace movement has been careful to address this in its slogans and literature, calling for an end to discrimination against Arab-Americans and Muslims.

It would do well to include in its struggle a call to end the seemingly never-ending war against African-Americans, who, despite the systemic and individual racism they face every day, grieve as deeply as all other U.S. citizens for the innocents killed on September 11, 2001, and who will most likely die in numbers greater than their proportionate ratio of the U.S. population should the Bush war on terrorism proceed.

About Me: Ron Jacobs lives in Vermont. He is a father, works at a library and against war and racism. Jacobs is the author of The Way the Wind Blew: A History of the Weather Underground.

"..Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to prevent further aggression. The United States regards as vital to its national interest and to world peace the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia. Consonant with the Constitution and the Charter of the United Nations and in accordance with its obligations under the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, the United States is, therefore, prepared, as the President determines, to take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force, to assist any member or protocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom..."

American destroyers on patrol in the international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin reported that they had been attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. In 1968, Senator J.W. Fulbright, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, held hearings. He questioned whether an attack actually occurred. But, in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson and Congress were in a mood to take stern measures.

Congress repealed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution when President Nixon continued to assert executive powers to make war that Congress did not agree with. In 1969, the Senate advised him to get approval before committing US forces abroad. Over congressional protests, he bombed Cambodia. Congress set August 15, 1973, as the date to end all American military activity in Indochina, including the bombing of Cambodia. Over Nixon's veto, Congress passed legislation to prevent a President from involving the country in war without congressional approval.

Under the 1973 war-powers resolution, the President could not order troops into action without congressional approval. He would have to halt any action taken immediately, if Congress objected, or in 90 days if Congress did not give its positive permission. At the close of American military involvement in Vietnam, Nixon declared America won 'a peace with honor.'

After more than a decade of direct American military involvement in Vietnam, the 'peace' achieved cost America's more than $100 billion. Approximately 1 million Vietnamese Communists, 200,000 South Vietnamese, and 55,000Americans died. Some 300,000 Americans were wounded, half of them seriously, and many of these permanently maimed. 'Peace' brought the release of several hundred American prisoners and Nguyen Van Thieu remained in power in South Vietnam.

When Americans think of censorship, invariably the name McCarthy and the Red Scare are invoked. After the Communist victory in China, politicians played on American fear of Communism. Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy charged Communists and "fellow travelers" (sympathizers) dominated the State Department and shaped American foreign policy. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigated and found no truth to his claim. Nevertheless, millions were eager to believe McCarthy as he went on to make startling accusations more rapidly than they could be substantiated or refuted. His followers applauded his characterization of the New Deal as twisted thinking that had led America near to ruin at home and abroad. He got so much attention that McCarthyism became a synonym for hysterical anti-Communism.

While President Dwight Eisenhower retained the basic general welfare programs enacted in the previous 20 years, his administration moved toward the right to appease conservative Republicans in Congress. He opposed so-called socialized medicine but proposed a public health insurance program that involved little more than limited underwriting of private insurance companies issuing health policies. Eisenhower called his concept of limited federal government "dynamic conservatism." Like the modern-day oxymoron -compassionate conservatism, - dynamic conservatism appealed to Republicans. Like President Bush, Eisenhower drew support more often than not from a coalition of Republicans and Democrats. (Current, Williams & Friedel)

by John Burl Smith

Friday's performance of The Block: Poetic Asylum at Davage Auditorium in the Clark Atlanta University Center was a giant stride for its creators, Aqiyl Thomas and Yohannes Sharriff Smith. Bringing passion and empathy to their many roles, they reflected familiar tortured images we encounter daily but ignore. These two very prolific spoken word artists received great support from poets like Malik, Bonnie, Q-Swon and Shawna. Certainly, honorable mentions go to guitarist Justin and percussionist Herb Bowens, along with Live Poets, Cocktail and Abyss for outstanding villainous portrayals. A cutting edge experiential poetic fusion of emotions, The Block binds us in the Diaspora with a common frame of reference known as the "blues."

A desire to create relevant theatrical productions inspired The Block. The norm rather than the exception, Yohannes and Aqiyl's major goal is to establish real opportunities for black performers as independent entrepreneurs. Collaborating, directing and producing, these young men made Friday's performance especially sweet for everyone involved, because it strengthened their resolve to maintain intellectual and artistic control over their products.

Getting audience responses, The DISH recorded comments from We One, "I was totally blown away, it was awesome." Ayodele enthusiastically offered, "The energy, reception and response were just great." Brimming with pride Yohannes said, "Mad props to our loyal supporters. They brought us this far and now we can reward them with some really challenging performances. The myth blacks will not support theatrical productions is dead, 'six feet below oxygen.' The Block shows it can be done. Now, we have to find ways to take it to people." Aqiyl closed it out, "We owe our success to a great cast. They really picked us up."

A total confirmation of their approach to providing community theater, Aqiyl and Yohannes are looking for opportunities to bring The Block to your community! For more info on The Block, visit Yohannes at www.thedish.ws or icim@bellsouth.net, or contact Aqiyl @ www.undergroundepics.com or call (404) 896-4260. MoorEpics Poetry Planet, located at 227 Mitchell Street, provided sound for The Block. John 2001

Fact: Blacks pay more for every type of insurance in the financial market. They pay more to finance the American dream for everything from mortgages to car loans. On average, they get $21,000 less than whites in the nation's retirement program- Social Security. Blacks are systematically discriminated against in every significant socioeconomic and political measure in America. This is the chasm of inequality.

Fact: To ready businesses for Y2K, e-companies sold a bundle of unnecessary software and hardware to the unsuspecting. Reporters snickered about scams run on the technologically challenged. While some of the transactions were legitimate, too many virtual businesses sold fictitious goods and services. People of all hues were burned by legal Y2K scams. Some see the NASDAQ’s downturn as new millennium poetic justice. 

The hits keep coming, but the song is "hold on a change is coming." When the stock market crashed, the only people left with anything worth having controlled the land and the capital; the rest held worthless paper.

Before Greenspan burst the speculation bubble of irrational exuberance, folks with 401-Ks thought they had something of lasting value. Some are learning in a painful way that the stock market giveth and the stock market taketh away. 401-Ks suffered significant paper losses, some as much as fifty percent. Now, many of those 401-K employees are drawing unemployment.

Investors who bought iXL, Lucent and hundreds of other tech stocks that tanked have tremendous paper losses; some lost their original investment. No comeback is expected for the stocks of companies that have closed their doors. Some of these entities once sold stock for $60 or more that is now traded for pennies.

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro has been told he must set a good example for his little brother and sidekick - Robin to follow. Lately, that responsibility has become more difficult. Tired of policing Ty's speech, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro remarked to me, "All I can say is my sidekick's potty mouth is beyond my feeble powers."

by John Burl Smith

Americans' willingness to see double or fake blindness is best understood through the fairytale The Emperor's New Clothes. For America, the clearest examples are Co-InTel-Pro and the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. The headlines read "American Destroyer Attacked by North Vietnam." The Military and media sang the siren song of war, pelting Americans with intricate details of how a North Vietnamese torpedo boat cowardly attacked an American destroyer on patrol in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. For days, pictures and specific accounts of the attack were leaked and later claimed as incontrovertible proof North Vietnam had attacked America. Demanding justice and demonstrating patriotism, Congress overwhelmingly voted to declare "WAR" on North Vietnam.

More than $100 billion later, approximately 1 million Vietnamese Communists, 200,000 South Vietnamese and 55,000 Americans dead, leaving some 300,000 Americans wounded, half of them permanently disabled, America quit and walked away from the war and those who fought it. After more than a decade of direct American military involvement in Vietnam, the 'peace' achieved was costly and did not change the result following Dien Bien Phu when the French left in 1955.

In 1968, Senator J.W. Fulbright, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, raised questions of whether there actually had been an attack. Congress objected to Nixon's unilateral escalation of the war, and his asserting executive powers to make war without congressional declarations. Years after the Tonkin Gulf incident, military and CIA files revealed it never happened. The whole thing was a hoax concocted by the military to justify escalating the war.

The Tonkin Gulf incident, like Co-InTel-Pro and so many other contrived occurrences, shows the US government will do anything to justify military action or its racist domestic policies. The Internet is abuzz with reports of alternative scenarios in the World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters, which include the Israelis who desired to push America into a war with the Muslin world. A viable consideration, if one looks at who gained from this disaster. If the media are believed, most Americans totally dismiss all considerations, except Arab terrorists. An identical reaction to the Tonkin Gulf and Co-InTel-Pro, Americans are afraid to question whether Bush is really wearing magical cloths. Since the disaster, like magical tailors, these charlatans are selling the idea that being patriotic means believing what one hears, rather than what commonsense dictates. It is not beyond belief that the American government repeats what has worked for it in the past. If it walks and quacks like a duck, what would you call it? T.H.I.N.C. about it! (Vol. 5 No 34) John 2001

Disgruntled says: Rorschach-like ink spots cover Georgia’s congressional map. Georgia’s legislature drew districts on the premise that those with 40% black voters are safe Democratic districts and those with 10% black voters are safely Republican. This is racism.

Disgruntled wants to know: According to Internet sources, 4,000 Israelis were absent from work at the World Trade Center on 9-11, which was not a Jewish holiday like Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. There has been little mention of the Israeli death toll, because it is so low, relative to its large national contingent operating in the New York financial district. Is there more than urban legend to the contention that Israel had the most to gain from terrorism on American soil?

Disgruntled feels: War is hell! Many people died in the killing fields of Vietnam. A lot of Americans nobody called heroes returned home the walking wounded. Only a fool would seek to repeat that hell on Earth.

by Dot

George W. Bush wants America to go to war because of 'an attack on our freedom.' He says, America did nothing to incur such hatred. How simplistic! In international circles, this is dribble! If war is imminent, we should know the real reason has more to do with oil and gas than freedom. True, unsuspecting Americans bought into the war against Vietnam, once the rice bowl of the world. Americans are smarter now. With access to worldwide information, it is a show of arrogance on Bush's part to assume we are simpletons. We are not!

Dubbing his war Operation Infinite Justice, Bush displayed a remarkable lack of gravitas. Pursuing armed conflict in a nuclear age is nonsense. Nuking them, enemies we created, is the final solution his handlers embrace. Diplomacy to bring international terrorists to justice is dismissed. Instead, Bush prepares America for war, which is never simple. Only simpletons choose it.

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