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Ronald
Regan-RIP
He was a true American Hero and the entire country
joins in mourning the lost. That comment often follows men who have made
the transition from the physical world to the spiritual. In many cases
American citizens of African ancestry are swept up in the media frenzy and we
find ourselves joining the long list or mourners in spite of the roles they
played while alive. We do this without having a full understanding of our
actions. This scenario was once again played out after the announcement
that ex-president Ronald Reagan had died.
As cameras span the crowds that lined up at the nation's capital in Washington,
D.C., you could not help but notice the substantial number of Blacks who were
waiting on line to give their last respect to the ex-president. Giving our
respect to the dead is something that we hold dear and important in our culture;
however this fact was not dear to the ex-president. While he was alive and
serving out his role of president he did all that he could to besmirch the name
of Dr. Martin Luther King in his death. He did this by attempting to place
legislative road blocks to stop Dr. King's birthday from becoming a national
holiday.
His disrespect for the dead did not stop there. The ex-president also
played a major role to ensure that the racist Apartheid South Africa government
continued to flourish and grow. Desecrating the spirit of those African
student's who lost their lives in the 1976 Soweto uprising. This fact was
expressed to me by some of the students, who are now adults now, when I visited
some of them in South Africa a few years ago. They were very clear on the
role that our "American Hero" Ronald Reagan played.
Yes, as we mourn the passing of the falling "American Hero" let us not
allow our teary eyes to cloud the vision of the reality that Reagan and Reaganomics
had a devastating impact on our race. The impact can still be viewed
today. Ex-President Reagan gave our community another "American
Hero," Rudolph Guiliani. Yes for those of you who have
forgotten, "America's Mayor" was a lawyer with the Justice Department
under the ex-President. In his role there he did all that he could to
ensure Haitian refugees were prevented from entering the United States.
There is no need to report on his legacy as Mayor of the City of New
York, for we all know that it includes names such as Louima, Diallo, and
Dorismond.
All the draconian actions that followed his regime was buried with the rubbish
at ground zero and New Yorkers of African Ancestry joined other Americans in
greeting him as the new "American Hero."
We as American citizens of African ancestry must show our respect for the lost
of human beings, but at the same time we must stay grounded in the reality of
their legacies. It is important that we fully understand that the full
extent of what it takes to be a true "American Hero." After a
close examination I am sure you will find that that term has often been synonymous
to oppression of people of color. The passing of these "American
Heroes" are mourned throughout the country and the nation as a day of
mourning.
The rotunda of our nation and state capitals become a location that has been
reserved for the bodies of only America's national "Heroes." Ex-president
Ronald Regan's body will lay in state in the same manner as other "American
Heroes", such as the racist FBI Director J.Edgar Hoover and
"segregation now and always" Senator Strom Thurmond.
Eric Adams
Co-Founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care
6/28/04
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