EDITORIAL VETERANS OF COLOR, FERGUSON, AND THE IRONY OF IT ALL By Phil Seahorn November 12, 2014 The aspect of the Artic blast that has dipped Spokane
into the single digits just adds to the melancholy observance of this particular Veterans Day. And with this, the thoughts of the men and women of color who have served a country that has
been, at best, accepting, and worse, totally disrespectful to the men and women of color who have served in the U.S. military. What would these men and women of color who have, and still serve this country with honor and
dignity, feel about military actions against communities of color today? Both my parents served in the military. Both my parents instilled in my sister and me a sense of patriotism that I think was exceptional for my father, who was bi-racial and my mother who was black and Cherokee to have served in times of extreme hatred and prejudice toward them. My dad served in World War Two and my mother was stationed in Japan for four years in the late fifties. And now, in 2014, we have military equipped cops aiming guns at people of color. The same people of color who ALOS serve in the military. The issue of the militarization of America’s police ( who many Americans feel is the first real step toward a socialist America) coming full frontal view to the world happening in the all black community of Ferguson Missouri is steeped in irony. It seems that the years of hatred and racism toward Americans who STILL served proudly for a country that hated and despised them has “come home to roost.” With
images of tanks and military equipment being aimed and used on American civilians of color has spread all over the world. On this Veteran’s Day past, it is important to remember that the people of color who served fought and DIED for this country should have their memory served best by not having things like Ferguson Missouri happen. But Ferguson Missouri has happened, and will continue to happen, if not in St. Louis then someplace else in the U.S. I had always wondered how the people of color in the military feel about the events in Ferguson. How can they answer questions, our men and women in uniform stationed in other countries, who see the events in Ferguson and ask men and women of color: why would you serve a country with this going on? Because the men and women of color have the same pride, the same patriotism, the same character of will to say basically: fuck the people who hate us. By being in the military, men and women of color have ALREADY ELELVATED THEMSELVES above the rest of the American population, in their honor, duty, and patriotism toward the U.S. The same way the veterans of color have served our great country. TO ALL VETERANS: GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS THIS GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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