Here, in the United States of America, the "Good Ole US of A," we are a country forged in the images of people and cultures from all over the world. But, truly, just who are we? Do you really know, or even understand exactly all it has taken to get us to this point in our history? We are comprised of many personalities and religions, yet we have never fully come together as 'One Nation under God!' A deep look into our ancestral pasts should help us better understand why we are as we are. However, I find it so unfortunate that we are only a shell of what we should be, here in this Country of Skeleton we have created for ourselves!
Country of Skeletons, the beginning of an existing family ...
Here I am on Okinawa (in JAPAN) long before I started taking writing serious. I can honestly say that serving in the United States Marine Corps was one of the most rewarding times in my life. Of course, times change, and although I still have fond memories of those days spent serving my country, I have never been absent in knowledge of how this country of ours was made, nor the many times I spent before and after the Corps, pondering why? - how? and for what?
Here I am on Okinawa (in JAPAN) long before I started taking writing serious. I can honestly say that serving in the United States Marine Corps was one of the most rewarding times in my life. Of course, times change, and although I still have fond memories of those days spent serving my country, I have never been absent in knowledge of how this country of ours was made, nor the many times I spent before and after the Corps, pondering why? - how? and for what?
It is said that “Time Heals All Wounds!” Truth is, when history continues to stare down on those most wounded by the extreme cruelties inflicted upon them, it's very hard to find a healing, or a forgiveness. Men, women and children, stripped of dignity and identity by those who would hold them as less than human for centuries. People literally made to feel inferior and being deprived of liberty, freedom and even life for self-purpose. This book, Country of Skeletons, reveals much of the reasons why so many today are unable to wear the smiles belonging to a prosperous nation, and why a healing has been so hard to find by the millions still wearing the chains and shackles of the past. For this truly is a country of skeletons, past and present!
A small sample taken from the "Preface" of the book, ...
From Europe and other parts, they came, they saw, and they CONQUERED! ...
For sure, history can show more than we are willing to admit to ourselves. In truth, we are a nation of thieves. Apart from the true Creator, who Created mankind in a different light, our very lives today are owed to the thieves who forced their way into this land we now call home. Yes, we are a nation of thieves, past and present. Thieves that have evolved into a country.. a nation! But our evolution is not yet complete. There are miles still left to travel from those dark days of history. Of those days, are the skeletons that fill the American Closet, but overlooked because of where we are now, and what it took to get here. Because for every Log Book entry, there is a history written of this country.
A History of Pilgrimage, Colonization and Takeover! ...
And history shows that the very first colonies in North America were along the eastern coast. Settlers from Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, and England claimed land beginning early in the 17th century. The struggles for control of this land would continue for more than a hundred grueling years. It was the holding on to the early European mindset, its physical brutalities and varying hatreds that powered much loss of life during their struggles for control. They were much like mankind today, except only today, mankind's mindset is geared more towards exploring the universe, its' spaces below and above land, as apposed to simply seeking out new territories of acres and land to claim as their own. Yet, still, and even after having become (allegedly, of course) more civilized and advanced, holding onto much of the primitive and barbaric mindset of early, white Anglo-Europe. It was merely reinvented (under the Forefathers controls) and brought to bear upon what they had established as 'their' New World.
The first permanent settlement in North America was the English colony at Jamestown in 1607, in what is now Virginia. It was clear, John Smith and his company of settlers had come to stay in this rich and promising land. The Pilgrims followed, in 1620, and set up a colony at Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts. Other English colonies sprang up all along the Atlantic coast, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. Swedish and Dutch colonies took shape in and around what is now New York. Then, as more and more people arrived in the New World, more and more disputes broke out over territory. Ironically, the ones whom held rightful dispute, the Native Americans, became out manned and out gunned, then greed, selfishness and worst of all – RACISM, surrounded them. Their paradise would soon be lost to them, invaded by the hands of the Anglo-European Nightmare!
Some brutal realities to the taking of a continent …
Many wars were fought in the 1600s and 1700s. Soon, the two European countries with the largest presence were England and France. The two of them would then fight it out against one another for control of North America in what we Americans call the French and Indian War (1754-1763). England won the war and got control of Canada, as well as keeping control of all the English colonies. This time, the English colonies numbered 13. They were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. From these, a Satan-inspired, perverted attitude would spring forth, and life for many would become a living nightmare for centuries to follow. The Anglo-European Nightmare had sprang to full fruition, advancing with it the full measure of hatred that had long been with it, and not slowly developed as many may want to believe – for it was always there. Always within them throughout their Anglo-European histories of barbarism and numerous hatreds.
A history of endless stories …
Of course, this is a history that can be told on and on. And after we have navigated away from the hardships the early settlers experienced, namely diseases brought with them from the old world to the new, and death, we realize that what they called the New World was Old World to those who called this land home long before white Anglo-European domination. And, as we navigate even further through the “guts” and “glory” of those early European explorers and settlers, it is easy to understand why many Americans prefer to ignore the full reality belonging to the shaping of this nation. It's important, therefore, to get to know the nature of the minds that set out to take over an already inhabited land. Was their explorations and relocation settlements simple matters of escaping “Religious Persecution” and/or their curiosity to explore strange new horizons? If so, it didn't work. For it was the evil and most perverted ones who used God's words to draw out the witches and burn them at the stake. Or, was it their true desire, right from the very beginning, to seek out, dominate and establish as their own, places beyond their original native lands, regardless of whom, if any, the indigenous were? History, itself, serves as the “truth teller” of those who would enslave and hold at bay a people of a continent, and then, select another continent and its' people, to build it to their own personal and selfish satisfaction. These were then, and in many ways now, the mindset of the white Anglo-European settlers in America. Making an entire and previously inhabited continent home to themselves, their posterity – and forever!
The white Anglo-European taught to hide …
In the school classrooms growing up, I knew more about Ponce DeLeon (Juan Ponce de León 1474 – 1521) than I did about Crispus Attucks (1723 – March 5, 1770). If you were to ask the average black person from age 40 and up, “Who is/was Crispus Attucks?” I'm afraid the normal and more unmistakeable response would be a scratch on the head. This will most likely hold true for white people as well. If I'm wrong, and I would love to be, it would have more to do with the internet and the history channel than with any public school classrooms, which are what people over 40 pay most attention to these days. Let's face it, in 1973 and earlier, black history just wasn't one of the major topics of importance in the average classrooms across the country. And, yes, racism had a great deal to do with it. In most cases, whenever there was mention of a black person in the history classroom, like Crispus Attucks and George Washington Carver, it was usually brief and somewhat in passing. In the eyes of most white Anglo-European Americans, blacks held no true value in the development of this country, this nation! It was of the Anglo-European explorers where the specifics were reached. America's Founding fathers, explorers and the like, held the most importance when it came to America's history. Nevertheless, there were those, like me, who desired to know more than just the brief, and in passing bits and pieces of information on such people. And it was only through time that it was gathered.
Times reflecting the then are still now …
Some believe that Crispus Attucks, an American slave, was the first man shot dead in Boston, Massachusetts, during the Boston Massacre. Maybe, maybe not! Not much is known of him, but most Historian scholars agree Crispus Attucks had Wampanoag (Native American Tribe) ancestors, and was also of African descent. So much history belonging to the Black American, yet only relative few make a point of knowing it. Most young people today know of it from the tales and stories told to them from such media places as the the history channel, hearing from the ones who were most affected by the cruelties inflicted, and, of course, those brief mentions we receive in February celebrating Black History Month. And for some of them, they of the “OLD-SCHOOL” who remember first hand, the memories and pain still cuts deep. I call some of them the lost ones. They are the ones who never learned to forgive, and have helped to spawn a second and third generation of disrespectful and very dysfunctional black children, striving to return hate for hate, and who are more than ready to teach the next generation of black-Americans to do the same. And as much as I understand the importance of people taking responsibility for what they do in the here and now, I can also understand why for some it's not as simple as that. For this truly is a country of skeletons – past and present for millions unwilling to heal the wounds – and to truly forgive!
And Just What are some of the skeletons? …
Walk up and down any largely populated city in America today, and you'll see the skeletons created and left by the original white Anglo-European settlers, their offspring, as well as their greatly numbered immigrant posterity. From these minds would come the construction of a system so destructive to a people, that the original scars created from the deliberate wounds inflicted by it, have shaped themselves into a state of normalcy, and the kind of acceptance that does much to illustrate how confused a race of people can be. Second and third generations of people who have lost their way, and whom, seemingly, desire no change in the lives they now lead. These are the living “skeletons” produced through time and neglect. For a long long time, the 'so-called' American Dream had been routinely held from them – through wanting and a systematic framing, they would do this for centuries. And, then, with the same diabolical mindset, stood back and watched the results of their handy work, accepting no blame for the ungodly treatments they imposed upon them, and relentlessly pursuing the illogical belief that their actions were the divine will of God.
A small sample taken from the "Preface" of the book, ...
From Europe and other parts, they came, they saw, and they CONQUERED! ...
For sure, history can show more than we are willing to admit to ourselves. In truth, we are a nation of thieves. Apart from the true Creator, who Created mankind in a different light, our very lives today are owed to the thieves who forced their way into this land we now call home. Yes, we are a nation of thieves, past and present. Thieves that have evolved into a country.. a nation! But our evolution is not yet complete. There are miles still left to travel from those dark days of history. Of those days, are the skeletons that fill the American Closet, but overlooked because of where we are now, and what it took to get here. Because for every Log Book entry, there is a history written of this country.
A History of Pilgrimage, Colonization and Takeover! ...
And history shows that the very first colonies in North America were along the eastern coast. Settlers from Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, and England claimed land beginning early in the 17th century. The struggles for control of this land would continue for more than a hundred grueling years. It was the holding on to the early European mindset, its physical brutalities and varying hatreds that powered much loss of life during their struggles for control. They were much like mankind today, except only today, mankind's mindset is geared more towards exploring the universe, its' spaces below and above land, as apposed to simply seeking out new territories of acres and land to claim as their own. Yet, still, and even after having become (allegedly, of course) more civilized and advanced, holding onto much of the primitive and barbaric mindset of early, white Anglo-Europe. It was merely reinvented (under the Forefathers controls) and brought to bear upon what they had established as 'their' New World.
The first permanent settlement in North America was the English colony at Jamestown in 1607, in what is now Virginia. It was clear, John Smith and his company of settlers had come to stay in this rich and promising land. The Pilgrims followed, in 1620, and set up a colony at Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts. Other English colonies sprang up all along the Atlantic coast, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. Swedish and Dutch colonies took shape in and around what is now New York. Then, as more and more people arrived in the New World, more and more disputes broke out over territory. Ironically, the ones whom held rightful dispute, the Native Americans, became out manned and out gunned, then greed, selfishness and worst of all – RACISM, surrounded them. Their paradise would soon be lost to them, invaded by the hands of the Anglo-European Nightmare!
Some brutal realities to the taking of a continent …
Many wars were fought in the 1600s and 1700s. Soon, the two European countries with the largest presence were England and France. The two of them would then fight it out against one another for control of North America in what we Americans call the French and Indian War (1754-1763). England won the war and got control of Canada, as well as keeping control of all the English colonies. This time, the English colonies numbered 13. They were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. From these, a Satan-inspired, perverted attitude would spring forth, and life for many would become a living nightmare for centuries to follow. The Anglo-European Nightmare had sprang to full fruition, advancing with it the full measure of hatred that had long been with it, and not slowly developed as many may want to believe – for it was always there. Always within them throughout their Anglo-European histories of barbarism and numerous hatreds.
A history of endless stories …
Of course, this is a history that can be told on and on. And after we have navigated away from the hardships the early settlers experienced, namely diseases brought with them from the old world to the new, and death, we realize that what they called the New World was Old World to those who called this land home long before white Anglo-European domination. And, as we navigate even further through the “guts” and “glory” of those early European explorers and settlers, it is easy to understand why many Americans prefer to ignore the full reality belonging to the shaping of this nation. It's important, therefore, to get to know the nature of the minds that set out to take over an already inhabited land. Was their explorations and relocation settlements simple matters of escaping “Religious Persecution” and/or their curiosity to explore strange new horizons? If so, it didn't work. For it was the evil and most perverted ones who used God's words to draw out the witches and burn them at the stake. Or, was it their true desire, right from the very beginning, to seek out, dominate and establish as their own, places beyond their original native lands, regardless of whom, if any, the indigenous were? History, itself, serves as the “truth teller” of those who would enslave and hold at bay a people of a continent, and then, select another continent and its' people, to build it to their own personal and selfish satisfaction. These were then, and in many ways now, the mindset of the white Anglo-European settlers in America. Making an entire and previously inhabited continent home to themselves, their posterity – and forever!
The white Anglo-European taught to hide …
In the school classrooms growing up, I knew more about Ponce DeLeon (Juan Ponce de León 1474 – 1521) than I did about Crispus Attucks (1723 – March 5, 1770). If you were to ask the average black person from age 40 and up, “Who is/was Crispus Attucks?” I'm afraid the normal and more unmistakeable response would be a scratch on the head. This will most likely hold true for white people as well. If I'm wrong, and I would love to be, it would have more to do with the internet and the history channel than with any public school classrooms, which are what people over 40 pay most attention to these days. Let's face it, in 1973 and earlier, black history just wasn't one of the major topics of importance in the average classrooms across the country. And, yes, racism had a great deal to do with it. In most cases, whenever there was mention of a black person in the history classroom, like Crispus Attucks and George Washington Carver, it was usually brief and somewhat in passing. In the eyes of most white Anglo-European Americans, blacks held no true value in the development of this country, this nation! It was of the Anglo-European explorers where the specifics were reached. America's Founding fathers, explorers and the like, held the most importance when it came to America's history. Nevertheless, there were those, like me, who desired to know more than just the brief, and in passing bits and pieces of information on such people. And it was only through time that it was gathered.
Times reflecting the then are still now …
Some believe that Crispus Attucks, an American slave, was the first man shot dead in Boston, Massachusetts, during the Boston Massacre. Maybe, maybe not! Not much is known of him, but most Historian scholars agree Crispus Attucks had Wampanoag (Native American Tribe) ancestors, and was also of African descent. So much history belonging to the Black American, yet only relative few make a point of knowing it. Most young people today know of it from the tales and stories told to them from such media places as the the history channel, hearing from the ones who were most affected by the cruelties inflicted, and, of course, those brief mentions we receive in February celebrating Black History Month. And for some of them, they of the “OLD-SCHOOL” who remember first hand, the memories and pain still cuts deep. I call some of them the lost ones. They are the ones who never learned to forgive, and have helped to spawn a second and third generation of disrespectful and very dysfunctional black children, striving to return hate for hate, and who are more than ready to teach the next generation of black-Americans to do the same. And as much as I understand the importance of people taking responsibility for what they do in the here and now, I can also understand why for some it's not as simple as that. For this truly is a country of skeletons – past and present for millions unwilling to heal the wounds – and to truly forgive!
And Just What are some of the skeletons? …
Walk up and down any largely populated city in America today, and you'll see the skeletons created and left by the original white Anglo-European settlers, their offspring, as well as their greatly numbered immigrant posterity. From these minds would come the construction of a system so destructive to a people, that the original scars created from the deliberate wounds inflicted by it, have shaped themselves into a state of normalcy, and the kind of acceptance that does much to illustrate how confused a race of people can be. Second and third generations of people who have lost their way, and whom, seemingly, desire no change in the lives they now lead. These are the living “skeletons” produced through time and neglect. For a long long time, the 'so-called' American Dream had been routinely held from them – through wanting and a systematic framing, they would do this for centuries. And, then, with the same diabolical mindset, stood back and watched the results of their handy work, accepting no blame for the ungodly treatments they imposed upon them, and relentlessly pursuing the illogical belief that their actions were the divine will of God.
Taken from Chapter One - The Founders, ...
Countries don't just happen to be, they are made to be! There is a history that surrounds every foreign land we travel that have been forged from circumstances tailored specifically for them. Our country, these United States of America, a nation not quite “conceived and dedicated to the principle that all men are created equal,” is such a country and marred by it's own, and long established circumstances. For almost two and a half centuries, this country has survived through much, but still, less than many other countries throughout the world. It has been suggested that we were built upon the foundation of Christianity. But most should find this not to be so, unless, of course, one can define Christianity in any other way than it is meant to be. If one can, then naturally, Christianity becomes simply relative to that person at best. as it was in the darkest parts of our American History. There is much about this country that enables us to understand better the minds that went into it being forged from the dust. Its signed declaration was wrapped around full compromise by all who were present. Even those (very few) who may have disagreed in principle, finally gave in to the wants and desires belonging to a cruel, selfish and inhumane mindset. History shows that its people would no longer be bullied by its' once rightful owner, the British Empire. The nation's founders took a stand and won their freedom. Our 'so-called' freedom! Yes, “conceived and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” How could it have all gone so wrong?
Upon the foundation of Christianity …
Today, much of American society view Almighty God in ways contrary to his most divine and inspired Word, the Bible. For sure, such contrary views were shared by the Forefathers of this nation as well. How else could a system of such magnitude be created and become so well entrenched in a nation boasting a Christian understanding?
Like so many others, I, too, was born and grew up in the United States of America, and was required to place my right hand over my heart, and then pledge allegiance to the country's flag. As a boy, the knowledge of any hypocrisy in such words, was far removed from me. It was as normal to me as breathing, as it was to the vast majority of black children all across America. Besides, the message was constantly drilled into us, by teachers, by clergy, by government, even our parents were convinced that it was one of the more natural things for us to do. After all, you couldn't consider yourself a 'true' American, if you didn't pledge yourself to the American flag! For it is the flag which represents the beacon of our national freedom and hope for all Americans. Come one come all – share in the prosperity America has to offer. After all, one could easily deem such lies are necessary when it comes to building a nation. At least, that's what appears to have been the mindset of those who opened the doors to immigration. I can find no other reasoning.
I was in my mid-teens when I first became aware of and understood the 'true' meaning of white Anglo-American hypocrisy! Imagine, if you will, entire races of people forced to obey laws and rules which, historically, have rarely worked in their favor. Even as far as into the late 60's and 70's, the college entry exams were so culturally divided that for most, one would have to take up a course in “White Culture” to pass and be accepted into an accredited college/university. Also, imagine being deliberately deprived of virtually everything allowed to whites, then degraded by those directly responsible for your deprivation in the south, as well as in much of the north. But O the south, that stranger than life part of America, where as a black person, tricks were used against you to keep you from voting, like when black people were forced to take a 'legislated' literacy test before being able to vote, designed specifically for blacks to fail, and denying them their right to vote, even after the passings of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution, the so-called “holy grail” of American freedom. And those 'legislated' laws were not made for just a particular southern state, but for all of them. But even more hurtful, they were designed and implemented strictly for blacks, and tolerated by the same federal government demanding their obedience and total loyalty, over the stretch of much time. Naturally, any reasonable person would fully understand why for many, to pledge such an allegiance could be considered as madness. But the madness did continue, not out of a 'true' sense of loyalty to the State, but out of the 'true' sense of love, duty and obedience to and for family!
Some things have changed for the better – some haven't …
My father, Joseph John Akers, Jr., served in the U. S. Army from the early 1940's to 1962. From the European campaign, to Korea and Vietnam, my father continued to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to its Republic for which it stood, supposedly, as one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Just as he, and like so many others truly wanted to believe.
And throughout my father's time served (just under 19 years) in Uncle Sam's Army, it was only on small occasions that he was ever viewed as being more than a 'nigger' in uniform. I know, I witnessed it in the south and a great deal here in the north. It was before my teens, but I remember it like it was just yesterday. But this was common place for the times. Just before going to Germany, while living in Georgia, I can even remember a white woman referring to an Hispanics (a Mexican I believe) as 'niggers' with straight hair. And for the many Jews who would go on to serve in Uncle Sam's Army, well, I'm sure you can imagine those occasions as well. Somewhat strange when you put it all into perspective. The same white Anglo-government which demanded obedience from its' black subjects, was the same government that allowed the treatment of its' German prisoners better than its' most loyal black soldiers. How ironic, especially for a nation under God!
Still, my father served, and were it not for his wounds suffered in Vietnam, he would have gone on serving for a country that for the most part, appreciated him not. He was finally discharged for medical reasons, and given an 80% disability due to his permanent wounds suffered. Problem was, for a white person who had suffered from those same permanent wounds, he/she would have been given no less than 90% and, in all likelihood, 100% disability. My father was only recently upgraded to 100% disability at the age of 86, he's now 87. Fortunately, however, some things do change. While some of Anglo-America still view blacks and other minorities as they did in the years my father served, in today's Army, most are content with its standing on brotherhood, rather than divisiveness. For most, it matters not whether you are Black, Indian, Japanese, Hispanic, etc. - but only if you are a brother willing to serve – not simply on the basis of duty, honor and glory – but for the one standing, kneeling and flat on his/her face beside you in the trenches!
Upon the foundation of Christianity …
Today, much of American society view Almighty God in ways contrary to his most divine and inspired Word, the Bible. For sure, such contrary views were shared by the Forefathers of this nation as well. How else could a system of such magnitude be created and become so well entrenched in a nation boasting a Christian understanding?
Like so many others, I, too, was born and grew up in the United States of America, and was required to place my right hand over my heart, and then pledge allegiance to the country's flag. As a boy, the knowledge of any hypocrisy in such words, was far removed from me. It was as normal to me as breathing, as it was to the vast majority of black children all across America. Besides, the message was constantly drilled into us, by teachers, by clergy, by government, even our parents were convinced that it was one of the more natural things for us to do. After all, you couldn't consider yourself a 'true' American, if you didn't pledge yourself to the American flag! For it is the flag which represents the beacon of our national freedom and hope for all Americans. Come one come all – share in the prosperity America has to offer. After all, one could easily deem such lies are necessary when it comes to building a nation. At least, that's what appears to have been the mindset of those who opened the doors to immigration. I can find no other reasoning.
I was in my mid-teens when I first became aware of and understood the 'true' meaning of white Anglo-American hypocrisy! Imagine, if you will, entire races of people forced to obey laws and rules which, historically, have rarely worked in their favor. Even as far as into the late 60's and 70's, the college entry exams were so culturally divided that for most, one would have to take up a course in “White Culture” to pass and be accepted into an accredited college/university. Also, imagine being deliberately deprived of virtually everything allowed to whites, then degraded by those directly responsible for your deprivation in the south, as well as in much of the north. But O the south, that stranger than life part of America, where as a black person, tricks were used against you to keep you from voting, like when black people were forced to take a 'legislated' literacy test before being able to vote, designed specifically for blacks to fail, and denying them their right to vote, even after the passings of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution, the so-called “holy grail” of American freedom. And those 'legislated' laws were not made for just a particular southern state, but for all of them. But even more hurtful, they were designed and implemented strictly for blacks, and tolerated by the same federal government demanding their obedience and total loyalty, over the stretch of much time. Naturally, any reasonable person would fully understand why for many, to pledge such an allegiance could be considered as madness. But the madness did continue, not out of a 'true' sense of loyalty to the State, but out of the 'true' sense of love, duty and obedience to and for family!
Some things have changed for the better – some haven't …
My father, Joseph John Akers, Jr., served in the U. S. Army from the early 1940's to 1962. From the European campaign, to Korea and Vietnam, my father continued to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to its Republic for which it stood, supposedly, as one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Just as he, and like so many others truly wanted to believe.
And throughout my father's time served (just under 19 years) in Uncle Sam's Army, it was only on small occasions that he was ever viewed as being more than a 'nigger' in uniform. I know, I witnessed it in the south and a great deal here in the north. It was before my teens, but I remember it like it was just yesterday. But this was common place for the times. Just before going to Germany, while living in Georgia, I can even remember a white woman referring to an Hispanics (a Mexican I believe) as 'niggers' with straight hair. And for the many Jews who would go on to serve in Uncle Sam's Army, well, I'm sure you can imagine those occasions as well. Somewhat strange when you put it all into perspective. The same white Anglo-government which demanded obedience from its' black subjects, was the same government that allowed the treatment of its' German prisoners better than its' most loyal black soldiers. How ironic, especially for a nation under God!
Still, my father served, and were it not for his wounds suffered in Vietnam, he would have gone on serving for a country that for the most part, appreciated him not. He was finally discharged for medical reasons, and given an 80% disability due to his permanent wounds suffered. Problem was, for a white person who had suffered from those same permanent wounds, he/she would have been given no less than 90% and, in all likelihood, 100% disability. My father was only recently upgraded to 100% disability at the age of 86, he's now 87. Fortunately, however, some things do change. While some of Anglo-America still view blacks and other minorities as they did in the years my father served, in today's Army, most are content with its standing on brotherhood, rather than divisiveness. For most, it matters not whether you are Black, Indian, Japanese, Hispanic, etc. - but only if you are a brother willing to serve – not simply on the basis of duty, honor and glory – but for the one standing, kneeling and flat on his/her face beside you in the trenches!
For every beginning, there sits in waiting a new beginning! …
My Great Grandfather, John Henry Allen
Before even he was forced to endure through such unreasonable hatred, for millions prior, it began as an idea and then gradually grew into a system, an institution of hateful oppression, and spanning more than 300 known years. It affected the lives of tens of millions, and today its affect can still be seen and felt by just as many. It points to times that clearly reveals this country at its very worst. We must never forget those truly dark and oppressive days, lest we forget they ever happened at all and they fall upon us once again.
The United States of America, …
It's obvious that in the 1800's, the descendants of those early European settlers made it a point of never surrendering up the racial divide that had long been established. While they who believed in the white Anglo-European system employed here in America began placing their women on a pedestal, black women were being placed in collar chains and leg-irons, systematically beaten into submission, raped, and defiled, and unknown numbers of black women, and their children, murdered. Needless to say, black men, under the diabolical creation of an absolutely unreasonable, ungodly and evil system, were powerless to stave off the white Anglo-European American mindset that was set against their women and themselves. They would become as sheep led to slaughter, and would have to bear the whip century after century towards the building of an Anglo nation, and in more instances than can be counted, for their own dark, selfish and depraved purposes. That was part of the brutal reality of the times set then. It was an established way of life, brought about through selfishness and a mental EVIL that only those of 'pure' heart would find to be unnatural and ungodly. Unfortunately, it wasn't the pure of heart who were running the country, it was the first wave of monsters who settled in this land uninvited. And, then, it was their own descendants that would be called upon to carry the torch of evil. Of these descendants, many would go on to laud such men in history as Adolf Hitler, and the 'eugenics' both he, and very much of this country, aspired to. Let's not kid ourselves, much of America today was forged through the barbaric actions of the many. And of their kind, many still exist.
But, rather than staying hateful and angry, I have become happy and thankful in so many ways. One of which, apart from Almighty God and my Lord Jesus Christ, you could say that me and my family owe our lives to a historical anachronism, only from a man made 'error in the order of time', with my great great grandfather, Reverend Malcolm Landrum, and my great great grandmother, Millie Allen, being the key people I acknowledge as responsible for my existence, and that of my connected families of grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and, of course, the great wealth of cousins throughout this country and abroad. A continuing flow of family that should be thankful for that one particular historical 'anachronism' that took place well over 100 years ago concerning this family. But we are not the only black family in America that can tell and write this kind of story. Due to the conditions of those dark days in white Anglo-European American History, and aside from the 'skeletons' already revealed, throughout this city alone, Philadelphia, there are thousands of black families capable of telling and writing similar stories.
Just who are these key people that have impacted upon me so well? …
As written history brings to light, and although he was a Minister, Rev. Malcolm Landrum, my great great grandfather, according to historical records was a white slave master. And my great great grandmother, Millie Allen, was, at the very least, one of his black mistresses and a former slave herself. Still, nevertheless, through he and Millie, the birth of a new family line would be built, and, thus, giving testimony to the more favorable idea and belief, that from 'every beginning there sits in waiting, a new beginning', from which we are forever changed and perceived by the generations to follow!
Without a doubt, slavery, especially when it's used to build personal wealth, a nation, or both, just as history has always shown, produces scars that for many, have yet to be erased, and is at the center of their hate. Hate towards a people, a nation and its' government, at all levels. For much of Black America, the spans of time have not produced a cure for the “deep-seated” hated that exists in many black people to this very day. From almost the very beginning of the European arrival in this great stretch of land, they, the blacks who were already here and, of course, those later brought here, were made to feel inferior to the white man. As part of the well thought out system devised from the Anglo-European's ancient and barbaric worlds, those who formerly existed here, free and rightfully, who are known to us as Native Americans, were eventually declared to have no right to the very land they had occupied long before any European conqueror or explorer had ever arrived. Blacks, who had lived among those same Native Americans, along with those who would eventually be brought here by the white Anglo-European Americans, were then dehumanized, separated from loved ones by a stroke of a pen, whipped into submission, even murdered – and absent of any legal reprisal for their sake. A mindset 'truly' worthy of being dubbed, PURE EVIL!
Look around you today. While Native Americans have been given an expression of guilt from this government, awarding them a deserving reparation, thus granting them their own nation within a nation, and a healing, many blacks still feel the mental whips and chains suffered by their ancestors from which no “true” apology has come, and, of course, no “true” healing for many. And while much of this country is slowly moving away from the bigotry and hatred that helped to forge an entire nation, there are still those who desire to bring the old days back to life. Even now, in the 21st Century, let us not be fooled into believing that those truly dark and long days of the past, are still not “longed” for by those who would again see us in chains, bowing before them in shame, and in complete submission. For in the 21st Century, we have Barack Hussein Obama, America's 44th and current President, a name that for those still craving for a return of those darker days of America's past, will forever hold his name in infamy in their hearts. Because they, too, are 'slaves' to the past, and will remain as such until they, as many others have already, … accept the change!
Still, no excuse should sit longer and stronger than honest reasoning. Where much of Black America is concerned, second and third generations are becoming more and more ungodly by each passing day. Why so? It's not enough to blame it on economic deprivation, or lack of education, because like any and all explanations, after a time, they merely become well accepted excuses for violent behavior, and lack of social, moral and economic stability before God and man. For it is God who teaches best that we are all responsible for the shaping of our heart and the actions we take. And one very important thing that should be clear in the eyes and hearts of black people today, respect for home, neighbor and the common citizen as a whole, is on a steady decline and it must change if there are to be any middle-aged black men left in America by the year 2030 or 2035. We must learn to embrace the past as a wonderful 'stepping-stone' into the future. For it is to the future all hearts should look. In this case, the past should only serve as a means to move forward towards creating a better world for the generations that follow. Much in light of the reasoning that Almighty God desires us to have.
My Great Grandfather, John Henry Allen
Before even he was forced to endure through such unreasonable hatred, for millions prior, it began as an idea and then gradually grew into a system, an institution of hateful oppression, and spanning more than 300 known years. It affected the lives of tens of millions, and today its affect can still be seen and felt by just as many. It points to times that clearly reveals this country at its very worst. We must never forget those truly dark and oppressive days, lest we forget they ever happened at all and they fall upon us once again.
The United States of America, …
It's obvious that in the 1800's, the descendants of those early European settlers made it a point of never surrendering up the racial divide that had long been established. While they who believed in the white Anglo-European system employed here in America began placing their women on a pedestal, black women were being placed in collar chains and leg-irons, systematically beaten into submission, raped, and defiled, and unknown numbers of black women, and their children, murdered. Needless to say, black men, under the diabolical creation of an absolutely unreasonable, ungodly and evil system, were powerless to stave off the white Anglo-European American mindset that was set against their women and themselves. They would become as sheep led to slaughter, and would have to bear the whip century after century towards the building of an Anglo nation, and in more instances than can be counted, for their own dark, selfish and depraved purposes. That was part of the brutal reality of the times set then. It was an established way of life, brought about through selfishness and a mental EVIL that only those of 'pure' heart would find to be unnatural and ungodly. Unfortunately, it wasn't the pure of heart who were running the country, it was the first wave of monsters who settled in this land uninvited. And, then, it was their own descendants that would be called upon to carry the torch of evil. Of these descendants, many would go on to laud such men in history as Adolf Hitler, and the 'eugenics' both he, and very much of this country, aspired to. Let's not kid ourselves, much of America today was forged through the barbaric actions of the many. And of their kind, many still exist.
But, rather than staying hateful and angry, I have become happy and thankful in so many ways. One of which, apart from Almighty God and my Lord Jesus Christ, you could say that me and my family owe our lives to a historical anachronism, only from a man made 'error in the order of time', with my great great grandfather, Reverend Malcolm Landrum, and my great great grandmother, Millie Allen, being the key people I acknowledge as responsible for my existence, and that of my connected families of grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and, of course, the great wealth of cousins throughout this country and abroad. A continuing flow of family that should be thankful for that one particular historical 'anachronism' that took place well over 100 years ago concerning this family. But we are not the only black family in America that can tell and write this kind of story. Due to the conditions of those dark days in white Anglo-European American History, and aside from the 'skeletons' already revealed, throughout this city alone, Philadelphia, there are thousands of black families capable of telling and writing similar stories.
Just who are these key people that have impacted upon me so well? …
As written history brings to light, and although he was a Minister, Rev. Malcolm Landrum, my great great grandfather, according to historical records was a white slave master. And my great great grandmother, Millie Allen, was, at the very least, one of his black mistresses and a former slave herself. Still, nevertheless, through he and Millie, the birth of a new family line would be built, and, thus, giving testimony to the more favorable idea and belief, that from 'every beginning there sits in waiting, a new beginning', from which we are forever changed and perceived by the generations to follow!
Without a doubt, slavery, especially when it's used to build personal wealth, a nation, or both, just as history has always shown, produces scars that for many, have yet to be erased, and is at the center of their hate. Hate towards a people, a nation and its' government, at all levels. For much of Black America, the spans of time have not produced a cure for the “deep-seated” hated that exists in many black people to this very day. From almost the very beginning of the European arrival in this great stretch of land, they, the blacks who were already here and, of course, those later brought here, were made to feel inferior to the white man. As part of the well thought out system devised from the Anglo-European's ancient and barbaric worlds, those who formerly existed here, free and rightfully, who are known to us as Native Americans, were eventually declared to have no right to the very land they had occupied long before any European conqueror or explorer had ever arrived. Blacks, who had lived among those same Native Americans, along with those who would eventually be brought here by the white Anglo-European Americans, were then dehumanized, separated from loved ones by a stroke of a pen, whipped into submission, even murdered – and absent of any legal reprisal for their sake. A mindset 'truly' worthy of being dubbed, PURE EVIL!
Look around you today. While Native Americans have been given an expression of guilt from this government, awarding them a deserving reparation, thus granting them their own nation within a nation, and a healing, many blacks still feel the mental whips and chains suffered by their ancestors from which no “true” apology has come, and, of course, no “true” healing for many. And while much of this country is slowly moving away from the bigotry and hatred that helped to forge an entire nation, there are still those who desire to bring the old days back to life. Even now, in the 21st Century, let us not be fooled into believing that those truly dark and long days of the past, are still not “longed” for by those who would again see us in chains, bowing before them in shame, and in complete submission. For in the 21st Century, we have Barack Hussein Obama, America's 44th and current President, a name that for those still craving for a return of those darker days of America's past, will forever hold his name in infamy in their hearts. Because they, too, are 'slaves' to the past, and will remain as such until they, as many others have already, … accept the change!
Still, no excuse should sit longer and stronger than honest reasoning. Where much of Black America is concerned, second and third generations are becoming more and more ungodly by each passing day. Why so? It's not enough to blame it on economic deprivation, or lack of education, because like any and all explanations, after a time, they merely become well accepted excuses for violent behavior, and lack of social, moral and economic stability before God and man. For it is God who teaches best that we are all responsible for the shaping of our heart and the actions we take. And one very important thing that should be clear in the eyes and hearts of black people today, respect for home, neighbor and the common citizen as a whole, is on a steady decline and it must change if there are to be any middle-aged black men left in America by the year 2030 or 2035. We must learn to embrace the past as a wonderful 'stepping-stone' into the future. For it is to the future all hearts should look. In this case, the past should only serve as a means to move forward towards creating a better world for the generations that follow. Much in light of the reasoning that Almighty God desires us to have.
Taken from Chapter 2 - Born to Confusion, ...
