Immigration Reform, White Supremacy, and Racial Self-hatred

"Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. " - Dr. King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Dear friends,

In light of the all of the brouhaha, rearding the issue of immigration law reform, for those of us who “lack the complexion to get the connection” (as the legendary Muhammad Ali used to say), we have a major problem with fighting against systemic racist oppression and exploitation, due to the fact that we are often our own worst enemies, because of our self-hatred. That is, from non-European American store clerks who treat us differently than they do European American customers to drive-by shootings, both our feelings and acts of self-hatred make it difficult for either African American or other non-European American men or women to form genuinely loving relationships with each other, of any kind, much less make us be able to encourage our youth to get along with each other.

In other words, we see a mirrored image of our own self-hatred, when we look at those who look like us. Hence, in the White Supremacist culture of the United States, the whole idea of “immigration” has deteriorated into an attack against non-European Americans, while disregarding the historical shenanigans that have been and still are played by Europeans, from Ireland to Russia, who come to this country and get citizenship, up to this very day, with far less scrutiny or concern.

Nevertheless, we non-European Americans must learn to love ourselves and our fellows. Most of all, we must begin to love life itself, as opposed to conceding to our inadequacies and insecurities, allowing ourselves to be disrespectful towards , as well as distrustful of, each other,.

Now, when I use the term "love", I’m talking about it as an "act of being" as opposed to a "state of being". That means that, at least to me, love is only effective as a verb - not a noun. In other words, in this society, love as a "state of being", is a passive experience that we hear about through so many cheap songs on the radio and see on Hollyweird tv and movie productions. However, as an "act of being", love means that people are "actively" showing love towards one another – and things.

Consequently, love should be an active, not passive, practice of caring about, being concerned for, concentrating on, trying to understand, and feeling responsible towards not just our mates, but our work, and our communities. Besides, when love is passive, it doesn't last long, because it is just a "mood". To be sure, moods change, all of the time. Hence, the serial polygamy practiced by so many of those involved with the institution of marriage and other "love" relationships in our society, as people “fall” in and out of love. Still, the cultural institutions in our society lend to the self-hatred mentioned above that is practiced amongst us. Literature and images in schools, the arts, and, especially, the government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media deliberately perpetuate this indignity too.

Moreover, the idea that the violence among African American and other non-European American youth is largely the result of a lack of jobs and too much gun possession seems to be missing the point, which is: it is a lack of both social and historical conscience in the aforementioned youth that is at the bottom of our dilemma.

To be sure, that lack of conscience is no accident. The great Marcus Garvey pointed out: "This propaganda of dis-associating Western Negroes from Africa is not a new one. For many years white propagandists have been printing tons of literature to impress scattered Ethiopia, especially that portion within their civilization, with the idea that Africa is a despised place, inhabited by savages, and cannibals, where no civilized human being should go, especially black civilized human beings." - Marcus Garvey (Philosophy & Opinions of Marcus Garvey, edited by Amy Jacques-Garvey)

Additionally, mean-spirited terms like “minorities” that are based upon equally mean-spirited and phony claims that people make about being “white”, in spite of their true ancestral past, thus forming an artificial “majority” group, makes this problem proliferate. That is, of course, the basis of White Supremacy.

Nevertheless, in the end, when discussing the idea of superiority versus inferiority, Dr. King wrote, "

"Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. " - Letter from a Birmingham Jail

So-called “immigration law reform” , with talk now of even changing the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution is a blatant and racist attack against all non-European Americans, especially African Americans – not simply Mexicans and others.

“Dare to struggle – dare to win!” – Frederick Douglass

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

What is "African unity"? (originally published 6/27/08)

Below, is a version of a "Letter to the Editor" that I sent to the Philadelphia Inquirer the other day. Rather than print the just mentioned missive and encourage dialogue, like so many of the government- and corporate-controlled media outlets, they seem to have decided to do otherwise.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Dear Editor:

While I'm sure that Trudy Rubin's piece, "Worldview: African unity can stop tyrant", posted June 25, 2008, regarding the need for "African unity" in order to rid the continent of tyrants like Robert Mugabe, is well-intended, what she did not point out in her article is: "African unity" was the mantra that overthrew European colonial rule, two generations ago. The result gave us a succession of "liberators" like Robert Mugabe and others who meant well, but became tyrants, because, before long, after independence, petty tribalisms and so forth - like "religious" squabbles, set in, and were, in fact, instigated by agents of the former colonial rulers.

Additionally, unemployment, which was already rampant under colonialism, became even worse, because the formerly colonized "leaders" had no understanding of running industry. After all, while European rulers and others have and still do take raw materials from the African continent, they send the aforementioned materials overseas to places like Asia and Latin America where they are refined into consumable products. Besides, when they left, the vindictive colonizers took everything that they "owned" with them (in many cases, they even took the light bulbs from the administrative offices that they had been forced to abandon). That meant that farming on a rather unsophisticated scale and petty merchandising would reign. People have to eat and sustain themselves. Hence, when it came/comes to government collection and expenditures, along with other matters, corruption necessarily followed/follows.

Therefore, the call for "African Unity", as it were, must first address the fact that, before the Europeans came there, Africans had a different direction. Moreover, to speak of "African unity" outside of that context may be well-meaning, however, it is shallow and useless. In other words, we've already been there. In fact, it is the continuous exploitative behaviors of Europeans and their offshoots in the Americas, by their maintaining the underdevelopment of Africa and other lands, that lend to the creation of Mugabe and his ilk, whether on the continent of Africa or here in the Diaspora - and the rest of the world.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Letter from Leonard Peltier about President-elect Obama's HOPE (originally posted 11/8/08)

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse



My Relatives and Friends,

Last night a change in this country took place that not too long ago many people said would never happen. An African-American was elected to the White House and by a major landslide, which gives him a mandate by the public to fulfill his promises.

This landslide indicates the people have placed their hope with this man they call their president for a change in this country. HOPE.

There have been times if I can even recall what it really means to have hope that justice is right around the corner. I've been mislead and disappointed so many times that I would soon see justice and to have it denied upon a technicality in legal appeals. Or like what happened eight years ago. Everyone placed their hope and trust with a couple named Bill and Hillary, but we were betrayed at the last minute. I know that many of my friends, family and supporters were crushed.

I began to feel the weight and pressure of a lifetime being unjustly imprisoned began to crowd me into a corner of my cell and then in my mind. But, it was this thing that has been our battle cry for so many years, "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse". I remembered what he stood for and remained a warrior until his last breath. It is a strength that we stand upon when we are right. We were right to be in Oglala and we were right to be prepared to defend ourselves. What wasn't right is that a jury never got to hear any of this testimony, and the rest of the trial was a product of the fabrication and then manipulation of the FBI.

This spirit of Crazy Horse is a spirit of being in total resistance to the wrongs perpetuated towards your people, community, family and yourself. Some of us called it outrage, but that is just merely an emotion without resolving the issue. It is when we make a conscious choice to try and balance the wrongs in this society that we are being compelled by this spirit of resistance to stand in defense of the wronged.That spirit cannot be conquered, and I refused to submit and give in when it appeared there may be no hope

It was because of the letters of support and encouragement from so many people that I continued on for another eight years. And now people seem to feel there is a change blowing in the wind and that the election of Obama is a manifestation of that change.I sincerely hope so, because I am now 64 years old and coming up on my 33 year of being confined and fighting for justice and my freedom, Obama may be my last chance at securing my freedom. If there is one thing I learned from earlier campaigns on my clemency is that he won't just be able to do it by himself. He is going to need your support in the form of public opinion on the case. That isn't going to happen until we can create education and awareness on the circumstances of my case across this country and send letters.

Be a Branch Support Group to help create public opinion. My case has to be a national issue on justice denied, it may sound easy, but it isn't. The FBI has been an opposing force in attempting to discredit my cause and that of Native people since they focused their attention on the American Indian Movement in the 1970's. When it appeared that Clinton might actually grant clemency, the agents went and demonstrated at the White House and utilized their resources to create doubt in the mind of Clinton. So in the national awareness goals of the branch support groups it is going to be your challenge to keep the public interest focused.

It is also another hope that with a whole generation of people who were born after my wrongful conviction that there will be a renewed source of energy and actions. One point that I would like everyone to focus on right now is a "30 year law" regarding my sentence and parole. At the time I was convicted, the guidelines said:"Any prisoner, …shall be released on parole… after serving thirty years of each consecutive term or terms of more than forty-five years including any life term, whichever is earlier: Provided, however, that the Commission shall not release such prisoner if it determines that he has seriously or frequently violated institution rules and regulations or that there is a reasonable probability that he will commit any Federal, State, or local crime." 28 U.S.C. section 28 U.S.C. §4206(d)

I've served more than 30 years of this sentence and have been considered a model prisoner And the likelihood of committing any crimes is non-existent due to my age and the humanitarian work I've pursued to help my people since my incarceration. According to this law, they have to grant me a parole to my next sentence. But as we've learned from the past, we cannot take anything for granted so your letters should be focused on this law to the parole commission and congressional leaders.

If the commission complies with the letter and spirit of this law, we will have made a significant step towards my freedom and we will need to maintain and increase this momentum.The Committee and I have been discussing several ideas and projects to make this a pro-active campaign. We are currently rebuilding the former LPSG's into LPBSG's. This is necessary due to a breakdown with the former Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. I had to turn to my sister and niece to help me rebuild my defense committee from scratch. We had no files, records, and merchandise. We have not been able to make contact with the former coordinator of the LPDC. We are still hoping to resolve this issue, but until then we needed to keep moving with the campaign.

We still need all of our former contacts and supporters to reconnect with us and to update the information so that my Committee can handle correspondences and contributions. We need everyone who has supported me to contact the LPDOC and sign onto our list serve so that you can be updated with information on progress or activities needed in my campaign.I will need everyone to work with my Committee and clear any action with the appropriate people within the Committee. It is important that we all work together cohesively, instead of scattering our efforts or resources. We do not intend to discourage ideas or creativity, but we would like to incorporate such ideas into a unified larger effort and not act prematurely on some plans we may have not disclosed due to timing or details being worked out.

Some of the projects we have discussed are conducting rides, walks, runs and events across the country to create this awareness of my case. We are initiating efforts to ask bands and artists to host fundraisers in their area. We've talked about strategies we could undertake to further my cause, but a lot will depend on how quickly people come to form my BSG and start organizing in their area. I also understand that some of us have personality issues with other people. I hope that many of you can pray or find a way to rise above this obstacle and work together for one common purpose.

I would like to see so many of my supporters come together in a show of solidarity. If there really is a change in the air, we will need each other to bring about change in so many other areas. For me it has been about our culture and right to be who we are, but foremost it has been the children and the next generation. WE were supposed to leave a better world behind for them and how much have we accomplished? I know that somehow and someway my sacrifice will not be in vain and that the years I've endured this pain of loneliness and suffering in confinement will make a better world for those children and coming generations. That along with my freedom is my hope, but I will not be able to fulfill it without you. So take a few minutes and educate yourself on the injustices of my case. It may shock and outrage you, but you can do something about it, so please join us.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier Read full post

Some Words of Wisdom from Dr. King about War

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. "

The Wisdom of MLK, Jr. A wonderful collection of quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

"A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: This way of settling differences is not just. This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing except a tragic death wish to prevent us from reordering our priorities so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. There is nothing to keep us from molding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood." Excerpt from "Beyond Vietnam", an address delivered on 4 April 1967 to the Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam at Riverside Church in New York City.

Downloaded from the MLK, Jr. Papers Project, Stanford University
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/ Read full post