Let me say from the outset of this article, that I am not so naïve as to think that Dr. King was a saint in every sense of the word, however, what I do know is that many, if not most, of the demonstrations that he initiated in order to draw attention to the cause of civil rights for his people, were peaceful...
Dr. King emphasized that we should judge a person by their character, not by the color of his skin...
These were some of the elements that led me to do my 1963 high school term paper on Dr. King.
Five short years later, in April of 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee...
When that tragedy happened, I was doing a tour of duty in Vietnam.
I distinctly remember the base commander calling for calm and prayer, as many of my black brothers were either stationed on the base, or had come in from the field to enjoy some "R & R," or to get some hot food, instead of those lousy "C" rations that most G.I.s hated -- including me.
I also remember that a memorial service was scheduled to be held at the base chapel that served the Catholics, Protestants, and any Jewish brothers that were stationed with me.
One of my black buddies, Tom, from Houston, Tx., was headed to the chapel for the service... I asked him if I could come along and pay my respects... He was glad -- maybe a little surprised too? -- that I wanted to come with him.
As we entered the chapel, I was impressed to see the chapel jammed, with only standing room available. But there was something else: I was the only white brother in the entire crowd, save for the priest, minister, and rabbi! I felt that I wanted to be there, even though I really didn't consider the possible reaction of my presence by any of the black brothers in attendance. I will say, however, I felt "safe" being with Tom.
Those were tough times, not only because of the war, but because of what was happening back in the states -- the "world" as we G.I.s called home...
Plenty of demonstrations, whether against, or in support, of the war, were seen on a daily basis, and filtered back to us, still in-country.
The end result was that the G.I.s became the targets of the radical left and their sympathizers, mainly in the press, in conjunction with the "6 o'clock," TV news anchors. And by the way, that was the big mistake; the insult that I, and many of my brothers endured when we came back home: the hate for the war morphed into hate for the troopers that fought in that war.
I look at it this way: I helped to keep the South Vietnamese people free for over 10 years, until the rug was pulled out from under those Asian peoples when the U.S. politicians cut off critical funding for weapons and other crucial supplies needed to keep the Communist North from overtaking the South, as finally did happen in 1975.
But I digress...
The terrible vandalism, anarchy, insurrection, burning and looting that is being done in the name of George Floyd -- in stark contrast to the legacy of Dr. King -- is destroying what is left of the thin barrier between the rule of law, and the rule of the jungle.
It is now known, that forces from outside the various cities, such as BLM and Antifa -- now classified as a terrorist organization -- have been bused-in to revolt against American traditions, most importantly, the family. Financial support is pouring in from both domestic and foreign sources to keep fanning the flames of disorder and mob rule.
It seems that many, if not all, the cities that are being torn apart are, or, have been, controlled for years, some for decades, by an iron-fisted Democratic political machine. These are the very same politicians that have kept their black constituency locked into a cycle of welfare and lack of economic opportunity.
So, if anyone wants to look at what many are calling "systemic racism" in our country, look no further than those very same black and white liberal pols that have used that ruse to fool and betray their fellow Americans into thinking and acting as if America is the land of "slavery, and the home of the cowardly"...
That's where the real bigotry and hate lie, not in the hearts and minds of most of my law-abiding, God-fearing countrymen.
As a practicing Catholic -- and anyone who at least obeys the Natural Law -- you know that you cannot claim to love God, and, at the same time, hate our neighbor. That is a spiritual impossibility!
Pray now more than ever for our country...
Viva Cristo Rey! Fr. Miguel Pro, pray for us...
Gene DeLalla
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