ORVILLE W. TAYLORORVILLE W. TAYLOR
After all! Why should I leave the topic when it will be another year before we get another four weeks?
A columnist in another news-paper took the view that AIDS was an artificially created virus designed for the extermination or at least the reduction of the black race. An immediate reaction came from the American Embassy that it was preposterous. By the way does he (still) have a visa? 'Tikkya!' Uncomfortable as these words sound when put together, "cock mouth kill cock." Sometimes it is best to let the thoughts rest in your mouth.
Nevertheless, inasmuch as it has not been United States policy to be anti-black since the granting of universal rights to its citizens in the 1960s, there are individuals within American society, some hidden in high places, who would exterminate 'niggers' if they could. In the annals of American history (not my story) there are countless accounts of lynching and other atrocities against blacks.
I am informed that the word 'picnic' came from the words 'pick a nigger' to lynch, which was a custom in Oklahoma and other similar states where the Ku Klux Klan was powerful. I am not sure how correct this is, but I won't stick my neck out to prove it.
One of the worst blemishes on the racial history of the United States was the bombing of Tulsa City Oklahoma in 1921. As outlined by Ron Wallace in Black Wall Street: A Lost Dream, this town of hundreds of black businesses, where the dollar circulated up to a year before leaving the community, was razed by white supremacists. It was not a ghetto by any means. There were churches, schools and restaurants and six black professionals owned their own planes.
In many ways, it was one of the most prosperous communities in the United States, black or white. Yet, on the pretext of an attempted rape of a white girl, rumours of a lynch mob led to a confrontation between jealous (grudgeful) whites and blacks. The outnumbered blacks lost the battle and the town was burnt. It was also bombed from the air, killing some 3,000 blacks.
This was one of the few times in the 20th century when weapons of 'mass destruction' were used against a country's own citizens. When the National Guard arrived, only blacks were arrested.
WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION
Speaking of weapons of mass 'distraction', there is reason to believe that some persons in the American administration trans-mitted incorrect information to the President regarding the threat posed by Saddam and his connection to Bin 'Hidin.' This ill-advised entry into 'I-rak' has taken toll of hundreds of black American lives. It should be noted that the armed forces comprise a disproportionate number of black servicemen and women. The last bit of information I had was that blacks were some 40 per cent of combatants even though they only constitute 13 per cent of the American population. I am willing to bet that given a normal distribution, close to 40 per cent of the Iraq and Afghanistan casualties are black.
Let me make it clear here, it is possible that there might have been 'maverick' scientists that invented the AIDS virus while poor President Carter or President Reagan was trying to create world peace. In the past, there are allegations that American servicemen were used as guinea pigs for biological weapons. Then there is the embarrassment of the syphilis experiments which were conducted by white American scientists on black men in Tuskegee. Between 1932 and 1972, 400 African-Americans were made to believe that they were being treated for the disease, even though the real objective was never to cure them.
SEX THE DOWNFALL
OF BLACK MEN
If anyone wants to kill off black men, they should connect the strategy to sex. Think about it! Sex has been the downfall of many black men Samson, Solomon and David, who had to get Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. Add to the list, some of our current heroes and hero candidates and the suspected 'passing black' President Clinton and you see that sex is our weak spot. (Omi-gosh! I am a black man too!)
Anyway, did you know that blacks have the highest American mortality rates from natural causes as well as homicides? Did you know that the black population of the United States was almost 20 per cent of the population at the turn of the 20th century but is only 13 per cent today? Did you know that life expectancy for whites is almost 80 years while for blacks it is just over 70? Black males have the lowest with a rate of 68 years.
We in the Caribbean have better life expectancies than the American blacks. Our men in Barbados and Jamaica can expect to live 74 and 76 years respectively. Yet AIDS, murder, poor diet, alcohol, drugs and failure to plan for the future are making the Ku Kux Klan happy.
Still, there is too much blaming and not enough taking of responsibility for our actions. As I said last week the problem is mostly we killing ourselves. I support the initiative for a day against violence today. However, I have reser-vations about Marley being non-violent despite his historic peace concert in 1975 when he united Manley and Seaga. His message was bigger than him and he might not have even understood how great his work (not him) was. Wasn't it the same Marley who 'shot the sheriff' and 'feel like bombing a church'? Does domestic violence count?
Anyway, this is a personal message to the 'shottaz'. Remember this! Whenever you take pleasure when you 'wet up a bwoy' and 'mek a duppy' the same thing will one day happen with your friends and family. Stopping the blood
letting must begin with you.
Dr. Orville Taylor is lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at UWI, Mona.
