The racism and hatred shown against blacks and other minorities in the United States have come to the fore as a huge problem for the country. Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, the call for racial equality has resonated with millions of people around the world. Countless people have participated in peaceful protests across the country and some of those protests have turned into riots.
It has been no secret that black men have been unfair targets of police for decades. While most police officers are undoubtedly good citizens trying to help people in need, there have been many cases where some police officers have treated black people unfairly.
Too many innocent black people have died because they were suspected of doing something wrong simply because they were black and in the wrong place at the wrong time. There have been cases of people being tried and convicted even though they were innocent. Years later, they may have been found to be innocent.
Just as racism should not be a factor in police forces across the country, the military should not allow racism and hate within the various branches of the military. There have been too many cases where racism has been allowed to hurt innocent people.
During World War II, Japanese Americans were considered non-citizens and enemy aliens even if they were born in the United States. Most of them were imprisoned in what are known as American concentration camps. Then, when the government decided they could use these young men in the military, a segregated unit was established. Most of the young Japanese Americans served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team/100th Battalion. Others, however, served in other US military units. Those young men faced racism from their military peers even while serving their country.
There were also other segregated units of the United States Army, including Native Americans and Blacks. After World War II, President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military. However, racism did not disappear in the same way that it has not been eradicated from the general population.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked hard to try to eliminate the racism and hate that exists in this country. He lost his life doing it. There have been many others who have also tried to draw attention to racism and unfair treatment, especially towards black people. Two black athletes, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, tried to do their part to stop racism when they stood on the podium during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Little known is the story of the white Australian athlete, Peter Norman, who stood in solidarity with them even though it cost him dearly throughout his life. Colin Kaerpernick tried to educate the public about the issues of racism when he took a knee at NFL games. He was severely criticized and lost his job for it. For decades, people have tried in vain to end racism.
Military leaders now seem to be acknowledging the problems of racism across the country. General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said it was a mistake to accompany the group to a photo op when hundreds of peaceful protesters were tear gassed for trying to draw attention to racism and the police brutality that resulted. . in the death of another black man.
The military must not allow such racism to exist within its ranks. There have been too many incidents of racism within the military. All these people are trying to be patriotic and serve their country to keep us all safe. They don’t deserve to suffer racism while serving.
