European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 27, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday november 27,1987 readers speak out on affirmative action programs. The japanese americans received a Mere pittance any whiles perceive affirmative action As a pro Gram where Blacks Are Given something for nothing where Blacks every need is taken care of where Blacks Are handed jobs because you arc Black not for your  they Sec it As unfair Over compensation for slavery events Many Whites did not participate in and did not bin Chi from. And that is the major problem. Affirmative action was instituted in the 1960s 100 years or so after slavery officially ended in America. That was Only 25 years ago. But the emancipation proclamation did not end discrimination in America. Jim Crow and Grandfather clause Laws were enacted to keep Blacks in their place. Even when forced to rectify these offences every measure was taken to hinder the effectiveness of the actions. Separate but equal became a catchword. Blacks were Given outdated second hand books educated by Black teachers who received an inferior teach ing education and harassed by White teachers who guided them into jobs they were More " qualified for. Blacks were and arc. Being paid less for the same Job held by Whites. The unemployment rate for Blacks across the Board is twice that for Whites and the Low percentage of Blacks in management White Collar positions can Only be contributed to discrimination. Just this month a Law in Mississippi was struck Down outlawing marriages Between the races. Just months ago the Howard Beach incident where Whites caused the death of one Black and injuries to two others just for being in the wrong neighbourhood held news headlines. Affirmative action was started because qualified Blacks were applying for jobs and were not getting them. Institutional racism had replaced overt physical racism. The courts recognized that companies organizations technical and vocational occupations wore actively denying Blacks the same Opportunity As other americans. The courts realized that voluntary correction of these injustices would never , they set mandatory requirements to offset this Covert discrimination. I remember the race riots of the 1960s, though i did nol actively participate in them. I have been the victim of discrimination from a racist White cop. I Hae stood next to a while person in a store seen him a for a Purchase with two $50 Bills and leave i paid for my Purchase Wilh one $50 Bill and was questioned Aslo where 1 came into Possession of it. Yet. I Don t Hale while people and have never asked for handouts. I pay my own Way. But. I would not have been Able to achieve what i have if not for the affirmative action umbrella. I was Given a scholarship to attend College because i had tested Well on the College level Entrance exam and in. If cd As Black. I paid Back the loan and scholarship i received in local. Yet we find Hal the default rate on scholarships Given to while Collar Middle class people is Thomin Bajc. Given the Opportunity Blacks can and will carry themselves. A Eccl College level Entrance exams scores have shown Hal Blacks have sustained the greatest gains in Lesl scores. One example of the Bene fits achievable under affirmative action. Yes. Some must suffer so others May gain. For those people i feel sympathy bul there was no other alternative which promised action. Bul Blacks arc nol receiving these opportunities because they Are not qualified Only less qualified. Tech. Sol. Charles m. Floyd Torri Jon a. Spain. If in were Rue that no one hired was qualified the upper Levels of the civil service since affirm live action has been around awhile would be teem ing with Blacks. Puerto Picans. And asian Ameri cans nol to mention females of All colors. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Only Federal territory thai seems to have a High percentage of Blacks is military cemeteries and on Many occasions in took an act of Federal intervention to help gel Blacks in there. I served in an infantry unit in Vietnam in 1966-67. Back Ihnn there were All Loo few Black officers. The advancements we have made since those a s have been paid in blood. Nobody gave us anything. I remember watching on our preacher s television the loll airborne div helping to bring a few Black children inside a school icy dared to enter. I remember when Blacks could nol vote in several slates. I remember murderers of Black men and Black women thai while juries refused to touch. I remember lots of things and i am not an old Man. If Many lacks became hitter and moved to extremist organizations it is because people like you drove them to it. To say that All the past injustices have been rectified by a Lew Laws thai Congress has passed Hal seem to be daily overlooked would be a sacrilege. How Many of you have shaken your head when you see a Black Man walking Wilh a while woman How Manv of you share at mixed children like they Are som Ching less than human in my opinion affirmative action has done nothing bul give unqualified Whites someone to blame whenever they Don t gel a Job. It sure As hell has done nothing for me or anyone i know of. Why won l of people Wake up Krink ind arson wild Flecken Germany. Still the old adage we arc to be seen but not heard. Is it prejudice to celebrate Black history month. Hispanic week or native american week end i think not. Most of the above May feel inc same about St. Patrick s Day. Columbus Day. Labor Day. Fourth of july and thanksgiving. You say these Are american holidays for All. It was t always so. I remember it a lol differently. The above mentioned ethnic celebrations Are meant to enlighten and Edu Cate in addition to sharing cultural change. The same double Standard society exists today As in yesteryear. Instead of chains and whips Subtle innovative methods arc used. Red lining and Ostra sizing. If in in t productive to re live the past Why is in a required subject in our learning institutions when i attended it was called history our government such As it was then did uphold implement and acknowledge the enslavement i my ancestors. Lord Burleigh Burley contracted skilled knowledgeable Black men to come to the new world to Plant and cultivate tobacco crops. These men were stripped of their human rights forced to remain and enslaved. One of these men was my ancestor. 1, too. Was a single Parent. I raised three with out child support or Alimony. My husband. Donald was beaten to death by unknown while males according to the police report. I never did gel his watch ring and last pay Check All of which were on his person however. I must not dwell in the past. I must not hold my hand out for help. No big thing. No one was responsible. I must not miss my big Young Loving gentle husband and my childrens father. I must nol make Waves. I am an american this Pride and love of country must have been Why my great Grandfather was a Buffalo Soldier. It had to have been Why he was lynched and quartered before two of his sons on his Way to sell three wagons of Collon. Planned and harvested on his own land. Possibly the americans that killed him feared that the affirmative action program had cheated them. Oops my mistake that program had t been implemented. After the big event great grandmother was forcibly removed from her land. She was a full blood native american. When the Black american soldiers returned from Europe after world War i. Believe me the klan was there to Welcome them Home. How did you or your family members miss it it was on the front pages of inc newspapers. In fact. Ellis Island was a hop skip and a jump from inc action. One of the bloodiest lobe exact. Granddaddy Troy carried the rope Burns and hideous scar on his Check to his grave. His last name was Burleigh. My father George Burleigh was beaten with his own Cane in inc Union station in front of his wife and two Small children. Americans in sheets beat my father a talented artist so bad. His left Eye was never inc same. End of career old boy. I watched terrified As one of the americans carrying Plymouth Rock for us snatched my father s medals and purple heart off his jacket. The while sheeted americans Cut my Mother s hair All off. They thought my mama was awhile woman kissing a Black Man in Public my Molher s fall or. Grand papa Parros. Was of Afri Kan German French disc Cal. I Don l hold my hand out. Nor am i seeking an apology. No free rides for this Happy go Lucky Ameri can. No one is responsible. Sometime somewhere some Black american has paid with his or her blood sweat or death hoping enough dues were deposited for All free men and women in America to be recognized As free equals in All Benc fils of America. For All the Laws will in to end discrimination blinders arc put on nol to see them. 1 met jul ill la a Mii i  la Viii up for the undue cruelty and unspeakable pillage of this Loyal warm honest race of melting pot americans. Their roots in America go beyond Ellis Island. The return of land to the native americans is Loo Lillic. Loo late. It s like closing the barn door after the cow is gone stolen and slaughtered. To be compensated for undue suffering would show the world that America practices what she preaches would prove beyond a Shadow of a doubt she is the land of the free would acknowledge the Black american once and for All that we Are respected and wanted. Besides history Stales that compensation was mandated in the form of two mules and 40 acres after the civil War and the Greal emancipation reclamation. Our plight our pain our suffering will nol be swept under the Rug because you Are tired of hearing us begging. Why. When Black people of America ask intelligently for a piece of inc Rock we arc begging others it s dig deep. You will continue to hear about our past for As Long As we arc forced to live in it. I will nol be is Lenl As Long As i am told not to braid my granddaughters hair in Corn rows because their hair will fall out and cause sores. I will not forget As Long As i am called Lazy and incompetent by a third generation. I will not make Waves when i have been insulted by a person name and address withheld who has lifted Plymouth Rock and has been carrying it All these hundreds of years. I think nol. I la make a Hurri Cane. I can Trace my roots thank you very much. How can we not feel inequality when americans cannot Sec the Forest for the Trees. Patricia Burleigh nes Btl Worms Germany i was appalled and frightened by hatred of the affirmative action program and total Lack of empathy to the Black problem in America. Most of the letters clearly stated Hal they were nol responsible for past injustices. Some of these injustices arc still present today. There would be no need for the affirmative action program if everyone was picked for a Job by Merit. No monetary value can replace the lives lost through slavery and killings performed by inc Kkt. America has the ability to live up to inc Promise in the declaration of Independence. All men arc Cre ated  should t that phrase apply to All men regardless of race or color the problem of slavery was addressed at the constitutional convention but they decided to leave in to future generations to solve. So indirectly. The govern Mcnol can be held responsible for slavery. Yes. Your ancestors May have endured hard ships in America but unlike Black slaves they volunteered to come to the land of milk and Honey. Black muslims cannot be compared to the Kkt. Yes both preach race hatred but the Kkt has Actu ally killed people both Black and White people to keep Black americans from achieving the american dream. I do not support race haired of any kind  Blacks arc still discriminated against. Today it is More Covert than overt. Bul it is still there. The majority of Black americans Only want jobs that they Are qualified for. If an employer hires a Black who is nol qualified he is Only making a mockery of inc program. He wants that person to fail. Only limited number of jobs and colleges Are affected by the affirmative action program anyway. The majority of the private sector jobs do not answer to affirmative action. Personally. I Hale inc affirmative action program because when a Black gets a Job Over a while person the while person assumes the Black is not qualified and Only got the Job because of the affirmative action program. Name and locution withheld. Reminder All tellers to the editor must contain the full printed name and address of the writer and must be sinned. We do nol read unsigned letters bul we will withhold your name on request and protect your Prit Arv. All letters Are subject to editing