US military sees sharp fall in black recruits

[Tinoire]

US military sees sharp fall in black recruits
(Filed: 18/12/2004)

Dolly Wilson's father proudly served in the Second World War and her husband in Vietnam. But her children will not join the military if she has any say in it.

"We don't want our kids to go into no war for nothing," said Mrs Wilson, snatching a cigarette with colleagues outside her Washington office.


Marines listen to George W Bush at Camp Pendleton

"Bush has two daughters. Let them go over and fight," she added, to a chorus of "That's not our war" from the others.

(snip)

Mrs Wilson, Mr Golladay and Mrs Allen are not typical of America as a whole. But their views are enough to give the Pentagon cause for alarm. The reason? All three of them are black.

For years, black Americans have formed the backbone of the all-volunteer US army, filling a quarter of its ranks, though blacks account for only 13 per cent of the population. Blacks are more likely to treat the army as a lifelong career; a third of senior sergeants and non-commissioned officers are black. Suddenly, that is changing.

(snip)

"You've got so many homeless people here, they were in the military, half of them. You look at that, people ask, 'Why should I go fight the white man's war when there's nothing for us here?' " she said.

(snip)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/12/18/wus18.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/12/18/ixworld.html


Awwwwwww.... Cry me a f*cking river! Such a shame :( Woe is us!! Poor Black folks are less willing to die for Yuppie SUV oil...

[BrklynLiberal]

1. It is about time the African-Americans wised up and realised how they

were being abused by the Armed Forces!!!!!!

[Deja Q]

4. I know some African Americans and they do know...

Some firsthand. :-(

[bpilgrim]

33. they seem to be way ahead of the white folk

as usual :evilgrin:



peace

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. I saw the same thing happen...

Towards the end of Vietnam. It was the beginning of the end, once that started happening.

Gonna get real interesting before very long. The Law of Unintended Effects is about to rear its ugly head for The Chimp.

[EQPlayer]

3. Let the people who voted for * go die for him (n/t)

[The Zanti Regent]

55. DRAFT GEORGE P BUSH

Put George P on the Front lines!

[katinmn]

5. I love to hear people speaking out like this.

We have so many unmet needs in our country.

[proud patriot]

6. Ms. Wilson sounds like my kind of woman

:D good for her ...

Draft Republicans , it's what they voted for !

[NNN0LHI]

7. It sure wasn't Iraqis who used to enjoy lynching blacks in this country

I bet no black man has ever been called any racist names (use your own imagination) by any Iraqi in the past either.

Don

[BrotherBuzz]

19. Muhammad Ali had some thoughts on that, too

myth
I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a nigger. - Muhammad Ali
myth

Heck, it sounds so good that I would assume he made no effort to dispell the urban myth...this is what he really said, a very powerful statement in it's own right.

"I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong." - refusing military induction based on religious grounds (1966)

[NNN0LHI]

34. I can remember when he said it. Still rings true today n/t

[BrotherBuzz]

53. The more things change the more they stay the same

Isn't it interesting that the same people that despised Mohammed Ali then are aboard the Bush* machine today? Some people are just born with a mandate to hate!

[Flammable Materials]

43. "Iraq never called me nigger." - (Rap Artist) Paris

If you know the title of this song ... don't let John Ashcroft know.

;)

[Tinoire]

62. "What Would You Do"?

Love Paris! :toast: He's good people. Way before the CD Sonic Jihad had come out, he kindly gave me permission to make a few hundred copies of the single "What Would You Do" and give it away for free at anti-war marches. I was really stunned he answered my impertinent request with a very supportive Yes.

Have you visited his site? www.guerrillafunk.com

There's some pretty good stuff there:

The Bush Body Count Continues
Four Bush biographers, Mark Lombardi, J.H. Hatfield, Danny Casalaro, and now Gary Webb--all "suicide" victims. What are the odds all of these people actually committing suicide?

Identity Theft
Identity theft is the crime of our times, a crime so widespread, with an impact so great, it destroys lives.

Chipping Away At Roe vs. Wade
With no hearings or debate, the Republican majority recently grafted an Act which underscores the fact that reproductive choice is fading fast.

Fit Or Fat?
A recent study finds more obesity in African-Americans given heart stress tests.

Avoiding the Holiday Debt Blues
Even though we don't advocate buying into the corporate-sponsored holiday madness that has come to signify the season, here's some help for those who do.

Police State
Police officers don't have to give a reason at the time they arrest someone, the U.S. Supreme Court said in a ruling that shields officers from false-arrest lawsuits.

Spyware Help Center
Most people online have computers that have spyware, software that watches your every move. Learn more.

Up Against The Wal-Mart
The morality police at Wal-Mart now have so much power that what they choose to stock can determine what becomes a hit. And there's another problem - they censor.

FCC Crackdown Could Spread
With support from both parties in Washington, the FCC is poised to get even more aggressive about enforcing moral values throughout broadcasting.

Violence At Vibe Awards
Raw street shit...oh really? Violence is easy to act out in a controlled enviornment.

[NuttyFluffers]

69. bless you. you don't know how much i missed politically conscious rap.

was a huge public enemy fan growing up. rap with a message, oh how i missed it. gonna give this a long read through and check out some sound clips (if they have any).

[Blue_Tires]

56. actually,

there was a story posted here a couple months ago...one of the british journalists had an interview with one of the 'regular guys by day, insurgent at night', and he made a point of saying that the biggest indignity for the iraqis was being occupied by the 'negroes' as he called them...he even said that some insurgents would call off raids on americans if there were no blacks on patrol....I personally found it shocking, but for the black man, there's not much love on either side

[Spiffarino]

60. Sad.

Even over there, they've caught the disease.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Do You Feel a DRAFT?

[Sara Beverley]

38. If blacks and the children of the poor don't sign up in great numbers, you

can be sure there will be a draft. If I were a black parent with a son or daughter, I would forbid them from enlisting. I would rather take my pension and help them live than see them go off to this unjust war to kill people who never did or meant them any harm for rich and poor whites who have spent their lives oppressing and discriminating against them

[Sara Beverley]

39. Keep this kicked until someone gets it in the mainstream cable news.

I bet Rush won't mention it. Why should anyone want their child to go off to war, die or get maimed, so Rush and his ilk can drug and drink and live a millionaires life for having contributed nothing but hate to society?

[JohnyCanuck]

9. Good for Dolly Wilson. Glad she's seen the light.

[Pirate Smile]

10. I wish this would get into the US newspapers. I would love to hear

a larger discussion of this on all the yapping news channels.

[CountDmoney]

11. A great big NO SHIT. Who wants to die

for nothing? Nobody. Congratulations Mr. President.

[Just Me]

12. I'm with you, Mrs. Wilson!!!!

As an "indignant" and loving Mother,...I'll be damned if my only son's blood will be shed for power-mongering profiteers. None of our sons or daughters should be sacrificed for such ignoble endeavors!!!!

[silverweb]

13. GOOD!!

The more who refuse to be used in this illegal war, the faster it will be over.

[lovuian]

14. This just proves to me that Iraq War is really bad!!!

for these kids who live in poverty not to want to sign on means bad news for the army!!!

[MrSlayer]

15. It's not a white man's war, it's a rich man's war.

Not to mention a madman's war. Everyone should adopt the mentality of these good people.

[Just Me]

21. It IS a war for profiteers.

Contrary to popular belief, the neoCONfascists DID HAVE A "plan" for Iraq,...to sell it off to the highest corporate bidders. That was the neoCONfascists plan.

You see,...these people don't value "life". They don't really give a rat's ass about all those noble ideals of "democracy" or "freedom" or "opportunity" or "ownership" that they spout out 24/7.

All they really want is to USE, USE, USE human life in order to propel their own insatiable, black-hole, self-importance.

They serve no one other than themselves.

They are the sickest sociopaths to rule the earth and they will be historically noted as such.

[Arianrhod]

26. Fully agree with you there. n/t

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

29. Well said. I've been saying the same thing with differnt words

since the beginning of this fiasco.

[0007]

51. ....its always been the sickos that run the show and its alway been the

down trodden that died for these money lords.

[Spiffarino]

61. True. Just because there isn't a draft

...yet, doesn't mean people aren't being forced by circumstances to join up.

It makes me wonder if screwing up the economy wasn't designed to create more poor people to "volunteer" for the next series of wars.

[Just Me]

63. These profiteers DON'T discriminate,...they CONSUME.

My skin has very little pigment LOL.

My son's skin color,...doesn't matter.

This is no longer about the "color" of our skin. Geez, we moved beyond that quite some decades ago. Ask MLK.

This struggle, this war,...is about humanity,...preserving the diversity and INTEGRITY of humanity,...preserving our common spirit.

Our war is against those who have no respect or tolerance or adoration for "humanity".

[pretzel4gore]

41. yes...the busheviks love it...

white man's war, voter fraud etc....

[BrklynLiberal]

16. My latest purchase:a bumper sticker that says DRAFT YOUNG REPUBLICANS

[w4rma]

17. It's more Democratic than black, imho. Blacks just happen to be mostly

Democrats. And as stated above, this isn't a "white man's war" it's a wealthy robber baron's war.

[Laughing Mirror]

40. ... wealthy robber barons who just happen to be mostly

greedy white men.

[w4rma]

45. You can turn this into a ethnic thing, but that plays into their strategy

of dividing the masses so we fight one another.

[Laughing Mirror]

46. Ethnic thing or not, it is still a fact

and not just a coincidence either. Those rich white robber barons are our enemy. The recognition of this should unite us all in our fight against them. It certainly won't divide us.

[w4rma]

59. I promise you that your rhetoric is counterproductive.

You do NOT want to turn a whole ethnicity against you or your position.

[Laughing Mirror]

70. Facts are facts, hard as they may be for some to deal with

My "position" has nothing to do with it.

[TheWraith]

66. I hate to sound cruel

But all the better. Let the Democrats stay home, and the Republicans go off to die. Maybe the knowledge that they're killing their voters will stop the Republicans. Then again, maybe not. I kind of hope not.

[Forkboy]

18. War:One country's workers fighting another country's workers...

...for the right to be exploited by the winner.

[NYC]

24. Good, Forkboy.

:hi:

[silverweb]

25. I'm stealing that.

You've put it very succinctly and your statement deserves to be archived. It may even get its own bumpersticker!

:toast:

[Just Me]

27. *weep* they turn us against eachother to profit themselves,...

:cry:



Those freakin' self-serving, arrogant, evil ASSHOLES!!!

:grr:

The horror,...they are the horror!!!

They will suffer something far worse than that man who opened the Pandoras box that released them.

They will be reviled.

[Tinoire]

28. Lol!

:thumbsup:

[shrike]

20. Goes to show that the brothers are smart

I wish the dumb (white) Republicans I know would get a clue.

[goforit]

22. Ya want troops?......Alota Catholic & Christian churches are waiting!!!

Go get em recruits!!!

[NickB79]

31. Weird how that works

The Christian rightwingers overwhelmingly supported Bush on his Hoily Crusade into Iraq, but when it's their turn to go? "Oh, we couldn't do that. The Bible says thou shalt not kill. Sorry." Fucking hypocrites.

[KingChicken]

23. It truely is a white man's war, 100% white neocon crap...

I really see the Irony in this when I think of all the minorities in the military, they are essentially fighting for the same people who are promoting a white conservative upper middle class.

I just can't believe that bush actually captured more black votes this time around, let there be no mistake, bushco will in no way benefit any minority community.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

30. This is a GOOD THING... blacks were at least a year or two

(on average) ahead of whites on VietNam opposition... the backlash is coming.

[saigon68]

32. YOU ARE CORRECT

MLK came out against the Viet-Nam clusterfuck years before it was fashionable.

This is a good sign if one believes the public opinion is about to shift.

[bpilgrim]

35. public opinion has been shifting steadily since the INVASION began

but of course the neoCONs will never listen till the people take-back-our-streets :bounce:


london



italy

tokyo

skorea

madrid

berlin

france

cairo

canada

india

Damascus

Amsterdam

LA

NYC

DC


peace

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

49. and I do. I have to, or else I will go insane... I was the "crazy

white dude" who hung with the brothers when I was in the Navy... because my politics and theirs were much closer.
Never could stand the crackers and their shit.

[Malva Zebrina]

36. Give that lady a cigar!

"Bush has two daughters. Let them go over and fight,"

[Swamp Rat]

37. "Operation Human Shield MY ASS!!!" - Chef

[barb162]

42. let the fundies, the rich and other pugs fight the GOP wars

[Straight Shooter]

44. What has America ever done for people of color?

I'd like to see a war where the ones who gain the most are compelled to sacrifice the most. That would be a war where the most heinous among us are finally eliminated, and maybe then there will be some form of actual peace, or at least an uneasy truce.

Barbara is the twin who is being groomed for political office; she should enlist and go to Iraq and be engaged in combat, and therefore pay her dues.

[KansDem]

58. Yeah, and when she returns with five medals,...

...her service record can be trashed!!!

[Straight Shooter]

65. I hear ya

:thumbsup:

[rocktivity]

47. Army officials decline to speculate about the collapse in black recruiting

...instead noting what they call a positive development, that army numbers will now reflect the make-up of society better.

All together now--BWHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

:headbang:
rocknation

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

54. ROFLMAO

Scraping the barrel of rationales...MKJ

[VegasWolf]

48. Thanks, Michael Moore! American hero! n/t

[Cocoa]

52. that scene in F911 was the first thing I thought of

the mainstream media's insane reaction to Moore's masterpiece movie is so easy to explain, and that scene is a great example. They don't want us to see scenes like that, because they know it will hurt recruiting efforts.

[Barkley]

50. Three Black women are cause for alarm at the pentagon?

That's why King was killed; he was for non-violence and many Black people would listen and agree with him when he said the Viet Nam
was immoral.

I tip my hat to Micheal Moore for showing how the military over recruits
Black Americans.

At every opportuntiy I have my student write essays expressing their views on the war.

This information can later be used as evidence for C.O. status.

We've got to keep our kids out of IRAQ and

BRING THE OF TROOPS HOME NOW!

[Moloch]

57. This is wonderful news!

In some of the poorer, Black communities the military is one of the few job opportunities offered. I hope more jobs become available (so I voted for Kerry) but it is wonderful that people are finally standing up for their principles.

[wankawanka]

64. that is to bad

we need people to join are army

[tabasco]

68. That's fantastic, wankawanka !! "Are" Army needs you !

Thank you! Just PM me the city where you live and I'll give you directions to the nearest recruiting office. After you sign up, maybe they will decide not to call me up.

Infantry Vet.

[genieroze]

67. The way they have been getting screwed, I don't blame them.

* keeps them from voting and expects them to fight for his oil.

[katinmn]

71. Excellent point n/t