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 unfairly targeted by police for decades. While most police officers are undoubtedly good citizens trying to help people in need, there have been many instances where Black people have been treated unfairly by some police officers.
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 must not be a factor in police forces across the country, the military must not allow racism and hate within the various branches of the military. There have been too many cases where racism has been allowed to harm 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 incarcerated in what are known as American concentration camps. Then, when the government decided that these young men could be used in the army, 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 fellow soldiers 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 has not disappeared 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 bring 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 took 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 despite the fact that he cost him dearly throughout his life. Colin Kaerpernick tried to raise public awareness of the issues of racism when he took a knee at NFL games. He was severely criticized and lost his job because of it. For decades, people have tried in vain to end racism.
Military leaders now appear to be acknowledging the problems of racism across the country. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 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 resulting police brutality. 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 of these people are trying to be patriotic and serve their country to keep us all safe. They do not deserve to suffer racism while serving.