Current Events

BY JOHN ROWAN

The world came to a screeching halt in March with the coronavirus pandemic. Most of us have been locked down for several months. While the lockdown is beginning to end, we must be careful as we begin to go out. The high-risk targets of this virus are older persons with pre-existing conditions, which is me and practically every Vietnam veteran I know. So, I suggest that you give it a while before diving into society and always wear a mask.

I have heard that we have lost some members to the coronavirus, especially in some of the veterans homes. Communication has been difficult during this period, so we have not received notification. If you know of members who have passed, please send us the details so we can honor them.

Vietnam Veterans of America condemns all racism and discrimination and stands in support of a society in which the rights of all Americans are truly equal under the law. Silence is not an option.

In the post-Vietnam years we have been exposed to racism in its many ugly forms, unfortunately often related to interactions with the police. This led to some changes, not the least of which was the number of African-American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian-American veterans who joined America’s police departments. Apparently, that was not enough. Sadly, this is evident in a 2017 study by Protect Our Defenders that shows racial disparities continue in discipline within the military justice system.

Thankfully, the proliferation of camera phones has allowed everyone to see how people of color are treated by police and other members of the criminal justice system who still harbor racial animosity in the 21st century. Racism continues to divide our nation and rob our descendants’ future. The unjustified death of George Floyd was not the first, but perhaps it will be the last.

Additionally, we are appalled at the misuse of legitimate protest as an opportunity to commit crimes. We urge all levels of government (federal, state, and local) to identify the leaders of those groups, both right and left, and prosecute them.

We are also concerned about the lack of any rational and non-incendiary message from some of our political leaders. We are deeply disturbed at the thought of using the military to violate the constitutional rights of American citizens. In the words of Gen. James Mattis, “We must reject any thinking of our cities as ‘battlespace’ that our uniformed military is called upon to dominate.”

We must all work to bring real change in our society. We take heart in the diversity of the marchers demanding justice for George Floyd. While it is disheartening that these injustices continue, we also take heart in the number of Americans who have come out to demand peaceful change. We also support those law enforcement officers who have supported the marchers.