From: tcox@netcom.com (Thomas Cox)
Subject: Malcolm X (was Re: Gus savage is history)
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 01:22:24 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa

cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman) writes:
>Steve Adams writes
>> lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:
>>> maxwell@fnala.fnal.gov writes:

>>>: Gus Savage will *not* be returning to
>>>: Washington next year.

>> He blamed everything on 'the Jews' and 'White Racists' and that 'real
>> blacks' voted for him, but 'Uncle Tom' blacks voted for his opponant, etc,
>> etc.

>> He called people who voted against him Nazi's.  He blamed Israel. etc.  I
>> haven't heard such crap since I heard David Duke.  [...]

>Gus Savage has come out in favour of partioning the nation  
>along racial lines, has a policy of refusing to give interviews to reporters  
>whose skin color is different from his own and is a political ally of Louis  
>Farrakhan. [...]

>Fortunately this particular racist is indeed history.

>	Carl Edman

I was wondering who had picked up the ball that Malcolm X had carried.
Malcolm is one of my heros, since I read his autobiography.  Malcolm X
was in favor of:

1. self help for blacks
2. strong families
3. personal spirituality (he was a Black Muslim, and later a Muslim --
   yes, they are different)
4. black separation and sovereignty

He also described blacks who opposed him as "Uncle Toms".  He despised
the "nonviolent revolution" rhetoric of M.L.King, and pointed out all
the successful revolutions that had been violent, including the U.S. War
of Independence.  (He did not comment on India and Ghandi, as far as I
could tell. :-)

Malcolm X appeared (to me, from reading his autobiography) to be a
sincere black nationalist and basically a conservative and intelligent
man who felt that black people needed to help themselves, and who felt
that for blacks to rely on white people to hand them their rights on a
platter was foolish and passive.

He said that black people should exercise their Second Amendment rights,
buy guns, and defend themselves against the KKK.  This upset a lot of
whites at the time.

Given the context of his life, and the conditions of blacks in America
in the 50's and early 60's (Malcolm X's father was murdered for being an
"uppity" black man; it was officially ruled a suicide), I am not
surprised.  [Apparently his father officially bludgeoned himself
repeatedly over the head, then crawled over to where a street car could
run him over (something like that).]

But none of this made me particularly admire him.  Rather, it was his
ability to adapt to reality.  After becoming famous around the world as
the leading American black nationalist, at which time he sincerely
believed that "the white man" was the enemy of "the black man", he went
to Mecca.  There he found that (1) the Black Muslim movement in America
was not really all that close to the Sunni Muslim origins it pretended
to, and (2) there were plenty of white Muslims who treated him as an
equal. 

After this experience, he changed his mind about "the white man" being
only and always the enemy of "the black man".  And he publicly changed
his tune, becoming less of what I would call a reverse racist, though no
less a supporter of black self determination.

That reversal, to me, was very brave.  I doubt many people could do
that. 

And Malcolm X had earlier plumbed the depths of human existence,
hustling the streets of Harlem as a pimp and drug dealer, becoming an
addict, and being put in jail for burglary.  

His ability to rise above those early experiences, straighten out his
life, get married and raise a family, while taking a dangerous public
stand for his beliefs, all command my admiration.

I don't agree with everything he said.  That's okay.  I admire him
anyway.

A shame that Gus Savage is doing so little good in the world, riding the
coat tails of so promising a movement.  I wish Malcolm X were alive
today. 
-- 
Tom Cox      DoD #1776   '91 CB 750 Nighthawk   tcox@netcom.netcom.com
Yeah, I have a day job.  They don't believe me any more than you do.
Xref: sparky ca.politics:7077 ca.environment:828