Malcolm X, a Voice Still Needed

Had he lived, Malcolm X would be 81 today.
Malcolm was the loud and outraged voice against injustice and oppression. He made us uncomfortable with his fiery rhetoric and impassioned thinking.
Malcolm is often portrayed or mentioned as an angry and violent black man. One of his remarks included the phrase, “by any means necessary”. This fragment of his remark is often cited as proof this was a violent man.
The entire quote was, “We declare our right on this earth…to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society on this earth by any means necessary.”
These words stand the test of time today as they did when he said them. We look at our current society and hear the ugly hate of the Minutemen and Tom Tancredo about Mexican nationals entering the U.S. without documents.
These people who cross into this country for a better life are made out to be criminals and illegals. Few think of them as humans seeking a life better than the poverty left behind in Mexico or wherever they may come from.
I think of Malcolm’s words in context of the people of Iraq. Possibly over 250,000 Iraqis have died since the pre-emptive war perpetrated by George W. Bush and his regime. Close to half of those killed were children. And, today Iraq is less safe than the time of the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein who was funded for many years by American tax dollars.
The dead of Iraq since March 2003 were human beings who deserved to be treated and respected as human beings. The possible million deaths during sanctions from 1991 until 2003 were human beings. A large number were babies and younger children.
Today’s headlines tell of U.S. Marines killing innocent civilians in “cold blood” in Haditha, Iraq.
As in My Lai, the story says one of the Marines had been killed earlier in the day. As in My Lai, the Marines sought retribution and failed to distinguish between the innocent and those who violently fought them.
The citizens of the United States have tired of this war the polls say. A big reason is the cost. Not the human cost but the financial cost. Many, probably the majority, still hold a racist view of Iraqis and humans of Middle East heritage.
Words like “camel jockeys” and “sand niggers” are the more vile things heard. But, even in conversation with Americans thought to be moderate or liberal the words “those people” are heard.
Americans can’t understand “those people”. How could they possibly strap themselves with explosives to commit suicide and homicide they ask? They call them “fanatics” and “crazies” because they resist the American occupation alleged to have a goal of helping the Iraqis.
“"Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks." Malcolm X said.
What American wouldn’t resist an occupying force coming to Denver or Des Moines or New York City? Is it unreasonable to think Iraqis might see the brutality of cruise missiles, artillery and tank fire as an attack on their country and them and their families?
Today’s headlines also tell of a riot in the Guantanamo gulag. Prisoners living in conditions of sensory deprivation, lack of privacy and sanctioned torture fought American guards who tried preventing the 4th suicide attempt of the day.
“Human rights are something you were born with. Human rights are your God-given rights. Human rights are the rights that are recognized by all nations of this earth.”
Today, as in Malcolm’s day, human rights aren’t recognized by all nations of this world. The United States of America continues in the ranks of nations lacking humanity for all.
We can also look to New Orleans to have this confirmed. The people in the area Hurricane Katrina destroyed know they were abandoned and treated as less than human. For a brief 15 minutes of media time, so did the rest of the nation.
Seven months later New Orleans and the Gulf region remain much the same. Only half the population still lives in New Orleans. Most of the black community has been dispersed across the U.S.
Developers lust over the possibilities of gentrifying the neighborhoods destroyed. There will be no New Orleans to come back to for many of the poorer citizens. Most from the black community.


“Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression, because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action.”

Today, this 81st anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth, we face harsh choices because we face tyranny and oppression on an unprecedented level in this country. The U.S. lost its final illusion of democracy in a weakly contested coup during the 2000 Presidential election.
No shots were fired before the coup de tat happened. And since September 11, 2001, Americans have freely given up their rights to the un-elected President’s regime. In the name of homeland security, spying on the American people has been officially endorsed. Torture has been officially endorsed. The rules of habeas corpus and the right to a trial have been lost if so dictated by the regime.
The American reaction has been inaction. Fear rules. The people say “if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn’t be bothered by the spying.” People say, “I have the right to be safe and if that takes our government listening to our phone calls or spying on us, that’s ok.”
Fear. More fear. More and more fear. Fear keeps the masses in line and in control.
The mass media is used as a tool to instill even more fear through slanted news coverage and fictional stories of disasters and threats. The people are numbed to the plight of anybody but themselves.
The conviction to produce uncompromising action lies in only a few. Just as it was when Malcolm was alive. Just as it was when Malcolm was assassinated. Just as it was when Gandhi and Martin Luther King were assassinated.
Alleged progressives and liberals still believe the system works and work feverishly to elect politicians complicit with the coup in the first place. They tell us we must carry on a civil dialogue with the uncivil tyrants. They dream up trivializing tactics that hide the outrage we should have against the oppression. Oppression isn’t fun nor can it be made to seem that way as we struggle against it.
Once again it will fall to the impoverished, the marginalized and the betrayed of American society to struggle in uncompromising action against the tyranny.
The privileged and the aspiring privileged will fight to keep mortgaged lifestyles. They will be slaves of the capitalist system that doesn’t recognize human beings. They will be tools of a system that doesn’t respect human rights. And in the end they too will be betrayed.
Already, this aspiring privileged class has lined up the scapegoats of their betrayal. “Illegal immigrants” are stealing jobs from Americans. Duped Americans believe this fiction while corporate America eliminates employment and pensions and replaces the American worker with “offshore” workers.
The workers are exploited for low wages and no benefits. USA, Inc. plunders the world for record profits. The American worker loses homes, cars and the American dream thinking it’s the “wetbacks” and “illegals” that are responsible for the loss. Even in betrayal uncompromising action isn’t on the schedule.
The voice of Malcolm X is missed now more than ever.


Terry Leichner, RN
VVAW