‘Heroes
woven into Society’s Fabric’
Profiling,
Patton & Attica
I come to
all of those within this dimension we call life with the nth amount of due
respect & love. In this article I would like to welcome you in to my corner
of the attic that I like to refer to as nuts, bolts, ponders & muses. At
the behest of my youngest son I have decided to share a slice of life again.
Lately the
news has been inundated with negativity, chaos, destruction &
catastrophes…a full menu of items that can be detrimental to our digestive
systems. ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same’. Now that right
there is ‘treal speak’in’. Being an ardent follower of history…it seems the
only thing that has changed for mankind or the planet Earth, is Time itself.
Profiling is
as old as time itself; it is the first thief & jailer that we meet on our
journey in life. If not recognized, acknowledged & reformed it can become
an incurable disease that can take the Universe that lies before you &
confine it to one dimension, community, block, slice of mankind & wonders.
Profiling to
some may be considered a ‘natural instinct for survival’ & have varying
degrees of implementation. It may also become confused with extreme
characteristics of ‘bullying’. In fact I
like to believe that bullying is implemented out of the baser instincts of
‘profiling’.
I grew up in
a small farming village in Central Wisconsin that hosted 399 residents. One
afternoon as I was walking home from elementary school I saw some teenage boys
in the park banging on the swing set supports making a large racket. They were
pointing to the front of the park & laughing…there was a metal street light
at the front of the park & an elderly man dressed in denim pants &
jacket was trying frantically to climb the light pole.
When I
arrived home I told my mother what I had witnessed…she sighed & I could see
her becoming upset. She told me the man’s name & said he suffered from
‘shell shock’. I hadn’t seen the elderly man before…my father came home from
work & told me what shell shock was & how sometimes the kids would take
garbage can covers also to drive the Veteran ‘nuts’. My mother said if any of
us kids did what the older boys had done she’d beat our ass!!!
Several
years later, my brother 2 years younger than myself picked up a paper route
& sometimes when the weather was bad or the papers were running late I
would help him. One evening I found myself in front of a door with a newspaper
in hand with orders from my brother to collect the monthly dues. When the door
opened, I was face to face with the elderly man who suffered from severe shell
shock. Due to the weather he invited me into his kitchen/dining room while he
collected his payment.
My eyes fell
upon one wall & I was taken aback & astonished! One whole wall was
covered with photos, certificates, cards, letters & hand written notes from
General Patton & men he had served with. I couldn’t believe my eyes…he had
served with General Patton’s Tank Division! As I tried to take it all in &
read as much as I could before he returned I could feel the pride swell &
course through my body…a seasoned soldier of a period in history I only knew of
from movie screens…he lived it & was residing in my village of 399. Payment
in hand he came & stood beside me…he pointed to a group picture in front of
tanks & said, ‘this is me & over here is my brother’. I almost fell
over again…I just stared at the wall. He didn’t say anything else; I thanked
him for inviting me in & his payment.
Tom rarely
ventured out of his residence; he never bothered or hurt anyone. If the
‘profilers’ who tagged him as ‘nuts’ saw him, he was bullied & abused for
his patriotic & self-less contributions to WWII & America. He didn’t
like to speak or boast of his military experience, I don’t think he needed to,
the wall said it all. After my encounter with Tom I became enamored &
enthralled by history…occurrences & events that define & affect
individuals & countries. Over the last 45yrs I’ve thought of Tom & his
wall…I wonder what happened to that little unknown ‘museum’ by an unsung hero.
If you were
lucky enough to visit the village of 399 where I grew up, you probably visited
the Drug Store/What-not-shop. Within you would encounter Bud the Pharmacist
& owner. You would probably consider him an educated professional,
successful business owner, community leader & family man…then profile him
as a ‘pacifist’. The U.S. govt couldn’t disagree with you more. During WWII Bud
was an agent for the OSS before it became the CIA. There are very few men who
could wear his shoes let alone travel his same journey in them. He spent most
of his time with the OSS in Germany behind enemy lines. He experienced untold
dangers, adventures & sacrifices. So
much for ‘profiling & stereotyping’…unsung heroes & greatness can even
be found in a village of 399.
Lately there
has been a great deal of awareness focused on ‘profiling & stereo-typing’.
I find it sad that the young generation of today is comparing their struggle
& the issues they face to be more monumental than what the generations
before them confronted & experienced. I’ve seen it occur several times when
I take public transport…youth rebuffing & down grading the elderly for
their participation in past struggles & movements.
Last summer
as I waited at the bus stop near Tanger Outlet, I had the opportunity to
converse with one of the individuals I had seen rebuffed & down- graded. An
80yr old, 6’3” Black Man of medium build. An earthy, amiable gentleman, of very
strong character & will.
After
serving in the military, he had decided to take employment with the State of
New York as a Correctional Officer which he retired from. During his time of
employment he worked in New York at some of the most dangerous prisons in the
U.S. They included Ryker’s, Rahway &
last but not least Attica. After the riot & murders which took place in
Attica, he was the first Black CO to enter those walls. He was not welcomed
openly by the White CO’s or Administration & although one of the demands
from the prisoners was for ‘minority CO’s’ there were some inmates who saw him
as a ‘traitor’ to his own race. He suffered untold discrimination, torment
& hardships…his burden was a heavy one being the first Black CO within the
walls. If his character wasn’t one of strength, fortitude & strong will he
would have crumbled as many were wishing him to do.
Profiling,
stereo-typing & ignorance are robbing us of some of our greatest hidden
treasures & unsung heroes. Individuals who could or would be able to offer
us strength, hope & inspiration. Young individuals being taken due to
‘profiling & stereo-typing’ before their time, before they reach awareness
& wisdom which can lead to untold contributions to the fabric of society.
We never truly know what tomorrow brings…but we can look to yesterday to see
how far we’ve come so we will know today how far we have yet to travel.
I leave you
as I came with the nth amount of due love & respect for life.
Lady
Gray/Rosemarie