Black people deserve respect

| 3:00 pm EST January 31, 2024
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These days, most Black folks feel like we must fight for our right to be in this country. After all these years, we continue to deal with people who don’t like us because of the color of our skin. It’s a very sad situation, but we have no choice but to hope that things change one day. Things took a very bad turn for us with the introduction of racist Donald Trump, who embraced his fellow racists and gave them freedom to be crass. It’s even more disheartening that someone in Congress nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize (Rep. Claudia Tenney). To make matters even worse, it literally broke my heart to see three young Black soldiers killed while fighting for a country that doesn’t always make us feel welcome. Some will never consider them heroes because of their skin color, but that is exactly what they are.

Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett were all from Georgia. The grief their families feel must be immeasurable. They hopefully have pride in their children’s decisions to lay down their lives for a country that doesn’t always treat them equally, where some continue to see them as second-class citizens. Fortunately, we have a Commander in Chief who does care and wants to avenge their deaths, instead of calling them “losers” like the last “president.” In fact, according to CNN, Biden said that he has decided on a response. He, of course, declined to say what his decision is, but President Biden has been a man of his word throughout his presidency, so there is little doubt that he has plans.

President Biden has spoken with the families of the soldiers and wanted to attend the transfer of their bodies at Dover Air Force Base this week but only with the families’ permission. Not surprisingly, all agreed to his presence. This is the kind of leadership our country needs. Even as we continue to battle racism in this country-which is very much racist, regardless of what Nikky Haley and Tim Scott claim-it is good to know we have a president who cares about us as much as anyone else. Instead of helping President Biden with his endeavors, all Republicans want to do is complain. According to CNN, Lindsey Graham said after the attack that “the Biden administration’s ‘policy of deterrence against Iran has failed miserably.'” With no care or concern for the young people who lost their lives, this was merely another opportunity to dig at Biden in favor of one we know full well cares about only himself. They are part and parcel of what continues to be wrong in our country. They are part of the problem, not the solution.

One of the soldiers, Breanna Moffett, had just turned 23 nine days before she was killed. Even in their grief, her parents do not want an escalation in violence. The other two soldiers were 24. They all died with honor and dignity; they shouldn’t have had to die to earn it in the country of their births.