Ron Dellums speaks (Episode 5 of 12); United front against fascism conference

I've been asked to speak to you for a few brief moments this evening. On the question of fashion. But while this conference is going on there's also another earth shattering event taking place that I would like to speak a couple minutes on. Let's make a couple comments. As you know in a few short hours. American astronauts. Will be landing on the moon. And they will take with them. A plaque that isn't gray with the words we come in peace. Now that's groovy of the moon man speak English. Thank you. But wouldn't it be wonderful. Wouldn't it be beautiful Wouldn't it be groovy.

If the American space module landed in Vietnam and every ghetto when this country can say loudly we come in peace. Thank you. But we'll find out tomorrow night. Several months back the Kerner report said that America's basic problem is white racism. I went on record then and I'm on record now opposing that position because it leads you down a trick path. America's basic problem is not white racism. America's basic problem is the hypocrisy and the contradiction inherent to this system. The other CEO said I only have 10 to 15 minutes to let me get my thing out. And that racism you have to understand is the mechanism by which we

perpetuate and maintain this system. The beauty of this conference is. That the Panthers have clearly identified a very dangerous fact. This country is prepared to move toward a fascist position in order to maintain that hypocrisy and those contradictions. Racism becomes the convenient vehicle by which fascism may become an accomplished fact in this country. If you don't believe me let me take you back to the history books for a moment. Let us look at Nazi Germany as a country move. That moved swiftly and rapidly toward a fascist position. It chose a scapegoat and it attributed unto that scapegoat all of the ills of that society. If they had we would not have political problems if it weren't for the Jews. We wouldn't have economic problems we weren't for the Jews. We wouldn't have educational problems or any other social problems if it weren't for the Jews. Listen to the rhetoric in

1969 it is identical is the same. Our cities wouldn't be burning if it weren't for black people. We wouldn't have higher tax rates if it weren't for black people. We wouldn't have to finance welfare programs poverty programs model city programs and all of the other factors if it weren't for black people young white militants Chicanos Third World people. We wouldn't have to do all these things if we weren't for them. The rhetoric is identically the same the situation is clear. Racism is used to divide and conquer. Racism is used to divide people into conquerable groups. Black people have been niggers in this society for 400 years and in 1969 we have a new nigger. He's white with long hair he wear sandals but let us not fall in a trick bag. So that in a move toward fascism racism is used to

unite millions and millions of people who are clearly may not be in bed together. If the majority of white America is moving towards the little fine it's support of brutality its support of force its support of the use of police military troops service departments and Highway Patrol as a method of solving problems believe me we are moving a thousand miles an hour toward fascism and we have to stop it tonight. If you began to look at the nature of the society and the problems inherent in the society you find that we have been allowed to get into the Hockey mega bag we've been allowed to get hung up in the rhetoric of racism so that it does not allow us to deal with the basic problems inherent to this country. I say to you. That black problems Brown problems red and yellow problems are only a dramatic microcosm of the problems that plague this nation. And that if this country is not prepared to

deal with the problems confronting third world people and poor white people in this country it's clear that the historians will write great novels about the rise and fall of America. We have to understand there. Let's look for a moment at some of the basic institutions that I'm talking about reform programs first of all would not solve our problems. That's like putting mature chrome on a cancer. Separatism will not solve our problems. Some of us think that we can go to five states and the United States and have a groovy thing. There's a contradiction built into that position because if you define America as a hostile nation and you take five states brother I'm going to ask you what are you going to do when there's a border dispute. You see but on the serious side of that where is there for us to run. If we as people who are talking about freedom and dignity and pride and

justice where can we run. Anywhere we go in this country we don't have to deal with the FBI the CIA the AI D the a b c the x y z and all those other alphabet that function as counterinsurgency forces in this country. There's no place to run. We've got to stand here if other countries if other people throughout the world are to have the necessary revolution. If there are other people in the world who must stand up and throw off the yoke of oppression then it is people like you and I must make America a humanitarian nation. We must get that monkey off of the world's back. America has Soon the position has assumed the position of the most powerful counter-revolutionary nation in the world. America decides you and another country decide that you will seek your freedom and people did this in Vietnam. We

bombed them burned them and tried to kill them and we set up a puppet government and we said business as usual. You tried in Cambodia you tried in South America you tried in Africa you tried anywhere in the world you will deal with America so that we must stop America from assuming the position of being a police officer to the world. Prepare to cram democracy down people's throat when we have not made the great American dream a reality in this country. It is us added We must make America a humanitarian nation. So I don't see separatism as a viable alternative to solving our problems. And that leaves me with the third alternative and that is fundamental basic creative radical revolutionary whatever term you want to use. Change in the basic institutions in this country. We're talking about the economics we're talking about the politics the education and the judicial system. Let's look for a moment at economics. We have a country that has become

wealthy on the backs of poor on the backs of cheap labor and slave labor both in this country and out of this country. I'm not an economist and I don't propose to stand before you to pose some kind of concrete alternative. But I see my role as saying to you that the economics of this country must change it does not work for millions of people in this country. It has worked for a few on the backs of the many. Thank you. In order to combat fascism with respect to the whole question of the economics of this country we must become hip enough to say to white America that rides around with bumper strippers that say Support your local police and I fight poverty by having a job by saying to them that you are in a trick bag. That I stand in the front of the audience of thousands or millions of white Americans who

believe that the status quo was wonderful and say to them. If I take all your credit cards away and stop you ability to earn an income for 30 to 90 days where would you be white boy. You'd be in a poverty line with me. I understand that. If. And then he says well I'm overworked underpaid and overtaxed and I said right on the same thing about my people. And then he turns right and says the reason why I'm overtaxed is because you people are create knowledge here along with college campuses. And I say that's the trick bag. You are paying taxes because 500 corporations in this country gross over a billion dollars a year in pay not one dime in taxes. That's why you. Hate. The air. I don't know what the economics ought to be but let me say this that as long as there is a

black child in the black belt of Mississippi who can starve to death because of lack of food and someone else in another part of the country can travel around the world legally there's something sick and hypocritical about the economics of this country. I am. Since most of the people in our audience are young people I don't have to dwell on the whole question of education. You already understand the absurdity of the educational system in this country and that struggle must continue the struggle must continue to make that education relevant. We must also stand before white America that have been duped and brainwashed and see when the Third World Liberation Front moves on a college campus. Our black student Union's move on a college campus back east. We must say to them when they free the campus to open the doors for anyone when they make the curriculum relevant for us it is also freeing it for you understand that white boy. That's the way we have to fight fascism.

We cannot allow demagogues to play with us. They talk about law and order. They only raise the question of law and order when a black youth is throwing a brick through a supermarket window in a ghetto moving for his freedom and his justice. I want to young student throws a brick through a college window on a campus. But why don't they talk about law and order that the crimes that take place on the sixty fifth floor of Madison Avenue is all over this country. What about the price fixing what about the phony advertising. What about the fast interest rates insurance rates what about the crimes that rape and brutalize human beings every single day in this country. If you really want to talk about Law and Order I will join you. If you talk about law and order that moves away from corporate crime white collar crime and organized crime that has taken over this country. I think my time is about running out. So let me.

Let me throw out a couple. One other thing. A few other things to you I want to say something personal to you this evening. I'm very seriously considering and I'd like for you to hear me on the way out. I'm thinking very very seriously of walking away from electorial politics. Let me give you a couple reasons why. I'm tired of Tuesday nights being Berkeley's nigger. I'm tired of being the scapegoat for right wing bigots in this community and in this state and I'm tired of being the person that allow liberals to cop out. And I'm tired of being the person. When all hell breaks loose in the

community. They call me up and say oh nigger Ron I know you're going to go out and wail and he sits home and listens to it on the radio. Just like last night and it's very odd to Torreon. The gentleman said to me I sent you a letter on a very important subject. I hope you raised it before the council. If we're talking about participatory democracy then participate. I understand their. You know call me on the phone and say Go fight my battles and if my role being on that council has stopped other people from fighting for their freedom and their justice then I walk away. The few. That want to say that to you because. You know. I went into years ago not because I wanted to be a politician but

because some people sat down and said Brother we think you're here to screw it all right go on up and do it. For two and a half years I've tried. But people often get confused in their priorities. People often get confused by what the struggle for freedom is. And people start to get confused about what politics is I would be no one's scapegoat. Let me close with these notes. Let us be clear in walking away from this room that there will be no freedom for black people until that red man on that reservation is freed and tell that brown man is off his knees and a great deal until that Puerto Rican brother is off his knee. I tell every human being involved is me. Thank you. If we are to dare to dream that this could be a world without bombs and

murder. Then let us join hands here. Let us join hands to build a monument to Freedom A monument to justice a monument to dignity a monument to people a monument to peace. Let us build a monument to humanity I'd join you in that effort. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.