In August 1968, I returned from my tour of duty in Vietnam with some very mixed emotions on why our ‘country’ even went into that conflict in the first place.
On May of 1969 there was a large protest of anti-war citizens in Berkely, California in ‘Peoples Park; later referred to as ‘Bloody Thursday’.
As a result of that incident, it was reported in a Wikipedia column, that while Renaldo Benson, a member of the vocal group Four Tops witnessed ‘police brutality’ there,he asked the question“What is happening here?” Why are they sending kids so far away (Vietnam), and why are they attacking their own children in the streets?”
Upset, Benson shared his story with songwriter Al Cleveland who in turn wrote a song about Benson’s feelings.
Although many believe that Marvin Gaye’s recording of ‘What’s going on’? emphasized a ‘protest’,” Benson shared that the lyrics were a ‘love song, about love and understanding’ “I’m not protesting, I want to know what’s going on”.
As I think about my past experiences as a soldier in Vietnam, I remember listening to this song in 1971. But even today those lyrics remind me of recent events in Minnesota during a community’s clash with Immigration and Custom Enforcement’ (ICE) agents.
Gaye was obviously concerned about the social ills of our neighborhoods across the country.
On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen too opened fire on unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine.
‘What’s going on’ was a song that questioned our society’s problems, the protests were many across our land, and the police were accused of excessive force and brutality.
It was a difficult and trying time for America not entirely different from the stress of today’s headlines.
The physical clash of ‘protestors’ in Minneapolis with ICE federal agents have resulted in two recent shootings of protestors resulting in the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse.
Both shootings have been highly criticized by some news media, citizens and law enforcement personnel.
Extensive investigations by various agencies will for certain examine closely the actions of all parties involved to ascertain the ‘appropriateness’ of the shootings. Court cases too are expected with each of these incidents.
It will be a very long process for all involved!
ICE procedures and those recent actions of federal agents in rounding up illegal immigrants, I suspect, will be further scrutinized.
President Trump has recently detailed Thomas Douglas Homan, his Border Czar, to go to Minneapolis to oversee the immigration operations, and to meet with Mayor Jacob Frey who is demanding that federal agents leave his bewildered city.
As I sat in my easy chair, watching the ‘uneasy’ scenes unfold on my TV and read about those deaths of Cook and Pretti, I understand the questions of many Americans about these incidents.
Perhaps Marvin Gaye had this same important question:
‘What’s going on? (What’s going on?)
What’s going on? (What’s going on?)
What’s going on? (What’s going on?)
ICE recently suggested they are only concerned with removing ‘law violators’ up front, yet a local case of Melissa Tran, a Vietnamese woman in Hagerstown who has been here for 30 years, as an upstanding citizen, has now been returned to Vietnam, leaving her husband and four kids behind. She had a theft conviction in 2001 but apparently rehabilitated.
A little better logic, of Melissa’s case, I believe, may have rendered better results for her and family.
In regards to the recent shootings in Minneapolis, Oversight and Government Committee Chair James Comer (R-Kentucky) went so far as to suggest Trump should pull ICE personnel from the Twin Cities amid the ongoing strife. (Kentucky Lantern).
It has been expressed by many that the behavior of federal agents and their recent actions to implement the current policy of the government is becoming more questionable each day. Those aspects of leadership, supervision and training are being discussed by average citizens; the ICE agency is under duress.
The President should maybe embrace Comer’s advice to withdraw ICE federal agents from the Twin cities.
In his search for wisdom, the President may also want to review some of those similar problems experienced by the country during the administration of President Eisenhower (1955) in his deportation program he called Operation Wetback.
The short-lived operation used military-style tactics to remove Mexican immigrants—some of them American citizens—from the United States.’ (History.com)
And I suspect, if many Americans could ask one simple question to Border Czar Homan, it might be this one ~
“What’s going on?”
