24 April 2007

Letter From Soldiers

During the Spanish Civil War in the 30s, American volunteers traveled to Spain to help defeat fascism. Recently I came across a site that had posted letters from soldiers writing home. I wanted to share one with you.

Albacete, Spain
July 6, 1937

My Dear Friend:

I'm sure that by this time you are still waiting for a detailed explanation of what has this international struggle to do with my being here. Since this is a war between whites who for centuries have held us in slavery, and have heaped every kind of insult and abuse upon us, segregated and jim-crowed us; why I, a Negro who have fought through these years for the rights of my people, am here in Spain today?

Because we are no longer an isolated minority group fighting hopelessly against an immense giant. Because, my dear, we have joined with, and become an active part of, a great progressive force, on whose shoulders rest the responsibility of saving human civilization from the planned destruction of a small group of degenerates gone made in their lust for power. Because if we crush Fascism here we'll save our people in America, and in other parts of the world from the vicious persecution, wholesale imprisonment, and slaughter which the Jewish people suffered and are suffering under Hitler's Fascist heels.

All we have to do is to think of the lynching of our people. We can but look back at the pages of American history stained with the blood of Negroes; stink with the burning bodies of our people hanging from trees; bitter with the groans of our tortured loved ones from whose living bodies ears, fingers, toes have been cut for souvenirs - living bodies into which red-hot pokers have been thrust. All because of a hate created in the minds of men and women by their masters who keep us all under their heels while they suck our blood, while they live in their bed of ease by exploiting us.

But these people who howl like hungry wolves for our blood, must we hate them? Must we keep the flame which these masters kindled constantly fed? Are these men and women responsible for the programs of their masters, and the conditions which force them to such degraded depths? I think not. They are tools in the hands of unscrupulous masters. These same people are as hungry as we are. They live in dives and wear rags the same as we do. They, too, are robbed by the masters, and their faces kept down in the filth of a decayed system. They are our fellowmen. Soon, and very soon, they and we will understand. Soon, and very soon, they and we will understand. Soon, many Angelo Herndons will rise from among them, and from among us, and will lead us both against those who live by the stench of our burnt flesh. We will crush them. We will build us a new society -- a society of peace and plenty. There will be no color line, no jim-crow trains, no lynching. That is why, my dear, I'm here in Spain.

Canute [Frankson]


Here is the link to the page. There are plenty more for you to read.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a load of shite. The Spanish Civil War was horrendous with most atrocities committed by the so called "Left", including the murder and rape of anyone vaguely religious. That's why most "volunteers" left Spain as anti-Communists. "Fascism" was anything that was anti-Soviet or religious. Americans and others had no right to be in Spain spreading their warped liberal democratic ideology. This letter writer was an imperialist, no different to whites going to Africa and taking over because they thought it was "moral". Don't forget that people of Spain ended up completely rejecting these foreign interlopers and Franco won.

If you are for animal rights and the environment you would've been thrown in with the "fascists" back then too, as it was National Socialist Germany and Italy who were the environmentalists and implemented anti-vivisetion laws based on their inspiration from Jainism(where the swastika came from). The "Left" thought of them as "anti-humanist" for this.

Almost every big name throughout history who was pro-animal rights is lambasted for being a "fascist"(like Morrissey, Da Vinci etc). Even if you name rotten nations like China as bad because of their holocaust on animals you are called a "racist" or similarly if in Europe you complain about Halal and Kosher you are "islamaophobe"(Bridget Bardot etc) or "anti-semite"(LePen). Support Hinduism against Pakistan Islam and also you are a "racist" because of the caste system.

To hell with liberal humanism and the so called "left wing". They are no better than your American "right wing". In Europe it is(and always had been) the nationalist/far-right parties that support animal rights and the environment the most because it is an Aryan value that comes direct from the virtues of Brahmanism.

Also, I don't know how you can be a Buddhist and support the left, especially after what barbaric China has done to Tibet and the Buddhist doctrine on issues such as homosexuality and abortion.

Anonymous said...

Also why do you support humanist organisations that "help" the third world. Don't you know about overpopulation and their treatment of animals? The only support to give them is condoms. Everytime you think you helo these people you kill the environment and put billions of animals in harms way because of human population explosion.

Anonymous said...

I just saw your photo and realised that you seem quite young. So i apologise if my tone was harsh, as you probably haven't been educated properly yet in the facts of world history(as well as seeing things through American eyes, whereby you are probably "left wing" as a reaction to the stupid "right wing"). But please, think carefully before you jump on every "liberal" bandwagon, as that ideology is an enemy of environment and animals as much as "capitalism". But i have to tell you, that your "feminism" and "liberalism" does not fit well with environmentalism and animal rights, both of which are(in a non-american sense) "conservative"(ie, a will to conserve). Please look up sites like rosenoire.org or nazi.org(the title is misleading) or "new right" or "national anarchism" for the real path and throw off your ignorance. Most of what Americans learn of history is false.