GIs and Revolution – The Black Panther (1969)

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From ‘The Black Panther: Black Community News Service’, September 27, 1969, San Francisco, California

Black people and the Black Panther Party are bearing the full consequences of fascist American democracy. The daily heightening contradictions clearly expose to the people (as shown in San Francisco’s Mayor, “Mafioso Alioto“) the corruption, bankruptcy and hypocrisy of this fascist pig government.

The outright hunger, and subtle chronic malnutrition as seen in the faces of Black ghetto youths, the erosion and disappearance of the rights supposedly guaranteed by the US Constitution, the increased dehumanization and exploitation of the workers, the rapidly declining standard and quality of living, the increased rabid attacks upon White dissenters, Black people, and the Black Panther Party, as was most recently evident in the August 19th, kidnapping of our Chairman Bobby SeaIe, are but a few clear and concrete example of what this fascist government represents at home.

Today in order to wage a stronger struggle against this fascist pig government, we the people and the Black Panther Party need the continued support from brothers who have served in the fascist military machine. We need the skills, the technical know-how you possess. We need information dealing with tactics, training and intelligence. We need technical equipment. Technical equipment includes everything from weapons to medical supplies, doctors, etc. In the Liberation Army all the skills and knowledge you possess will be utilized against this fascist pig power structure, and for the people.

The people and the Party are sick and tired of hearing the lame cop-out, and the “Don’t worry brother I’ll be there when the shit falls.” How many murders, unjust imprisonments, and exploitation do Black people have to endure before the rest of you ex-GIs move to join the liberation struggle. Where do you ex-GIs draw the line? What is your breaking point?

Do you draw the line at your door when you and your family have been totally isolated? Or are you one of those crazy enough to believe that what happened to the Jews in Europe, the Indians in America and what is happening to our brothers and sisters in the colonialized and neo-colonialized sections of Africa and what is happening to the brothers down the block, is not going to involve you and your family.

Black Panther Party Minister of defense Huey P. Newton has stated that all the skills, knowledge, and even your very lives belong to the people. You worked in, and fought for the fascist military of this racist thieving government in defense of “the American way of life”, and now you owe the people.

The American way of life means for the fascist ruling circles the unrestricted right to plunder the earth, and to enslave the people. For all Black and Third World Peoples, “the American way of life”, in its essence means suffering and dying. For the exploited White working class, it means suffering and dehumanization.

Misguided brothers who have fought to tighten the chains around the necks of all oppressed people have a sacred duty. That duty is to break the chains of exploitation and racism by any means necessary. To dare to strike this fascist country and help bring about a new age. Only when this duty has been fulfilled, only when Africa and all overseas Africans, including Blacks in fascist America, have been freed from the murderous clutches of the fascist imperialism in the US will you ex-GIs have cleared the books. Only then will people the world over forgive you for your crimes against humanity.

“We want freedom, we want power to determine the destiny of our Black communities.” (Point No. 1 of the Ten Point Platform and Program of the Black Panther Party)

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Randy