So, I’m watching “Behind Enemy Lines“, one of my favorite movies that I will often stop what I’m doing to sit and watch whenever it’s aired on TV. I instantly recognized the “70” atop the ship featured in movie, and said, “heyyyy, there’s the celebrity ship, USS Carl Vinson!”
Then, I began to wonder, “who is Carl Vinson?” I’m thinking he has to be a great war commander, or great admirable leader to have a ship named in his honor. So I searched for his history, and was extremely shocked at his offensive history.
Carl Vinson was a member of Congress, who never served in the military. Vinson was a staunch segregationist, with identical beliefs as:
John C. Calhoun (defended slavery as a “positive good”) – https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/slavery-a-positive-good/.
“Abolition and the Union cannot coexist.”
“We of the South will not, cannot, surrender our institutions. To maintain the existing relations between the two races, inhabiting that section of the Union, is indispensable to the peace and happiness of both. It cannot be subverted without drenching the country in blood, and extirpating one or the other of the races. Be it good or bad, [slavery] has grown up with our society and institutions, and is so interwoven with them that to destroy it would be to destroy us as a people. But let me not be understood as admitting, even by implication, that the existing relations between the two races in the slaveholding States is an evil:–far otherwise; I hold it to be a good, as it has thus far proved itself to be to both, and will continue to prove so if not disturbed by the fell spirit of abolition. I appeal to facts. Never before has the black race of Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and so improved, not only physically, but morally and intellectually.”
James Henry Hammond (raped his teen nieces (public scandal), believed abolitionists should be put to death, and advocated for slavery until his death). More on James Henry Hammond:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3439t.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Henry_Hammond.
One of the primary leaders behind the Southern Manifesto was Carl Vinson, along with segregationist Strom Thurmond (then a Democrat, and also a child rapist, who defected to GOP to protest against Civil and Voting Rights Acts).
- “Southern Manifesto on Integration (March 12, 1956)”: www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/sources_document2.html
- More info on the “Southern Manifesto”: wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Manifesto
Only THREE southern Democrats refused to sign: Albert Gore, Sr., Estes Kefauver, and Lyndon B. Johnson. These three became, AND remained, enemies of the ku klux klan and other white separatists, who quickly jumped ship from Democratic party to the previously-progressive GOP party, as an act of protest against civil and voting rights.
One of those who switched from Democrat to GOP, to protest against Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson’s signing of both the Voting and Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 was segregationist Strom Thurmond, who is considered the “shaper of today’s GOP“, and is a hero of Sarah Palin. Strom Thurmond raped his teen black maid, impregnated her, and forced the teen to keep the pregnancy, and child, a secret until his death. His daughter, conceived via rape, is legally entitled to join the Daughters of the Confederacy. His daughter recently tried to join the Daughters of the Confederacy, a staunch segregationist and pro-slavery group, but was denied. Paul Thurmond, Strom’s son, who recently ran for office as a member of the GOP, doesn’t even acknowledge his half-black sister. To Paul Thurmond, she’s simply “unwelcomed black trash”.
The only ku klux klansman, who didn’t make the switch to GOP, was Robert Byrd, however, the majority of the Capitol Hill ku klux klan members and supporters, and white separatists, defected to GOP, and many are still GOP members today, while Robert Byrd became extremely apologetic about his ku klux klan activities and denounced the kkk for the rest of life.
Another disturbing act of Carl Vinson, with severe hatred in his heart, was his repeated blocking of the promotion to Fleet Admiral for a decorated war hero, Admiral Raymond Spruance.
Meanwhile, U.S. Navy continues to pay homage to Carl Vinson in many ways, and the USS Carl Vinson has appeared in many box office hits: Top Gun, Stealth, The Presidio, Behind Enemy Lines and more.
It’s sad to see so much ugly, racist history within our taxpayer-funded military. Here are a few examples of that taxpayer-funded racism with Carl Vinson leading the way:
- EXCLUSIVE: Records Show Military Surveyed Troops’ Attitudes Towards Jews In 1940s
https://thinkprogress.org/justice/2010/07/22/176892/exclusive-records-show-military-surveyed-troops-attitudes-towards-jews-in-1940s/“There is nothing good about Jews.” (Agree: 86%, Disagree: 13%)
“Jews are out to rule the world.” (Agree: 27%, Disagree: 73%)
“The Jews always get the best of everything.” (Agree: 30%, Disagree: 70%)
“You can always tell a Jew by the way he looks.” (Agree: 61%, Disagree: 39%)
“Jews are the biggest goldbricks in the Army.” (Agree: 51%, Disagree: 49%)
“A Jew will always play you for a sucker.” (Agree: 48%, Disagree: 52%) - World War II War Department addressing segregation within the military:
The policy of the war department is not to intermingle colored and white enlisted personnel in the same regimental organizations. This policy has proved satisfactory over a long period of years and to make changes now would be destructive to morale.”
- US apartheid (or ‘segregation’ as they preferred to call it): www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/WW2/US%20apartheid.htm
- Desegregation of the Armed Forces: Chronology – which Carl Vinson fought HEAVILY against! But notice the mob attacks against black veterans during the process.
Even more amazing that many survived the ugly racism, and went on to become incredible and honored heroes:
- Carl Brashear
- Dr. Mary E. Walker – more info: wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Edwards_Walker
- Leonard Matlovich
- Harvey Milk – a U.S. Navy diving instructor. More info on Harvey Milk: https://milkfoundation.org/
- The Tuskegee Airmen – acepilots.com/usaaf_tusk.html
- Victor Fehrenbach
- Deborah Sampson a/k/a “Mr. Shirtliffe”
- Doris “Dorie” Miller (who is from Waco, Texas, a city known for an infamous riot and lynching)
…and countless others who overcame racism and did amazing jobs on behalf of so many.
- www.jewsingreen.com/2012/11/jewish-soldier-recounts-world-war-ii-experience/
- wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Jewish_Americans#World_War_II
On the plus side, this means, I can have a ship named in my honor… 😁 since the only requirement is being a strong military supporter, which was the only military relation with Carl Vinson.
Southern Manifesto on Integration (March 12, 1956)
www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/sources_document2.html
From Congressional Record, 84th Congress Second Session. Vol. 102, part 4. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Printing Office, 1956. 4459-4460.DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION
In 1956, 19 Senators and 77 members of the House of Representatives signed the “Southern Manifesto,” a resolution condemning the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The resolution called the decision “a clear abuse of judicial power” and encouraged states to resist implementing its mandates. In response to Southern opposition, in 1958 the Court revisited the Brown decision in Cooper v. Aaron, asserting that the states were bound by the ruling and affirming that its interpretation of the Constitution was the “supreme law of the land.”
TRANSCRIPT
The unwarranted decision of the Supreme Court in the public school cases is now bearing the fruit always produced when men substitute naked power for established law.
The Founding Fathers gave us a Constitution of checks and balances because they realized the inescapable lesson of history that no man or group of men can be safely entrusted with unlimited power. They framed this Constitution with its provisions for change by amendment in order to secure the fundamentals of government against the dangers of temporary popular passion or the personal predilections of public officeholders.
We regard the decision of the Supreme Court in the school cases as clear abuse of judicial power. It climaxes a trend in the Federal judiciary undertaking to legislate, in derogation of the authority of Congress, and to encroach upon the reserved rights of the states and the people.
The original Constitutional does not mention education. Neither does the Fourteenth Amendment nor any other amendment. The debates preceding the submission of the Fourteenth Amendment clearly show that there was no intent that it should affect the systems of education maintained by the states.
The very Congress which proposed the amendment subsequently provided for segregated schools in the District of Columbia.
When the amendment was adopted in 1868, there were thirty-seven states of the Union. Every one of the twenty-six states that had any substantial racial differences among its people either approved the operation of segregated schools already in existence or subsequently established such schools by action of the same law-making body which considered the Fourteenth Amendment.
As admitted by the Supreme Court in the public school case (Brown v. Board of Education), the doctrine of separate but equal schools “apparently originated in Roberts v. City of Boston (1849), upholding school segregation against attack as being violative of a state constitutional guarantee of equality.” This constitutional doctrine began in the North-not in the South-and it was followed not only in Massachusetts but in Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other northern states until they, exercising their rights as states through the constitutional processes of local self-government, changed their school systems.
In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 the Supreme Court expressly declared that under the Fourteenth Amendment no person was denied any of his rights if the states provided separate but equal public facilities. This decision has been followed in many other cases. It is notable that the Supreme Court, speaking through Chief Justice Taft, a former President of the United States, unanimously declared in 1927 in Lum v. Rice that the “separate but equal” principle is “* * * within the discretion of the state in regulating its public schools and does not conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment.”
This interpretation, restated time and again, became a part of the life of the people of many of the states and confirmed their habits, customs, traditions and way of life. It is founded on elemental humanity and common sense, for parents should not be deprived by Government of the right to direct the lives and education of their own children.
Though there has been no constitutional amendment or act of Congress changing this established legal principle almost a century old, the Supreme Court of the United States, with no legal basis for such action, undertook to exercise their naked judicial power and substituted their personal political and social ideas for the established law of the land.
This unwarranted exercise of power by the court, contrary to the Constitution, is creating chaos and confusion in the states principally affected. It is destroying the amicable relations between the white and Negro races that have been created through ninety years of patient effort by the good people of both races. It has planted hatred and suspicion where there has been heretofore friendship and understanding.
Without regard to the consent of the governed, outside agitators are threatening immediate and revolutionary changes in our public school systems. If done, this is certain to destroy the system of public education in some of the states.
With the gravest concern for the explosive and dangerous condition created by this decision and inflamed by outside meddlers.
We reaffirm our reliance on the Constitution as the fundamental law of the land.
We decry the Supreme Court’s encroachments on rights reserved to the states and to the people, contrary to established law and to the Constitution.
We commend the motives of those states which have declared the intention to resist forced integration by any lawful means.
We appeal to the states and people who are not directly affected by these decisions to consider the constitutional principles involved against the time when they too, on issues vital to them, may be the victims of judicial encroachment.
Even though we constitute a minority in the present congress, we have full faith that a majority of the American people believe in the dual system of government which has enabled us to achieve our greatness and will in time demand that the reserved rights of the states and of the people be made secure against judicial usurpation.
We pledge ourselves to use all lawful means to bring about a reversal of this decision which is contrary to the Constitution and to prevent the use of force in its implementation.
In this trying period, as we all seek to right this wrong, we appeal to our people not to be provoked by the agitators and troublemakers invading our states and to scrupulously refrain from disorder and lawless acts.
Signed by:
Members of the United States Senate:
Alabama-John Sparkman and Lister Hill.
Arkansas-J. W. Fulbright and John L. McClellan.
Florida-George A. Smathers and Spessard L. Holland.
Georgia-Walter F. George and Richard B. Russell.
Louisiana-Allen J. Ellender and Russell B. Lono.
Mississippi-John Stennis and James O. Eastland.
North Carolina-Sam J. Ervin Jr. and W. Kerr Scott.
South Carolina-Strom Thurmond and Olin D. Johnston.
Texas-Price Daniel.
Virginia-Harry F. Bird and A. Willis Robertson.Members of the United States House of Representatives:
Alabama-Frank J. Boykin, George M. Grant, George M. Andrews, Kenneth R. Roberts, Albert Rains, Armistead I. Selden Jr., Carl Elliott, Robert E. Jones and George Huddleston Jr.
Arkansas-E. C. Gathings, Wilbur D. Mills, James W. Trimble, Oren Harris, Brooks Hays, F. W. Norrell.
Florida-Charles E. Bennett Robert L. Sikes, A. S. Her Jr., Paul G. Rogers, James A. Haley, D. R. Matthews.
Georgia-Prince H. Preston, John L. Pilcher, E. L. Forrester, John James Flint Jr., James C. Davis, Carl Vinson, Henderson Lanham, Iris F. Blitch, Phil M. Landrum, Paul Brown.
Louisiana-F. Edward Hebert, Hale Boggs, Edwin E. Willis, Overton Brooks, Otto E. Passman, James H. Morrison, T. Ashton Thompson, George S. Long.
Mississippi-Thomas G. Abernethy, Jamie L. Whitten, Frank E. Smith, John Bell Williams, Arthur Winsted, William M. Colmer.
North Carolina-Herbert C. Bonner, L. H. Fountain, Graham A. Barden, Carl T. Durham, F. Ertel Carlyle, Hugh Q. Alexander, Woodrow W. Jones, George A. Shuford.
South Carolina-L. Mendel Rivers, John J. Riley, W. J. Bryan Dorn, Robert T. Ashmore, James P. Richards, John L. McMillan.
Tennessee-James B. Frazier Jr., Tom Murray, Jere Cooper, Clifford Davis.
Texas-Wright Patman, John Dowdy, Walter Rogers, O. C. Fisher.
Virginia-Edward J. Robeson Jr., Porter Hardy Jr., J. Vaughan Gary, Watkins M. Abbitt, William M. Tuck, Richard H. Poff, Burr P. Harrison, Howard W. Smith, W. Pat Jennings, Joel T. Brothill.
