Regardless of an individual's background, everyone felt the victory in their own hearts and saw the pride and hope in each other's eyes and felt the strength in each other's handshake. This victory celebration, however, by no means marks the end of our struggle. Other battles with human ignorance and injustice will be fought. As heard from the cries of the protesters, "We have lived through so much. We will live through this too."

Through CAAR's efforts, the pride and sense of justice in the Hmong community has been rightfully maintained and revitalized. There has been so much recent trauma and heartbreak throughout the community that the ignorant insults from KQRS further perpetuated the depression and sense of loss in dignity.

Originally many elders of the community had been against the Hmong's involvement in the protest. There seemed to be a sense of hopelessness among the parents and elders that accepted the insults as parts of American society that cannot be altered. Perhaps it is a lifetime of loss through war and American indignation of the Hmong's presence in the United States that has worn down the elders' fighting spirit for justice. But the youth in the community were inflamed with anger at the public broadcast and humiliation of the Hmong culture and community.

Despite the lack of solidarity in support within the community, the quiet skepticism of the media and society and the arrogant ways in which KQRS avoided the demands of CAAR and the community, the human spirit, strength and pride of the Hmong was preserved. Despite the odds created by society, CAAR prevailed.

The revelations of young impassioned Hmong leaders making a difference and overcoming the insensitive injustice of an American corporate conglomerate sent strong waves of repercussions throughout the community. Hope and a fierce sense of pride for the Hmong youth was reinforced while the thoughtful and silent approvals from the elders brought the community back together again.

Pajnhiag Vang Nengchu

St. Paul, Minnesota

U.S. torture chambers
There are over 3,500 prisoners in U.S. torture chambers called death row. They are caged like animals until death agents are ready to execute them. This Nazi-style barbarism should end. A prisoner wrote me a letter describing how a police officer broke his arm while punching him. The U.S. government is guilty of serious human rights violations. Over 70 prisoners who were on death row have been freed when the courts found that they were innocent of crimes they had never committed.

Torture chambers are a means the U.S. government uses to eliminate the Black population. The government of the United States lynches its people legally, but at one time the people of the South did the lynching themselves. The Black population of the U.S. are victims of Caucasian supremacy and racism, which is bred of ignorance. U.S. well-to-do individuals don't get put to death execution-style; only indigent persons without competent legal representation get lynched.

U.S. slave masters were rapists, murderers, thieves, exploiters, yet they didn't get punished for their crimes. U.S. continuous legacy of atrocities against Africans who were brought here in chains, packed like sardines in ships, should be brought to the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Ernst Ford

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of general interest to our readers. Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.  
 
 
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