Page 15 - Reflections on the Danger of a Single Story

As I sit down to write my reflection on the “The Danger of a Single Story,” I do so from the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. I was moved by the powerful speech/talk given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to reflect on the narrative that has been spoken over and over again until a group of people have become that “thing” that’s been talked about. Initially, I just knew that my reflection would speak to being a statistic as a young black single mother; however, I was recently challenged to mentally shift how I saw another group of people. As referenced in the TED Talk, there appears to be, in my opinion, a ‘normalized political fear’ in America as a function of the black and/or brown experience that transcends age, nationality, education, or their socioeconomic status and as a result I find that I have a skewed opinion of serving in the armed forces.
Being American, there is an understanding that our liberty comes at a cost. However, coming from a culture that has been historically mistreated and underrepresented in this country “we” have been told by our elders to seek occupations that do not involve being a police officer, fireman, or member of the armed forces, so much so, that it has even permeated into my conscious selection for a mate. No one considers who is actually paying the cost. With that being said, such an aversion to the military doesn’t reflect on the individual soldier per se (other than the perception that they must have been crazy to have made the choice to enlist), but rather, it reflects on the policies and the decision made by the current administration. There was a time when the thought would be ‘not my son’ as in I would not sacrifice my son to further the dubious political agendas or policies of a government that does not value or support “us” at home. I am guilty of viewing soldiers as a government byproduct without giving too much thought to the sacrifices they make in order to protect the freedoms that I enjoy. In a sense, these honorable men and women have largely become dehumanized to things, objects, or pawns our society.
The saying, “You don’t know until you know” may appear ambiguous, but it currently personifies the shift in the way I think of men and women in uniform today. Having viewed the TED Talk, my takeaway was that the concept of a single story translates to the stereotypes that emphasize the differences rather than celebrating the similarities and if we are truly open to exploring more about the people or concept being discussed, we may see that our views are incomplete. I found that out the hard way. When my younger brother told us that he planned to join the Air Force, I had to put my personal opinions to the side and simply support him. My family and I moved mountains to come to attend my brother’s graduation from Basic Military Training (BMT) and I was so surprised by what I saw. This young man who went in a as a son, a brother, a husband, and a father morphed into an airman. There is a maturity and dedication that was palpable in him and the other members in his flight. These men and women have challenged themselves rise above the obstacles and fight to defend our liberties in the footsteps of the soldiers that came before them.
Given the backstory of the treatment of blacks and brown people in America and in the armed forces, I have inadvertently undervalued the contributions of our soldiers and their families. Now seeing a uniform evokes such an emotional response that my lips involuntarily utters the words from my heart, “Thank you for your service!”
JEANETTE CLARKE