Director Walker
Addresses Vietnamese Community at Black April Commemoration
Saturday, April 27, 2024 - Minnesota State Capitol Plaza
Black April Address by Scott Walker
Good Afternoon friends and Allies,
When last I address you some six years ago I mentioned the importance of recording your personal accounts of the experiences during and after the Vietnam Conflict or the Communist War of Aggression which is a more appropriate description.
I spoke on preparing for the 50th Anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam Conflict.
That time has come.
In 12 short months that anniversary will be upon us. Attention will be directed to you and other Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian communities.
The State of Minnesota has already begun inquiring to our communities about if they want to hold an event or a series of events commemorating the anniversary using State resources and funding.
What have you done to prepare for this important commemoration?
Well let me tell you what I have observed.
In 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and this year our communities have had legislation introduced to gather, record, organize and share with the pubic your personal account of your experiences during the Vietnam War. This legislation was to fund your contribution to the commemoration. Nothing has gained support by our State Legislature.
In 2017 Twin Cities Public Television obtained funding for Minnesota Remembers Vietnam. A project that gathered stories of Minnesotan who lived during this time. Ken Burns and the Public Broadcasting Service produced an eighteen hour, ten episode documentary series on the Vietnam War. The Minnesota Humanities Center supported the TPT project and offered funding to the Southeast Asian Veteran communities through a competitive bidding system.
None of these projects included you.
Legislation was passed last year appropriating one half of a million dollars to the Hmong Veterans to gather thier stories and archive them in preparation for the Commemoration, your veterans were excluded. This year the Chairman of the Legacy Funding Committee who decides who and who does not receive funding from the Minnesota Heritage and Legacy Fund which is dedicated by Law for all Minnesotans to access introduced legislation appropriating one quarter of a million dollars to highlight the first Hmong family that immigrated to Minnesota. None of your families were included. This year legislation was forwarded which appropriated $300,000 for all our Asian Communities to divide among themselves. However accessing these funds requires you to compete with each other through a competitive bidding process. All Asian non profits will be given a chance to receive a portion of that money. There are well over one hundred asian non profits in Minnesota. If you choose to compete, the application process is arduous and complicated. When winners are determined the money will be divided amongst all of them, how it will be divided know one knows.
Last year the State of Minnesota had several billion dollars in surplus. I repeat several billion dollars in surplus. Every nickel was spent last year and yet none of it was appropriated to our Asian communities in preparation for this historical commemoration. Our Asian communities apparently are not important enough even to be commemorated.
It is now abundantly clear that the appropriation of the Legacy Fund Resources held in the public trust seems to have become a tool in the accumulation of political power.
Fifty years ago your mothers, fathers and families suffered, sacrificed and endured unimaginable hardship to make a better life for you. The political orthodoxy at that time used rice or food as a weapon to control them. Today the State of Minnesota uses money for the same affect.
Last year Speaker Mellisa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, the two most powerful political leaders in Minnesota, who had promised for years to help the Asian Communities finally stepped up and authored our film series legislation. The Governor and Director of Veteran Affairs supported the legislation. It would seem it would have had an easy path to passage. Neither took any action in moving it through the legislature. In fact, we have gotten word it will not be passed, there is no money available to be appropriated. There never was,
Next year every political leader will want to be part of this Commemoration. They will hug you tell you how sorry they were about the war. They will tell you how much they admire your contributions to our State. They will tell you how much they believe in diversity, inclusion and yes even equity. They will offer you thier services at every turn. And of course they will especially want to get photos taken with you. They will then turn and tell the world how supportive and diverse Minnesota is. They will tell the world how they have supported you over the decades. None of this will be true of corse, history has proven that. But the public only sees what the press publishes. I don’t even think the Press will report your experiences fairly. Past reporting or the lack of has proven that.
When one political orthodoxy rules absolutely you must conform to it or risk the consequences. When that political leadership expecting adherence to that orthodoxy offers you a cup of rice, that is to be divided among all others, you will have to make a choice. Your choice will determine the measure of your resolve in honoring your ancestors.
If one ethic Southeast Asian Community receives 3 quarters of a million dollars from the State of Minnesota to commemorate thier role in the conflict,
the Vietnamese deserves 3 quarters of a million dollars.
If that Asian Community gets 3 quarters of a million dollars,
the Khmer deserves 3 quarters of a million dollars,
the Lao deserve 3 quarters of a million dollars
and yes if that community receives 3 quarters of a million dollars,
surely the US Veterans should get 3 quarters of a million dollars as they also deserve to commemorate thier role during the war.
Is it not a mater of principal, diversity, Inclusion and equity?
These are the virtues and values our governor repeats daily. As he puts it “We are One Minnesota.”
Is it …. really?
Our State certainly has not demonstrated it.
Those legislators who are determined to divide our communities. Those legislators who choose to be used as surrogates to promote an orthodoxy thier ancestors died to resist, an orthodoxy of selfishness, only to serve more powerful political leaders who subordinate thier work, as dirty and disgusting as it is, will eventually discover they have been used.
Unity is what makes Americans strong not diversity.
Those who choose to divide America will eventually realize thier foley and in time will be brushed aside and replaced with new surrogates. Those who selfishly promote themselves expecting accolades for thier loyalty will eventually be marginalized and having realizing they are no longer needed will be replaced by a new surrogacy and find themselves adrift, confused, bewildered and alone. This is thier eternal fate.
It is up to each of you individually to demonstrate to your ancestors that you will answered the call that they died defending and demonstrate to future generations that you will not be divided. You will not join the march of an orthodoxy your ancestors died to prevent, but rather defend liberty at any expense.
Nathan Hale one of the first defenders of liberty during the American Revolution when captured by the British was tried as a spy and hanged. He said “ I regret I have but one life to lose for my country,” Likewise Patrick Henry another patriot of the American Revolution who argued for unity in resisting British Tyranny said “give me liberty or give me death.“
What is your choice, a hand full of rice, a few coins or liberty?
Black April Address by Scott Walker
Good Afternoon friends and Allies,
When last I address you some six years ago I mentioned the importance of recording your personal accounts of the experiences during and after the Vietnam Conflict or the Communist War of Aggression which is a more appropriate description.
I spoke on preparing for the 50th Anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam Conflict.
That time has come.
In 12 short months that anniversary will be upon us. Attention will be directed to you and other Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian communities.
The State of Minnesota has already begun inquiring to our communities about if they want to hold an event or a series of events commemorating the anniversary using State resources and funding.
What have you done to prepare for this important commemoration?
Well let me tell you what I have observed.
In 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and this year our communities have had legislation introduced to gather, record, organize and share with the pubic your personal account of your experiences during the Vietnam War. This legislation was to fund your contribution to the commemoration. Nothing has gained support by our State Legislature.
In 2017 Twin Cities Public Television obtained funding for Minnesota Remembers Vietnam. A project that gathered stories of Minnesotan who lived during this time. Ken Burns and the Public Broadcasting Service produced an eighteen hour, ten episode documentary series on the Vietnam War. The Minnesota Humanities Center supported the TPT project and offered funding to the Southeast Asian Veteran communities through a competitive bidding system.
None of these projects included you.
Legislation was passed last year appropriating one half of a million dollars to the Hmong Veterans to gather thier stories and archive them in preparation for the Commemoration, your veterans were excluded. This year the Chairman of the Legacy Funding Committee who decides who and who does not receive funding from the Minnesota Heritage and Legacy Fund which is dedicated by Law for all Minnesotans to access introduced legislation appropriating one quarter of a million dollars to highlight the first Hmong family that immigrated to Minnesota. None of your families were included. This year legislation was forwarded which appropriated $300,000 for all our Asian Communities to divide among themselves. However accessing these funds requires you to compete with each other through a competitive bidding process. All Asian non profits will be given a chance to receive a portion of that money. There are well over one hundred asian non profits in Minnesota. If you choose to compete, the application process is arduous and complicated. When winners are determined the money will be divided amongst all of them, how it will be divided know one knows.
Last year the State of Minnesota had several billion dollars in surplus. I repeat several billion dollars in surplus. Every nickel was spent last year and yet none of it was appropriated to our Asian communities in preparation for this historical commemoration. Our Asian communities apparently are not important enough even to be commemorated.
It is now abundantly clear that the appropriation of the Legacy Fund Resources held in the public trust seems to have become a tool in the accumulation of political power.
Fifty years ago your mothers, fathers and families suffered, sacrificed and endured unimaginable hardship to make a better life for you. The political orthodoxy at that time used rice or food as a weapon to control them. Today the State of Minnesota uses money for the same affect.
Last year Speaker Mellisa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, the two most powerful political leaders in Minnesota, who had promised for years to help the Asian Communities finally stepped up and authored our film series legislation. The Governor and Director of Veteran Affairs supported the legislation. It would seem it would have had an easy path to passage. Neither took any action in moving it through the legislature. In fact, we have gotten word it will not be passed, there is no money available to be appropriated. There never was,
Next year every political leader will want to be part of this Commemoration. They will hug you tell you how sorry they were about the war. They will tell you how much they admire your contributions to our State. They will tell you how much they believe in diversity, inclusion and yes even equity. They will offer you thier services at every turn. And of course they will especially want to get photos taken with you. They will then turn and tell the world how supportive and diverse Minnesota is. They will tell the world how they have supported you over the decades. None of this will be true of corse, history has proven that. But the public only sees what the press publishes. I don’t even think the Press will report your experiences fairly. Past reporting or the lack of has proven that.
When one political orthodoxy rules absolutely you must conform to it or risk the consequences. When that political leadership expecting adherence to that orthodoxy offers you a cup of rice, that is to be divided among all others, you will have to make a choice. Your choice will determine the measure of your resolve in honoring your ancestors.
If one ethic Southeast Asian Community receives 3 quarters of a million dollars from the State of Minnesota to commemorate thier role in the conflict,
the Vietnamese deserves 3 quarters of a million dollars.
If that Asian Community gets 3 quarters of a million dollars,
the Khmer deserves 3 quarters of a million dollars,
the Lao deserve 3 quarters of a million dollars
and yes if that community receives 3 quarters of a million dollars,
surely the US Veterans should get 3 quarters of a million dollars as they also deserve to commemorate thier role during the war.
Is it not a mater of principal, diversity, Inclusion and equity?
These are the virtues and values our governor repeats daily. As he puts it “We are One Minnesota.”
Is it …. really?
Our State certainly has not demonstrated it.
Those legislators who are determined to divide our communities. Those legislators who choose to be used as surrogates to promote an orthodoxy thier ancestors died to resist, an orthodoxy of selfishness, only to serve more powerful political leaders who subordinate thier work, as dirty and disgusting as it is, will eventually discover they have been used.
Unity is what makes Americans strong not diversity.
Those who choose to divide America will eventually realize thier foley and in time will be brushed aside and replaced with new surrogates. Those who selfishly promote themselves expecting accolades for thier loyalty will eventually be marginalized and having realizing they are no longer needed will be replaced by a new surrogacy and find themselves adrift, confused, bewildered and alone. This is thier eternal fate.
It is up to each of you individually to demonstrate to your ancestors that you will answered the call that they died defending and demonstrate to future generations that you will not be divided. You will not join the march of an orthodoxy your ancestors died to prevent, but rather defend liberty at any expense.
Nathan Hale one of the first defenders of liberty during the American Revolution when captured by the British was tried as a spy and hanged. He said “ I regret I have but one life to lose for my country,” Likewise Patrick Henry another patriot of the American Revolution who argued for unity in resisting British Tyranny said “give me liberty or give me death.“
What is your choice, a hand full of rice, a few coins or liberty?
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Saturday, April 27, 2024
"Black April"
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Minnesota State Capitol Plaza
75 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
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