Don't pay the price of respectability.

• Author: Fletcher, Bill, Jr.
• Position: Viewpoint essay

WHEN DO YOU SPEAK up? When do your remain silent? When do your main silent?

The morning of September 11, 2001, was sunny and beautiful in Washington, D.C. I was on my way to work at the National Labor College, an educational institution attached to the national AFLCIO. I heard on the radio about a plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. Like many people, I assumed it was an accident. Then came the second plane.

To us on the political left, 9/11 presented a special challenge. How would we explain this terrorist attack? Would we join in the chorus of "rally around the flag" or choose another course?

At the time, I was on the coordinating committee of the Black Radical Congress, a united front of individuals and organizations from within the black left in the United States. We had to decide whether we were going to say anything about the terrorist attacks. This may sound strange, but there were those on the left who wanted, for various reasons, to say nothing. Some were traumatized. Some were waffling and unclear.

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After we talked it out, we issued a statement that condemned the attack in no uncertain terms, yet also spoke about U.S. imperialism and the circumstances that lead people around the world to question the motives and actions of the United States. We cautioned against war, and we warned about the prospect of internal repression.

Our statement eventually found itself in the hands of the top brass of the AFL-CIO. To say the least, they were not pleased. In the aftermath of 9/11, most Americans grabbed onto a World War II analogy, comparing the 9/11 attacks to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, rather than understanding the specificities of what had just happened. And in the house of labor, any hint of criticizing U.S. policy was viewed as way out of bounds.

In choosing to publicly associate myself with the statement by the Black Radical Congress, I faced a dual challenge. There were those on the left who believe that anyone who is against U.S. imperialism is objectively an ally and should either be supported or at a minimum not criticized. I never subscribed to such views. My enemy's enemy

is not necessarily my friend. In this case, I knew A1 Qaeda was a devilish enemy for all those who support peace, justice, and freedom. It was incumbent upon the Black Radical Congress to speak out on this.

The other challenge was from those who believed that it was time for the country to come together, forget...