Jim Webb's America

By: Josh
Published On: 8/24/2006 9:50:42 PM

There are many monuments on the national mall, but only one statue of a black man.

That statue is there because Jim Webb fought to have it included in the Viet Nam memorial. Indeed, the boots on that statue were molded directly from Jim Webb's own combat boots.

Semper Fi
While at Georgetown he began a six-year pro bono representation of an African American Marine who had been convicted of war crimes in Vietnam (finally clearing the man's name in 1978, three years after his suicide).

In 2004 he wrote:

"in fact the greatest realignment in modern politics would take place rather quickly if the right national leader found a way to bring the Scots-Irish and African Americans to the same table, and so to redefine a formula that has consciously set them apart for the past two centuries."

In Jim Webb's America, neither honor nor opportunity have a color.

Josh Chernila is Grassroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Josh Chernila alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors.


Comments



Webb and Minorities.. (drmontoya - 8/24/2006 9:55:53 PM)
and there's all this talk about Webb's stance on Affirmative action.

Jim Webb believes in human equality.

He's a real patriot, and a real leader.

We need him in the Senate.

Go Jim!



The Vietnam Memorial is a good example... (Loudoun County Dem - 8/24/2006 10:13:47 PM)
...to share with voters because it highlights Jim Webb's concern and dedication to both veterans and racial equality.

The original design included only the wall, Jim Webb was on the committee involved in the design and push for the inclusion of the statue because he felt the memorial should honor all of the Vietnam Vets (not only the dead) and he felt it was too much like a giant gravestone (I don't recall the exact quote). When the idea for the statue was approved it was indeed Webb who fought for the inclusion of a black soldier.

This story can also segue into the story that, while at Georgetown Law, Webb began a six-year pro bono representation of a black Marine who had been convicted of war crimes in Vietnam (finally clearing the man's name in 1978, three years after his suicide). He has written that he continued for the Marine's mother.



Sorry for the repitition...it's late... n/t (Loudoun County Dem - 8/24/2006 10:22:07 PM)


Here is a good (and brief) bio on Webb from around '02 (Loudoun County Dem - 8/24/2006 10:28:40 PM)
http://www.nps.navy....


Great Story (pitin - 8/24/2006 10:14:50 PM)
Thanks for posting this, this is new info to me, and I'm glad I have it.


That's why we're here... ;) nt (Josh - 8/24/2006 10:17:05 PM)


The choice is simple really (lwumom - 8/24/2006 10:38:19 PM)
....honor and integrity or same-ole-same-ole.  I think Virginia knows who the leader of the future should be.


This is really excellent (Doug Garnett-Deakin - 8/24/2006 10:49:58 PM)
The Allen folks at NLS were getting me down and this really put to home how I feel about these things and what sort of outstanding man Jim Webb is. Thanks so much.


Harvard Thesis (Josh - 8/24/2006 11:13:54 PM)
I just got an email from a guy who did his Sr. thesis at Harvard on Jim Webb.

Can you possibly imagine anyone writing something like that about George Allen?



Harvard Student.. (drmontoya - 8/24/2006 11:19:36 PM)
Yeah, a harvard student could write on on Allen's rascism.

Lol.



let's note a parallel to the fight for the black Marine (teacherken - 8/25/2006 12:06:43 AM)
falsely convicted of war crimes.  Well, not exactly a parallel, but something that shows Jim's character.

When Jim was SecNav, we didn't even have Don't Ask Don't Tell.  Jim decided the best man for Commandant of the Marine Corps was Al Gray, who had enlisted in 1950, risen to sergeant and was promoted to 2nd Lieut. in 1952.  Al was a Marine's Marine.  But he was also gay.  As Jim has said, there was blood on the floor to get Al Gray confirmed.  Myb understanding from Larry Korb, who like Jim had served as an assistant secdef under Reagan, was that the only way they could get it done was to provide some cover- so Al Gray married his mother's nurse.  And most of the public and the Marine Coprs never knew.  Randy Shilts wrote about it in his Aids book "And the Band Played On" and there was some media coverage at one point of Jim Webb discussing it, but it is still not generally known. 

I do not know Jim Webb well.  I have been a part-time volunteer for the campaign, when time allows (and with the start of classes this week and coaching soccer there is very little time when i am already working 14-16 hous a day during the week), and have had perhaps e conversations totalling 10 minutes.  I have watched, both as he interacted in public settings and in places like headquarters.  He certainly is not "smooth" nor does he communicate like a more experienced political figure.  But he has more character than almost any public figure I have ever met, and I  have met quite a few. 

If we can help Jim get known by more people, he will blow Allen away.  Josh's posting (here and at dailykos) is one example of expediting that process.



B.H. Hodges (Kathy Gerber - 8/25/2006 4:43:43 AM)
Here is a passage that had made an impression on me when reading Jim Webb's book, Born Fighting.

"As my grandmother, great-aunt, and aunt all told it, my grandfather's sin was to explain to the black folk of Kensett that they were being charged higher interest rates than whites at A.P. Mill's store, thus keeping them in an even worse spiral of debt - and also to suggest to A.P. Mills that this was not a particularly Christian thing to do. My grandfather was pointedly warned that he was causing trouble. But all accounts, my grandfather then told A.P. Mills to go to hell.  And A.P. Mills, along with some others who controlled the admittedly sparse purse strings of White County, showed my grandfather that there could be such a thing as hell on earth."

Webb goes on to explain how his grandfather could not get a job, was shunned and blacklisted, but continued to speak up for what was right. Then he writes:

"During my initial 'courtesy call' in Will Taft's office, I noticed that he kept a huge painting of President Taft just behind his desk.  And so when I returned to my own office, I called my aunt in Arkansas and asked her to send me the old snapshot of B.H. Hodges standing in his boots and overalls, staring ard back at the world that had tried to stomp him. I had the small photo enlarged as far as technology would allow, which resulted in a four-by-seven-inch black-and-white copy.  Then I framed the picture with barn wood. And from that time forward, old B.H. has looked down on whatever desk I happen to be occupying, urging me on but also standing watch over my humility."

His choice of a hero certainly tells us something about James Webb and his the value that he places on speaking up for fairness.

I don't have the book on hand at the moment, but Webb's grandfather died at a very young age.  Poverty and lack of medical care were major factors.



read another book (martha - 8/25/2006 6:05:30 AM)
Read The Nightingale's Song by Robert Timberg. I supported Webb before I read the book and am working harder for him after I read it.
I don't agree w/ Jim Webb on all issues but I sure do admire his tenacity and introspection.
Read the book...it's great!


My favorite quote about Webb from 'The Nightengale's Song'... (Loudoun County Dem - 8/25/2006 6:14:45 AM)
... Example from 'The Nightengale's Song' referring to Vice Admiral Leon "Bud" Edney, former Commandant of Midshipmen at USNA and later Chief of Naval Personnel:

In his letter to Webb, Edney wrote, "I have come to respect and admire your leadership, integrity, and intellectual capacity more than any other individual I have been privileged to serve under in my 31 years."


If everyone in Virginia read "The Nightingale's Song" (Lowell - 8/25/2006 6:44:07 AM)
Webb would win in a landslide.  If everyone read George Allen's sister's book (about how he used to drag her upstairs by the hair, etc.), the landslide would be even greater.  And, if everyone paid attention to George Allen's miserable record in the Senate the past 6 years...well, you get the picture. Bottom line: the more people know about Jim Webb and George Allen, the more they will support Jim Webb.  Allen's best strategy, then, is to keep people from learing more about himself, while trying to totally distort who Jim Webb, American Hero, is.  That's sad.


Great story (David Campbell - 8/25/2006 8:10:05 AM)
We need to find some way of getting this anecdote into the mainstream media.


I just copied this diary page (PM - 8/25/2006 9:23:39 AM)
and sent it to all my friends.  Wow.


Agree!! (kevinceckowski - 8/25/2006 9:29:54 AM)
This is a powerful page thus far, and it is only 0954 EST.
Good work and great research.
We have a winner on our hands and his name is Jim Webb.


Virtue Over Vice (Doug in Mount Vernon - 8/25/2006 10:07:55 AM)
Isn't it wonderful when in a political contest you have a candidate that you can support and vote FOR based on the virtues of that candidate, versus the vices of an opponent?

GO Jim Webb!!