By John Felder
Columnist

The sons of Frederick Douglas and Lewis Latimer fought and preserved the Union as we know it today. President George Bush is always on TV advocating continued military force against Iraq to set up a government run by the people. That kind of democracy does not exist here in the United States. That is the main reason why Iraqis are resisting a system over there like the one that exists over here.

Democracy: 1. a community or state in which the government is controlled by the people directly rather than by their elected agents; people meet and exercise their government in person. In a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents; 2. A state of society characterized by tolerance toward minorities, freedom of expression and respect for the essential dignity and worth of the human individual with equal opportunity for each to develop freely to his fullest capacity in a cooperative community.

There have been so many contributions made in America by the minority population that are never mentioned in the history books:
Crispus Attucks, an African American, was the first man killed to set off the American Revolutionary War with the British. Black Americans and white Americans fought side by side to free America from British domination. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson using the Holy Quran and the Magna Carta as a guide to construct the provisions in the Constitution. George Washington, the first president was a slave owner and surveyor of land.

Willie Lee was a slave to George Washington. He went everywhere with Washington, wore his clothes and emulated his every gesture. Washington would have frozen to death at Valley Forge if Willie Lee had not bunked with him to keep him warm. Willie was given his freedom by President Washington when he left the Oval Office.

Alexander Hamilton, a black Caribbean Native American, was a finance specialist and the only black person to appear on American money (the $10 bill). Alexander Hamilton had a dispute with Aaron Burr and was killed in a duel.

Arthur "Arturo" Schomburg was a Puerto Rican historian who collected thousands of artifacts, history and information about African Americans.
Benjamin Banneker, a black man, drew the blueprint in rotaries for the Capitol Building surrounding the White House in a maze-type design.