Analyses 4: The Space Traders
In the story “The Space Traders,” written by Derrick Bell, a late 20th-century America in deep economic instability, anchored down by debt and bearing dangerously polluted airs, experiences a visit from extra-terrestrials in which a solution (gold, chemicals and clean nuclear energy) is proposed that could put an end to America’s troubles. In return, the country would have to agree to hand over all “black” citizens to the “Space Traders.” The protagonist of the story is Gleason Golightly, an African-American congressman and Professor “condemned as Uncle Tom by [his] people,” who contributed much toward the black cause despite lacking praise. Though attempting to remain being humble and modest, “he [also] had dreamed… [he would be able to] perform some heroic act to both save his people from great grief and gain for him the recognition and the love for which, despite his frequent denials, he knew he yearned.” His efforts first turned toward unifying the black population in an attempt to employ “reverse psychology” onto those condemning them be taken. Though unsuccessful, efforts didn’t stop there as a mass Jewish population then joined the campaign against not making the “deal,” partly for racial discrimination and partly because they knew they’d be next in line the white man’s list of scapegoats. While most of the story is concerned with the evils of exiling and handing over a racially identifiable group to the aliens, as well as the morality and integrity of mankind to do what is right, the story also captures another important aspect: the exploitation of power for the advancement of the interests of those who consider themselves “superior.” This corruption is evident in many occasions but most significantly when delegates chosen by state legislatures held a convention in Philadelphia to amend what would then be the 27th Amendment of the Constitution. There the delegates did not hesitate to ratify the amendment, which stated that whence a group is called by Congress to participate in a process for the benefit of a majority of the country, that group is obligated to do so. This also allowed tempering with other legislation, such as the Selective Service Act of 1918. Along with other incidents in which the government “appealed” to the needs of minorities in order to come to power and was able to pass legislation despite objection, such evidence suggests that other than discrimination, the author also intended to expose government abuse of power and the selfish pursuit of their own interests. This means that the government legislation body (and primarily those in power) is a corrupt system full of individuals who aren’t reluctant to make sacrifices on behalf of others for the sake of another group. It encourages readers to consider the larger idea of abuse of power by those in charge over those being governed (ruled), and on a more specific level, the dispositions of those in charge; how those with selfish intentions or careless regard for others manage to come to power, and even how those afraid fail to show their integrity and acquiesce to the public.