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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1971)
Editorials Cleaning up our own back yard Eugene has no ghetto Nor has Eugene experienced any racial disturbances. Most Eugeneans pride themselves for living in a relatively liberal, prejudice-free city. They had better take another look The Eugene version of the Kemer Report, released last week, should, in its own words, "dispel the illusion once and for all that Eugene somehow is blessed while the rest of the country is damned in a pit of racial turmoil .” The 80 page report to the city’s Human Right's Commission concerning a survey of the Black community is chock full of supporting evidence. The survey, taken at the request of longtime Black residents of Eugene, found that a large percentage of Blacks in the city are dissatisfied with job opportunities, housing, medical care and law enforcement. Employment opportunities are the biggest concern, 39 per cent of all Blacks polled were dissatisfied with the job opportunities in this area, and another 12 per cent said they weren t any better than any place else Some 31 |M*r cent felt they had been discriminated against in applying for jolts in Eugene. Almost half of the city’s Black people feel they should receive special training for jobs, and they aren't getting it here. Approximately one third of the Black families in Eugene are earning less than M.ihh)a year With an average family of four, that's Im*Iow the poverty line. Over 10 per cent of the families have incomes less than $1,500 Nearly half of all the respondents to the survey said they had experienced discrimination in housing. A significant number, 15 per cent, said they had found discrimination in medical care, which may be a more telling indictment. When you need a place to live, you always have some time to look for a home, but when you are sick, you don’t have time to look for a doctor. Forty three per cent of the families with incomes under $5,000 had unmet health needs. Other Blacks indicated racism in education, law enforcement, and the city government. Although 62 per cent of the Blacks polled voted in city elections, as compared to 28 per cent for all citizens, the city government is all white. The Black residents said more minorities should be employed in law enforcement, city government and education and not in token proportions. Criticizing the schools, the report called for Blacks to be employed at all levels of the school system: teaching, counseling and administration. Kugene has not had a riot, and if the people of Kugene face these problems honestly and diligently, it never will. We should remember the words of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, the Kerner Report: “The investigation of the 1967 riot cities establishes that virtually every major episode of violence was for shadowed by an accumulation of unresolved grievances and by wide-spread dissatisfaction among Blacks with the un willingness or inability of local government to respond.” This warning should be heeded. The survey discovered that not only does the Black Eugenean feel he faces discrimination in housing, jobs and medical care, he also feels alienated from the local government. Moreover, the Black Community is in creasingly compelled to take direct action. Almost all Blacks believed that demon strations have been effective in raising their quality of living, and half felt the actions of the local Black Panther Party had been helpful. These are not the feelings of young militants. The people polled were stable residents of the community, averaging 41 years in age. Eighty per cent of those polled have lived in Eugene for over six years. The survey excluded Black University students who are non-residents.Thus the opinions in this survey cannot be taken lightly; they have been nurtured over a period of several years. To remedy this situation, the report urged a stronger and more active Human Rights Commission, with additional com munity people of all minorities involved in its operations. It also was suggested the city hire a minority relations specialist, and actively recruit minority personnel. These steps are a good beginning. Eugene may still rank above most cities in the nation when it comes to race relations, but its residents can no longer piously point to the South and to the Northern urban slums as examples of racism. They have a lot of cleaning up to do in theii* own back yard. Letters Inarcurarle* Two column* in Mi**lay'* F.meraki concerning l' S war crime* in S E A»ia contain Mime inarruracira which need correction JHt Freed aritue* that the l> S maintain* a policy o( consciously eliminating Asian* (or the *ake of |cettu*K rid of (lieiit (ier *e not unlike the Natl cKtrrmmation oi (Ik* Jew* I would submit that l) S policy ta conscious indeed I>ut with different goal* H*' mum killing* which have formed part of the military operation in South Vietnam "•‘J win the heart* and mind* of the people are a oormlary of the pacification procedure* aimed at dm mg (he peasant* from their land to "strategic hamlet*' Ttu* would deprive I tie guerilla* of their tkaar of *upport a* a rev ene of Mao T*e Tung drying up the *ra in which the guerrilla* *wtm Ma**ive Nmihmg and defoliation of South Vietnam waa to achieve (hear goal*, and commute the real w ar crime* in A*la for which leaarr fry like Valiev should noi pay »See T S Army Field Manual 17 10 and the lienrva i on ventiun of I IKK Relative to the Protection of Ov than IVraum in Time of War an what commute* a war crime The (.!£ Army Field Manual u more specific and rmtnctive than the Iteneva Von ventiun A gtaid general dttcumiun ran be found in (hr New York TUtim Hook Rev iew March M. 19711 Tim Travtt calling i alley a political pnaunet I* nunaemr Valley * actiom should be considered stupid by mat military standard* even assuming (hr legitimacy of free fire rune* etc He ami into a v iliagr did not draw aih hmtile fire and then proceeded ta kill the local population Unlike Valiev « defen*e counsel and Tim Travtn I <io not believe that t alley had the mind of a robot Some men in hi* platoon eaemaed bettrr lodgment than hr dad Rhetorical analysis a* dune by Freed and Trav i* can only make it more difficult Pope 9 to make thr nature of war crimes un derstixid .iixl to get a general ton g momma I investigation underway Aero llengsl Grad. Soc Klrsl alimr Thr quest ion being asked by Tim Travis (Political Prisoners and Hill Galley >. "Who will cast thr first stone against Hill ('alley’" has already been answered The first stixies cast were in dxtnient* which triggereil a veritable avalanche of testimony at (he trial against t'alley The final stones hurled in ('alley 's direction were the votes of the jurors who heard that testimony I'm afraid that Travui has asked himself the wrung question again What Travis should have contemplated is. Who is ultimately responsible for a mans action’" Travis's answer to this question would lx* "The attache case carrying bureaucrats in IX" " It seems to me that Travis is using the bureaucracy as much as a scapegoat for t'alley as the bureaucracy is using t'alley as a scape goal for (hr Army While it is absurd to call on ('alley to account far the war crimes ol the Indochina War. It is only proper that we demand he account far his own actions at My lat Kven Travis admits that t'alley did have a choice He did make a division He chase to murder rather than, m Travis* worth put himself up for grabs Whatever that means’ Jack Kskrrt Grad . DBS Wsian Not to question thr decisions ' made lor thr university student body by the junior class officers but couldn t there be othrr relevant charge? sdded to the Parent » Werkend" I can this* of at least four additional suggestions* to (he week's activities, that should be in corporated into the general plans First, student housing could be brought to our parent's attention The majority of University students live off campus in apartments or houses Their problems should be presented and con structive solutions offered This would mostly be a civic problem providing a splendid opportunity for University in volvement Second the student issue of powers over funds and rights of appropriation might to be presented 1 question our student government for not approaching the "junior class officers'" with a program Where is your initiative? Here is an op portunity for action Connected to this would be an op portunitv to present the lack of ap^ propnations to the university system by the Oregon legislature, cutting off funds to such programs as the work study projects Here is a chance to influence a mass of voters Simple tours of IVeady and Viliard along with panel discussions by vanous departments, which are faced with a cut back in funds should more than convince the uninformed parent Finally we could change the University Improving its image in the state and the community It really all hinges around three words-‘"give a damn" Hen Paul Prelaw Mr M J Fagerty stated in a letter to l he Finer a Id today that he purchased a book at Walden s bookstore far 97 00 and we had quoted a price of 0 45 On the surface this looks had It s I situation that has arum in thr past and will probably happen again in the future As a matter of interest this book - (Tyler The Work of the Counselor) sold in 19G4 for $4.75 Since that time there has been continuous inflation which is hurting us all Our last two invoices covering shipments of this book give a list price of $8 45 We invite you or Mr Fogerty to come in and examine our invoice records, or better yet I will enclose a copy of the current invoice Our store, like all college stores, strictly adheres to the publisher's list price We deplore the increasing cost of books but it is beyond our control. G.L. Henson Co-op Manager For Hughes Steve Neal's article on Senator Harold Hughes provides an accurate reflection of a remarkable man By the depth of his commitment and the breadth of his ap peal. Harold Hughes has become for many of us the politician of promise Work has already begun in Eugene. Help is needed Persons wishing to volunteer or receive further information should write P O. Box 1015 or call 345-4296 Neil Murray Chairman. Oregonians for Political Choice NOT* «J CCKwmnt «e N* Emorota rnu»l 'e* MMcM MS m* w» .r*r t <■•*» o* twiwi or ••‘tr *°° w •» ** -or* ana rar <o.w*n* M»c «Mi *tc«p»wd 0* wt>m $vcr ■o tQCM \ »' li « ■ - . - -- Jvpfnoeni upon ZSUZ -•—" * w*~-or. *-« u««r MNr<«, coMont
