Injustice of racism, history
Black leader says prison
problems stem from past
By Leslie Knight
Of the Emerald
Before justice problems in the penal system can
be solved, the history of crime and racism in this
country must be examined, said Ron Herndon,
keynote speaker for the campus conference on the
future of justice.
Herndon, co-chair of the Portland Black United
Front, said this country was born from the two worst
crimes in history — mass killing of Indians and the
African slave trade. "Remember that this country was
built on crime, on the destruction of the Indian na
tion and on the backs of the black people."
Herndon said for centuries the penal system has
focused on the poor. "The institutions were set up to
protect the rich. The harshest penalties were reserv
ed for the poor — leniency reserved for the rich," he
said.
Because prison populations are predominantly
black, Herndon said "person to person crime is
thought to be endemic to black people, something
inherited, but it is primarily the result of poverty."
Citing prison population studies, Herndon said
black people are incarcerated 10 times as often as
whites, get arrested twice as often, and receive
longer sentences for the same crimes. Blacks make
up 50 percent prison population, although they com
prise only 15 percent of the population.
Given these figures, Herndon says racism must
be addressed if a difference is to be made in the
justice system.
"People are not concerned with justice, they're
concerned with law and order. This confuses me —
Ron Herndon
what about justice? Everything Hitler did was legal,
the slave trade was legal. . you raise the question of
justice and you throw everyone off track."
Herndon doesn't rule out that change can be ac
complished, though. He cites China as an example.
"When was the last time you heard it referred to as
Red China?" Doors to trade were opened, they sent
their ping-pong team over, and people's perception
of them changed, Herndon says.
But there has never been a commitment to
eradicate racism, he says.
"Until the country declares out and out warfare
on racism nothing is going to change."
m
Wheels squeak over parking plan
By Michele Matassa
Of the Emerald
It ’s been nearly two weeks since
the Eugene City Council re
quested more input on the pro
posed West University
Neighborhood parking plan, and
the wheels of communication are
beginning to turn.
At its Oct. 10 public hearing, the
Council asked the city parking ad
ministration to include communi
ty groups that were ignored dur
ing the planning stages of the pro
ject. As a result, parking staff
members must work with Univer
sity students. Sacred Heart
Hospital employees and Bureau of
Land Management employees.
At its Nov. 9 meeting, the Coun
cil will reconsider the plan, which,
if implemented, will limit on
street parking in the area west of
the University to two hours for
drivers without a special permit.
University students have ap
parently had to be aggressive in
order to establish communication
with the city.
Barbara McCarthy, director of
University affairs for the ASUO,
says she had to contact the city
because its representatives hadn't
contacted her.
She called Marshall Landman, a
WUN member who is working
with the city as a public informa
tion director for the plan, and set
up a meeting Monday night with
city officials and student
representatives.
Now that communication lines
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timistic about future city
cooperation.
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“They want to present the best,
well-prepared plan that they can.
Nobody wants to show shoddy
work,'' McCarthy says.
In preparation for their meeting
with the city staff, McCarthy,
Patrick Smith of the student ad
vocacy office and an Incidental
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meeting today with University
planner David Rowe and City
Continued on Page 6A
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