t
Page 2
Port.and Observer
Thursday, September 18, 1975
?
WE SEE THE WORLD
) THROUGH BLACK EYES
Another Point of V ie w
Food Stamps:
An essential aid
A King H oliday
fro m the P h ila d e lp h ia Tribune
problem faring Black people duced in a given year).
and the cities of our nation
Obvioualy we Blacks are
today. It is racism of the
way behind in thia area.
worst order and how we
And to add insult to injury,
can deal with it will be the
white insurance companies
theme of several future
today are aggressively sell
columns.
mg insurance and recruiting
Let us fart up with
salesmen in Black com
candor to another troubling
munities. causing Black in
FCC •
aspect of our lives. It is a
surance companies a num
C o m m is s io n e r
fart that much early busi
tier of headaches.
ness progress was made in
According to Kobert Mil
Black communities because
ler of Chicago, executive
the white man refused to
secretary
of
the
Black
serve us in certain areas:
National Funeral Directors
Black people in this age
So as we integrate the
two prominent examples
and Morticians, white fu
stand at a particular and
school system through the
come to mind:
neral homes average $1,600
peculiar junction. We face
courts,
white
flight
to
The mortuary and insur
tier
funeral, while Black
unprecedented possibilities
sanitized suburbs (taking
ance businesses. W ith the
funeral homes average be
on the one hand
and
with them industries and
removal of most obvious
tween $700 and $800 per
unparalleled peril on the
department stores) is of
forms
of segregation, white
burial. Operating overhead
other.
such proportion that in
insurance companies are
for Black morticians is sixty
The fervor and sweep of many of our great cities the
singing
their siren songs.
|>errcnt higher and a whop
the civil rights struggle of school population is becom
And what does this portend
ping forty eight percent of
the 1950’s and 60s culmi­ ing increasingly Black
for Blacks ’
his organizations'
annual
nated in great victories.
s e v e n ty , e ig h t y , ev en
The National Insurance
funerals are welfare rases.
Most of the obvious signs of ninety percent Black, de
Association (N IA ) a Black
One need not lie a math
segregation have been re
feating the original pupOM*.
consortium of thirty nine
ematirian to be able to cal
moved: segregated rest
Inequitable distribution of
insurance firms, revealed
rulate where Blacks come
rooms, colored d rin k in g
tax monies was one of the
at its recent convention
out here.
The funeral
fountains, no rooms at the p rim e re a s o n s B la c k s
that while these comparin'«
business, because of its
so-called white hotels, back wanted school integration in
are moving ahead (they
social stigma (whites simply
of the bus seating restric
the first place.
Separate
have combined assets of
boycotted w h ite fu neral
tions (public accommoda
but equal laws have always
over one billion dollars and
homes that buried Blacks in
tionsl. a rigidly segregated worked to our detriment.
more than seven billion
many areas), has remained
school system (by law), But white industry business
dollars worth of insurance
largely segregated
even laws that restrict the flight to the suburbs is
in force, according to N IA
There are moves now
vote or tell citizens whom eroding sn already shakey
executive director Charles
bring made. I understand,
they may or may not tax base in urban areas.
Davis; the amount is pid
by large
white
funeral
marry.
Because whites control
dling compared to white
consortiums in some parts
And there are laws now the best paying jobs thus
insurance companies.
of the country, particularly
on the books that forbid own
bigger and
better
According to American
the South, to take over the
racial d is crim in atio n in homes, their flight from the
Life Insurance Association,
Black burial trade
This is
housing, health and em
cities leaves behind a dis
figures (1973), this white
being done, according to my
ployment.
proportionate number of
consortium of 1.800 mem
information, by whites who
However, as we have poor, ill housed folks who
bers, has a combined $252
set up a funeral parlor next
scraped away the upper do not have the where
billion in assets, and a
door to an operating Black
layer of blatant segregation withal to take up the tax
stagg ering $1.76 trillio n
one, if the Black firm
and bias, we have dis
burden of our schools
worth of insurance in force.
refuses to permit the while
covered a much more so­
F le e in g d e p a r t m e n t
This latter figure is larger
takeover. The new funeral
phisticated and calcified stores and factories take
than the United States
parlor of course is fronted
form of discrimination lay additional tax revenue with
Gross National Product lall
by Blacks but owned by
ing underneath.
them. That is one pressing
goods and services pro
whites
U t'n ju m in
L.
Htutks
A b ill to h ave the b irth d a y o f thp la te Dr.
M a rtin Luther K ing, Jr (Ja n u a ry 15th), d e s ig n a te d
as a n a tio n a l h o lid a y w ill soon co m e b e fo re
m em bers o f the 94th Congress. Sponsors o f the
b ill - C ongressm en R obert N.C. N ix (D-Pa ) a n d
John C onyers (D -M ic h .) — should re c e iv e the
su pp ort o f a ll p ro g re s s iv e -th in k in g citizen s in th e ir
e n d e a v o r, b ut p a rtic u la rly o f Blacks.
It is a b o u t tim e fo r this id e a to b e c o m e a
re a lity .
W e h ave a n a tio n a l h o lid a y fo r
C hristop h er C olum bus, w hose m ain a c c o m p lis h ­
m e n t w as th a t he "d is c o v e re d " the Indians. W e
have a n a tio n a l h o lid a y fo r G eorge W a sh in g to n ,
the fa th e r o f o u r c o u n try " w h o a p p a re n tly n e v e r
U nder the guise o f re fo rm , th ere is a m ove saw a n y c o n tra d ic tio n b e tw e e n fig h tin g fo r
in Congress to destroy the fo o d stam p p rogram .
lib e ra tio n fro m G re a t Brittan a nd k e e p in g Black
Secretary o f A g ric u ltu re , W illia m E. Sim on c a lle d p e o p le in chains a t the sam e tim e
the p ro g ra m a "h a v e n fo r chislers a nd r ip -o ff
But th ere is no n a tio n a l h o lid a y fo r Dr. M a rtin
artists' a lth o u g h his o w n d e p a rtm e n t fo u n d a Luther King, w h o has d o n e as m uch to m a k e the
8 / 100th o f a p e rce n t in c id e n t o f fra u d in 1974 p ro m ise o f A m e ric a in to a re a lity ( " lib e r ty a nd
and less this year.
He ch a rg e d th a t fa m ilie s justice fo r a ll " ) as a n y o th e r A m e rica n s w h o e ve r
e a rn in g $16,000 a ye a r a re e lig ib le fo r fo o d liv e d
W h a te ve r a dva nce s Blacks have m a d e in
stamps a lth o u g h se venty-seven p ercen t o f those the past tw e n ty years a re d ue in la rg e m ea sure
re c e iv in g stam ps h ave a fte r-ta x incom es b e lo w
to the sacrifices, the co u ra g e a nd the s p ille d
$5,000; n in e ty -tw o p e rce n t have incom es b e lo w
b lo o d o f Dr. K ing a n d his fo llo w e rs .
$7,000; a nd o n e -h u n d re d p ercen t have incom es
Dr. King a n d his fo llo w e rs stood up to th e racist
b e lo w $10,000.
taunts o f rednecks, the b u rn in g crosses o f the Ku
The fo o d stam p p ro g ra m has b eco m e a Klux Kian, a n d the clubs, b la ck-|acks a n d guns o f
p o litic a l fo o tb a ll, w ith little re g a rd to the rea l b ru ta l p o lic e m e n a n d state troopers, a ll because
needs o f fa m ilie s w h o liv e in p o ve rty. A p e rio d th ey w a n te d e q u a l justice u nd er the la w a n d
o f depression a nd h ig h u n e m p lo y m e n t, as w e ll as e q u a lity o f o p p o rtu n ity . A nd because th e y fo u g h t
risin g prices, is not th e tim e to d u m p a p ro gram
n o n -v io le n tly a nd d ie d fo r th e ir b ro th e rs a nd by \cro o n Jordan
d e sig n e d to fe e d the poor. It is true that som e sisters, m an y Blacks h ave e d u c a tio n a l a n d job
changes are n e e d e d to m ake the p ro g ra m easier o p p o rtu n itie s to d a y th a t they w o u ld not o th e rw is e
The Supreme Court has
put off till the Fall term a
a nd less costly to a d m in is te r a nd to insure that h ave had.
b e n e fits go to those m ost in need.
The n u m b e r o f Black e le c te d o ffic ia ls has shot decision on an important
case that may decide the
The fo o d stam p p ro b le m can o n ly be solved in up a s tro n o m ic a lly , a n d c e rta in actions th a t m ig h t
fate of the death penalty in
the co n te xt o f the e n tire w e lfa re system. It a nd have p re c ip ita te d v io le n c e tw e n ty years a g o , lik e the Llnited States, and with
the m an y o th e r p ro gram s a im e d at the sym ptom s ta k in g a seat in a bus or lunch co u n te r, a re n o w it, life or death for almost
o f p o ve rty can o n ly be e lim in a te d w h e n th e y are a ccep ted as ro u tin e a ll o ve r the co un try. C e rta in ly
IIX) people now on Death
re p la ce d by a g u a ra n te e d a n n u a l inco m e that th e re is still a lo n g w a y to g o to insure e q u a l How.
If that has a familiar ring
w ill insure e ve ry A m e rica n o f a rig h t to the basic o p p o rtu n ity fo r a ll citizens, b u t it is h a rd to
to it. it's because the death
needs o f life .
im a g in e w h e re w e 'd be w ith o u t a g ia n t like penalty has already come
M a rtin Luther King, Jr.
before the Court. Back in
O ne or the saddest th ing s o f a ll is th a t m a n y o f 1972, in a narrow five to
our c h ild re n
to d a y
know
n o th in g
of
the four decision, it ruled the
The M e tro p o lita n H um an R elations C om m ission a c c o m p lish m e n ts o f Dr. King, in spite o f the fact death penalty unconstitu
tional because it had been
w is e ly chose to oppose the p la c e m e n t o f th a t th ey h a p p e n e d so re c e n tly . Perhaps this is imposed in an arbitrary
shotguns in p a tro l cars o f the P ortland Police the best reason o f a ll w h y to c o m m e m o ra te the way.
Some people con
b irth o f Dr. K ing.
This w o u ld be a ye a rly victed of capital offenses
Bureau.
The C om m ission w as n ot co n v in c e d by the re m in d e r o f th e g reatness o f Dr. K in g's vision and got jail terms, others,
a rg u m e n t th a t shotguns w o u ld be a d e te rre n t to his a c c o m p lis h m e n ts a nd a spur to a c tio n to predominantly Black, mi­
nority
and
poor.
were
crim e or th a t th ey w o u ld d isco u ra g e the use o f c o m p le te th a t p a rt o f his d re a m w h ic h rem ains
executed.
fire a rm s by crim in a ls. But m ore im p o rta n t, th e y u n fu lfille d .
So extreme a punish
w e re in flu e n c e d by the com m ents o f citizen s w h o
T he refo re , w e u rg e a ll T ribune rea de rs to w rite ment, the Court said in
A effect, it has to be imposed
p a rtic ip a te d in the p u b lic h e a rin g a n d w ho have to th e ir C ongressm en to su pp ort HR 2832.
m ade th e ir thoughts kn o w n th ro u g h c o m m u n ity le n g th y letter is n o t necessary; a b rie f n ote or fairly or not at all. It could
not accept a situation where
o rg an izatio ns.
post card w ill do. A re a voters can w rite to the
a wealthy or white defen
O f p erhaps m ore im p o rta n ce th a n w h e th e r a
fo llo w in g C ongressm en: A n d re w Y oung, Elliot dant with access to a good
shotgun sh o u ld or should n ot be used a t a
Levitas, House O ffic e B u ild in g , W a sh in g to n D C
lawyer and with the ability
to influence a judge and a
p a rtic u la r tim e a n d p la ce is the g e n e ra l fe e lin g 20515.
jury could get a prison
o f w e ll-b e in g .
If the citizens a re a p p re h e n s iv e
sentence while the poor and
a nd fe a rfu l because o f o v e r-a rm in g o f th e p o lic e
the Black, often
poorly
force, this is o f m ore consequence in the lo n g -ru n
represented and subject to
than a sp ecific in c id e n t o f crim e.
discriminatory attitudes by
Unless the p o lic e can inspire the c o n fid e n c e
predominantly middle class
a nd respect o f the p e o p le , th e ir jo b w ill b ecom e
even m ore d iffic u lt.
The increa sing use o f guns is a serious p ro b le m
and ca n n o t be ig n o re d .
The in c id e n c e o f
vio le n ce w ith fire a rm s o f citize n a g a in s t citizens,
Dear Editor:
people are taking against
as w e ll as citize n a ga in st p o lic e a nd vice versa,
the arbitrary actions of an
has increased a la rm in g ly d u rin g the past fe w
I would like to commend
insensitive administration I
years.
the Portland Observer for
hope this is a story your
The Police Bureau a nd the M e tro p o lita n H um an
its front page article en­ staff will continue to follow
titled, "Indians Alert Public
R elations C om m ission must look fo r n e w m ethods
to Education Needs". The
Cordially,
o f tre a tin g the causes o f crim e a nd v io le n c e a nd
article is well done and
Herb L. Cawthorne
fo r w ays o f e n h a n cin g co m m u n ic a tio n b e tw e e n
provided an excellent pic
Center for Self development
a nd p o lic e fo rce a n d the p u b lic.
ture of the stand minority
M o re than tw e n ty m illio n
A m e rican s are
re c e iv in g fo o d stam ps at a cost o f six b illio n
d o lla rs a ye ar < The p ro g ra m , w h ic h beg an on a
lim ite d basis to h e lp fe e d the n a tio n 's poor, but
also to use up surplus co m m o d itie s , has com e
u nd er attack in re ce n t w eeks.
The p ro gram e xp a n d e d fro m an a v e ra g e o f 4.3
m illio n p a rticip a n ts in 1970 to 12.9 m illio n in
1974.
In re ce n t m onths th e p ro gram has
e x p a n d e d to n e a rly tw e n ty m illio n recip ie n ts due
to the recession, u n e m p lo y m e n t, p u b lic ity a b o u t
the p ro g ra m , a nd the inclu sio n o f Puerto Rico.
Incom e ce ilin g s w e re adjusted to com pensate fo r
in fla tio n , m a k in g m an y m ore in d iv id u a ls e lig ib le .
¿MMMm
f
a
The Return of the Death Penalty
A wise decision
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Decisions arbitrary
University of Oregon
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company. 2201
North Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217.
Mailing
address: P .0. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208. Telephone:
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1st Place
Community Service
O NPA 1973
1st Place
Best Ad Results
O NPA 1973
A L F R E D L. H E N D ER SO N
Editor/Publisher
MEMBER
MEMBER
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
NMWA peb
I
•
Association • Founded 1985
N E W LAW S
But we didn't count on
the very real urge to punish
and to kill still prevalent in
our country.
No sooner
was the ink dried on the
Court's decree than dozens
of states passed new death
penalty laws that seemed to
get around the objections of
the Justice.
In North Carolina, where
seventy tw o people fare
death by the state, the
state Supreme Court said
that the federal court's
ruling simply meant that
since North Carolina's death
sentence had been imposed
by judges at their diacre
tion, the state would now
have to make death manda
tory.
That
way
the
constitutional niceties would
be observed.
T h r manda
tory death sentence became
(Mipular with state legists
lures trying to get around
the Court's derision.
So, as a result of the
Supreme Court's attempt to
limit the use of the death
penalty, we have a situation
where bloodthristy legists
lures are prepared to exe
cute more
people
than
before.
It's always good for a
headline or a round of
applause for someone to
make the standard anti
crime s,>eech and conclude
with a plea for restoration
of the death penalty
But
lawyers know that a man
datory death sentence only
means prosecutors will be
reluctant to press maximum
charges, reducing first de
gree murder charges to
manslaughter, for example
And juries will be less
willing to convict if they
know they are also voting
to kill another human being
P E N A L T Y USELESS
The net result is Ixtund to
be lighter sentences for
some and death for others
the same situation
the
Court said was unconstitu
tional bark in 1972
As a
deterrent, the penalty is
useless and may actually
encourage murders as some
psychiatrists have noted in
cases where mentally un
stable persons murder in
the hopes of being killed by
the state, in effect, suicide.
The finality of the death
penally precludes rehablli
la tion or even reversal of
the convictions of innocent
people
I f the aim of the
|>enalty is to remove dan
gerous person« from
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Ra,es:
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
N N A 1973
2nd Place
Best Editorial
3rd Place
Community leadership
ONPA 1975
fx
^ 7 ^ 7 ,/
Tri-County area and Armed Services
Other Areas of US
N am e
Address
&
$
State
out
society, that's what prisons
are for
States that have
hanned the death penalty
don I have higher murder
rates than states that still
have it. or have re enacted
it.
The arguments against
the death penalty are many
and powerful, but in the
end, it is a cruel and
unusual p unishm ent,
a
practice that bloodies the
hands of the state and all
its citizens, an official sane
tion for the worst crime of
all.
taking
the
life
of
another human being.
I would hope that the
• ourt takes the opportunity
to put a final, total and
irrevocable end
to
this
barbarous practice that is
unworthy of a civilized
nation or of a people that
still aspire to hold humane
values.
5th Place
Best Editorial
N N PA 1973
Second Class Postage Paid at Portland, Oregon
The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in
its Publishers column (W e See The World Through Black
Eyes). Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion
of the individual w riter or submitter and does not necessarily
reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer.
<
judges and juries,
killed by the state.
That decision avoided the
ultimate step of barring the
death penalty as a const I
tutionally prohibited "cruel
and unusual punishment,"
but it seemed to do the job
at the time. Those of us
who were repelled by the
institutionalization of official
murder that went under the
name of "the death penalty"
thought the days of that
cruel practice were ended.
7: