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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1976)
I I ?ortiand Observer Civil Rights leaders oppose Senate Bill 1 Southern civil rights leaders have issued a warning to the «lark community and to civil rights advocates across the country concerning legislation pending in this session of Congress which they say could turn the U.S. into a police state. The legislation is titled Senate Bill 1. Issuing the joint statement were veteran civil rights figures Julian Bond, John Lewis, Reverend Ralph Abernathy und Bernard Lee. Abernathy and Ia*e are President and Vice President, respec lively, of the Southern Christian Leader »hip Conference. Bond, Lewis, Abernathy and Lee were active figures in the civil rights move men's of the South in the I960», They said that if passed, Senate Bill 1 "would be a monumental set back to the civil rights gains of the last twenty years.” They railed it the most dangerous legislative threat to the rights of all Americans ever to come before the < ongress. and said it would strike hardest at Blacks and minorities. Senate Bill 1 is a reworking of the entire U.S. criminal rode that was introduced in its original form into the ( ongress by former President Nixon. It is pending before th? Senate Judiciary Committee. Its supporters include President Ford, Senate Democratic lead er Mike Mansfield, and Republican leader Hugh Scott. The civil rights leaders said. “Senate Bill 1 would outlaw many of the methodr of mass, nonviolent protest of the 1960's. It would encourage government harass ment such as that directed against the late Dr. M artin Luther King by the FBI Senate Bill I would silence press ex|>osure of government secrets, and would turn concepts of criminal justice upside down.” They said Blacks would "face an ominous series of repressive laws in today's struggles for justice if Senate Bill I is passed.” According to the statement. Senate Bill 1 protects government employees who commit illegal acts, calls for widespread wiretapping, provides a mandatory death penalty and harsher prison sentence, with less parole or probation. The four said Senate Bill 1, • 753 page bill, "is so filled with the repressive taint of the Nixon policies that amendments cannot save it.” They called for immediate efforts by people concerned with justice to defeat the measure. W ith the second session of the 94th Congress underway, we wish to sound the alarm to the Black community concerning Senate Bill I the criminal Justice Reform Act now pending in the U.S. Senate. We are facing the possibility of a vote and passage of Senate Bill 1 in 1976. We feel its enactment would be a monumen tai set back to the civil rights gains of the last twenty years, and a disaster to the rights of all Americans. We believe Senate Kill 1 provides the legislation basis lor a police state in America. Yet most people know nothing about the repressive provisions of Senate Bill 1. This is a dangerous situation. There must be a strong, organized outcry against attempts to pass this bill. We are calling on Black leaders and organizations, and all groups concerned with justice, to work now for defeat of Senate Bill 1. All work for civil rights and justice is imperilled by this bill. We in the South especially sense its dangers. Senate Bill 1 would outlaw many of the methods of mass, nonviolent protest of the 1960's. It would encourage government harassment such as that directed against the late D r. M artin Luther King by the FBI. Senate Bill 1 would silence press exposure of govern ment secrets, and would turn concepts of criminal justice upside down. Black and minority people especially would lose by this bill's passage. We would face an orninuous series of repressive laws in today's struggles for justice if Senate Bill 1 were law. Senate Bill 1 was drafted and intro duced in its original form by the Nixon Administration. I t would enshrine into law many of the repressive policies of that administration. Senate Bill 1 is now supported by President Ford, Senate Democratic leader Mike Mansfield and Republican leader Hugh Scott. Senate Bill 1 is the most dangerous legislative threat to the rights of all Americans perhaps ever to come before the U.S. Congress. Some feel its repressive sections can be taken out by amendment. We feel Senate Bill 1 is so filled with the repressive taint of the Nixon policies that amendments cannot save it. I t must be killed in entirety. Senate Bill 1’s provisions on civil rights enforcement are better than current law. But it is not possible to buy good civil rights sections with a police state law. Further, its mandatory death penalty, harsh prison terms and excessive sen tences have no place in civilized law. P R O V IS IO N S • Under Senate Bill 1, organizers and participants in protest demonstrations could be charged under “riot" provisions, charged with "obstruction of government functions" or even “instigating overthrow or destruction of governm ent/’ N u merous sections infringing on rights to assembly and protest include 1111, 1112, 1115, 1116, 1302, 1328. 1334, 1861, 1863. 1831, 1103, 1002 and 1003, 1833 and 1834. • Under Senate Bill I. vast amounts of wiretapping would be authorized against the citizenry, under broad authority (Chapter 31). W ider lattitude for use of entrapment activities by government agents is provided (Section 551), as well as increased "contempt" penalties and Thuraday, February 12, 197« Pag* 3 Joe Joseph use of “immunity" statutes frequently used against ;<olitical dissidents (Sections 1333, 3111). • Senate Bill I provides an “official secrets" section which would allow the government to prosecute news media members, government workers and publishers who publicize secrets em bar rassing to the government (Sections 1121. 1122. 1123, 1124). "Official mistatement of law" and "public duty” sections would insulate public officials and government servants from prosecu tion for illegal activities, such as some of those involved in W atergate (Sections 542, 544 , 552). • Senate Bill 1 provides for a manda tory death penalty (Chapter 24). The death penalty has always fallen hardest on poor, Black and minority people. This is especially so in the South as the disproportionate share of Black and minority people on death row in North Carolina today shows. This is "cruel and unusual" punishment for a select group of people, and it is inherently racist. • Senate Bill 1 provides mandatory, long prison sentences, de-emphasises rehabilitation of criminal offenders in favor of vengeful punishment, and allows greater lattitude for the use of forced confessions (Part I II , and sections 1811, 1823, 3713 and 3714). I t does nothing to establish effective control of handguns (Section 1823). And it provides over broad authority foe use of deadly force by authorities to prevent escape from arrest or jail, regardless of the crime alleged or grounds for suspecting the accused (Section 541). Y our Com m unity Insurance M a n 3 9 3 3 N.E, Union 2 8 2 -3 6 8 0 IN5ULATIN M ADE EASY Comfort Is Yours Year Round Insulation helps cut heating cost ' by keeping out the Winter cold . . . adds to Summer comfort by keeping in the cool. Plus it's water proof, fire retarding. Free Fsfimates WENDELL E. BROWN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 3933 N.E. Union 288-6347 u- Sheriff attends FBI Academy Sheriff Lee I ’. Brown. Director, Multnomah County Division of Public Safety, announced that FB I Director Clarence Kelly has selected Captain Edgar E. M artin to attend the 105th session of the FBI National Academy M artin is Assistant Director under Brown. M artin has been a Deputy Sheriff for ten years, advancing through the ranks to become Captain in April, 1974. He has been Commander of the Training Aca demy and recently chaired the Task Force on Ih r coin < nt, <f#9e10|>ri)<*nt and implementation <>f*l ¿?Mult- j * ' nomah County is the first county sheriffs office to implement team policing, and the first to commit the entire department to the program. M artin was graduated from Oregon College of Education in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science degree and received a Master's of Education degree from the University of Portland in 1973. The FB I Academy runs from April 4th to June 19th, 1976 at Quantico, Virginia. Subjects of instruction include; be havioral sciences, firearms, physical training, management, criminal law, budgets, and unions. ■*Zr (9** Wv V TT.'a X » « b « m ftt B r* Black Political Assembly called The National Black Political Assembly has completed the format and schcduli for what may be one of the most significant national meetings in the long history of Black people in America. Some 6.(MX) delegates and observers are expected in Cincinnati, Ohio for the Third Bi Annual National Black Political Con vention, March 17th 21st. 1976. The first convention was held in Gary, Indiana in 1972. The theme for the 1976 Black Convention is "Which Way Black Nation; Towards a 76 Political Strategy”. The convention will focus on the building of a mass based independent Black political movement for 1976 and beyond. A fter preliminary Convention Com mittee meetings and Platform Hearings on Wednesday, March 17th, the Conven tion activities will formally begin on Thursday, March 18th. with a Testi monial Luncheon hosted by the Cincin nati Chapter of the National Assembly. The Testimonial will be a "salute to Theodore M. Berry", veteran Civil Rights freedom fighter, a past Deputy Director of O.E.O. and former Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio. B Cincinnati. Ohio. The Opening Session of the Convention and the Official Seating of the Delegates will take place on Thursday evening at the Cincinnati Convention Center. Among those who have been invited to participate in the Opening Session are: Iaro n e Bennett. Author Lecturer and Senior Editor of Ebony Magazine; Congressman Ronald V. Dellums of California; and. former D.C. School Superintendent and long time community activist, Barbara Sizemore. A broad cross section of National Black lx-aders and representatives of African nation? have also been invited to be present at Opening Session as Official Platform Guests. The two nominees are Barbara Wiggin, and Sister Mary Gregory Hanson. Ms. Wiggin is a secretary and bookkeeper for First Union Management, Incorporated which manages Mall 205. She has also served as secretary for the Wilkes Study e T\ Convention activities on March 19th. will consist of a series of fourteen Infor mation and Issue Oriented Open Forums with panels of experts from the National Black Community dealing with a wide range of topics from the Concerns of Black Women, Youth and Senior Citizens to issues in Economic Development, Politics and Education. I— n i n i Women join planning board Don Clark, Chairman of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, an nounced that he is nominating two women from East County to serve on the County Planning Commission. I Group. Sister M ary Gregory is a former hospital administrator and has served on various health advisory and regulatory agencies. The vacancies were created when Robert Shoemaker and Patricia Wessin ger resigned in January, The current members of the Planning Commission are Gerald Brewster, Wil liam Cooley, Gussie McRobert, Ixiuise Miller, Lee Moore, Charles Sax, and Victor Gilliland. 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Take o look ot whot storm- windows might do for you. The tips for saving energy go on ond on. But they oil odd up to money saved. And you don’t necessarily hove to spend a bundle fo something- So, if "Home Sweet Hummm" has you wondering whot to do, ond you’d like the best money-saving advice in town, coll your local Pacific Power office. There's nothing ho-hummm about conserving electricity. The People at Pacific Power 1
