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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1976)
» I Portland Observer Jimmy Carter: Black observations I love you, Jimmy by R e v e re n d M a rtin L u th e r K in « . H r. f I know a man I can trust, Blacks can trust, and all Americana can truat aa their President - that man is Jimmy Carter. Jimmy, I waa with you when you started your long journey, I'm with you now. and I'm going to be with you when you're in the White Houae. Jimmy Carter haa been (or equal justice when it waan't an eaay thing to be (or in South Georgia. He waa (or equal righta long before it waa a popu lar thing to support - and long before he entered the political arena. Jimmy Carter spoke out in favor of integrating his rural Southern church many, many years ago. He and hia family had to withstand a fierce econo mic boycott because they refused to join the White Citizens Council, which al most drove him out of business. His daughter haa always gone to integrated public schooola. When he waa Governor of Georgia, the first public speech Jimmy Carter made said that "the time for discrimina tion is over." And he proved he meant what he said. He appointed Blacks to judgeships and other important posi tions. He supported social programs to help the poor and disadvantaged. He desegregated the Georgia Real Estate Commission and pushed for and suc ceeded in having passed Georgia's first fair Lousing law. And he gave my son, M artin Luther King, Jr., an honored place in the Georgia State Capitol against a lot of opposition. These are the things that tell me what is in Jimmy Carter's mind and in his heart. Yes, Jimmy Carter has been with Black people when it waan't easy for him. And we're with Jimmy Carter even when the road to the W hite House has a small bump or two in it. Nothing that is worth achieving in life comes without some hardship - but that hard ship will make Jimmy Carter an even greater President. I t is wrong to jump on a man for the slip of a tongue that everyone knows does not represent his thinking. I know where Jimmy Carter ponent, former Governor Carl Sanders. Carter let Georgia's white voters know he could win “without a single Black The Democratic process that elects vote." He won the primary with less the President of the United States is that ten percent of that vote. essentially an elim inatio n contest in A t the June 1972 Democratic Gov which voters are presented with a ae ernor's Conference in Omaha, Carter ries of diminishing options. introduced a resolution asking that the The voter's first choice of December Vietnam war not be an issue in the 7 2 isn't available by March, and the April Campaign, praising the now deceased contender who tickles the public fancy FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover for his may have disappeared by June. As “service" to the nation; and urging that voters search for a candidate whose both Governor George Wallace of Ala political views and voting record are bama and Governor John Hell Williams closest to their own. they try to remain of Mississippi be welcomed back into loyal to certain political principles. the party. That's why I support Morris Udall of In 1972, my brother, Atlanta City Arizona. That's why I can’t support Councilman, James Bond, and I filed a Jimmy Carter of Georgia. challenge with the Credentials Commit As a veteran of the '69 McCarthy tee of ihe Convention against the Geor campaign, and of the 7 2 McGovern gia delegates elected under a Carter campaign. I've tried to seek out and constructed system. We charged racial support candidates whose accomplish and sexual discrimination in the makeup ments and current statements demon of the Carter led delegation, and a com strale their support of traditionally li promise was effected that resulted in beral principles and humanistic values fair representation of Georgia voters. in which I believe. Morris Udall sup When New York City teetered on the ports those principles and values. Jim brink of bankruptcy, former governor my Carter does not. Carter opposed federal aid, but now Congressman Udall's fourteen year says he only opposed federal aid to the record in the U.S. Congress places him city which would bypass state govern squarely in the liberal column, and menu Now he says he favors bypassing demonstrates that his commitment to the states in distributing revenue shar social justice didn't begin with his am ing funds. bition to become President. Jimmy Carter blames “New York Jim m y C a rte r nom inated “ Scoop" bosses” for challenges that were filed Jackson for President in Miami in 1972. against his delegate states, but neglects then attempted to organize a “stop to add that he himself challenged other McGovern" movement. When that fail candidates' states in New York state. ed. he approached at least two Black Carter's strongest Black supporter, Georgia delegates and asked us to men U.S. Representative Andrew Young of tion his name to McGovern as a possible Atlanta's fifth district, says that Jimmy running mate. I did so twice, both Carter wants to drive bosses like Mayor before and after Eagleton, but now Richard J. Daley out of the party, but Carter lies, and says it wasn't so. Carter instructs his Illinois delegates to As a candidate for Governor of Geor vote for Daley, to insure Daley the gia. Carter courted the Wallace vote, chairmanship of the Illinois delegation. and said nice things about Lester Mad Carter says that when he becomes dox. Ray Abernathy, who worked for President he's going to fire Agriculture Carter's advertising agency during the Secretary Earl Butz, but that sounds gubernatorial campaign, says he used like an echo of Richard Nixon's cheap Carter campaign funds to pay for the promise to fire then U.S. Attorney media advertising of a Black candidate General Ramsey Clark, and it echoes for Governor, who would pull votes the boastful claim of every candidate away from Carter's more liberal op that he will hire his own men. by Julian Bond stands and has always stood because I've been right here to watch him - and so do Black Americans. During your race for President you have told the American people about things that unite us, not that divide us; about the things we can do together. That’s why you’re winning support from all Americans, Black and white. You better than anyone understand the problems of Black and white A m eri cans - and they believe in you, now more than ever. M artin Luther King, Jr. had a dream - a dream that one day Black and white, rich and poor, Christian and Jew, we would all be brothers in harmony. I have a dream today too, a dream that will come true - a dream that a Southerner, Jimmy Carter, is going to be President of the United States. That as President he's going to make us all proud, as he did as Governor of Geor gia. That as President he is going to m a k e th e d re a m of M a r tin Iw t h e r King, Jr. a r e a lity ia e u r life tim o . God bless you Jimmy Carter and God's speed on your way to the White House. Carter vacillated on the issues after his New Hampshire primary victory, but responded to queries about his cham eleon-like campaign rh e to ric by saying "These attacks don’t hurt me - they hurt America.” Sound familiar? Carter tells a questioner who seeks full information about changes he pro poses in the nation's foreign policy. “I'll discuss that in my inaugural address.” Carter says he has never benefitted from federal crop subsidies, but now U.S. Department of Agriculture officials say that it isn't so. Carter has benefitted as well from Northern liberal guilt over decades of scorn heaped on the Southern region’s political leaders - Wallace. Maddox, Eastland and Talmadge. In contrast, attitudes and actions which would seem ordinary in a man from Massachusetts or C a lifo rn ia become virtu o us when practiced by a denizen of Dixie. When Jimmy Carter visited Europe while preparing for his campaign, he indicated that his appointments were made by the Coca-Cola Company, not by U.S. State Department officials. Jimmy C arter has had undeniable success in putting together a dream coalition of Blacks and anti Black voters. of working class whites and business men, and thus appears to be a tempting candidate to those voters who hold victory higher than principle. In North Carolina and in Florida, his success with Black voters can be a ttri buted to his brave posture as the W allaces layer. In Massachusetts and in Illinois, he can thank the ineptitude of the opposition. Southern Baptists are fond of saying that "prayer changes things." Jimmy Carter's religiosity has certainly had that effect on him, in fact has changed him from left to right to renter so many times that converts to the Carter Cause ought to take a cue from an earlier apostle, Thomas, who doubted. Liberal voters who are long tired of losing election battles may want to lay down their liberalism and convert to Carter. I'll stick with Morris Udall of Arizona. Northern liberal or Southern moderate? southern moderates and so-called north ern liberals, and understandably so. Because of sim ilar educational back grounds, each group tends to project whites in a superior and/or paternalistic view. Jimmy Carter used the word "purity” in reference to race. 1 am certain that it reminded many Blacks of the old white supremacist “pure white race" jargon. The interest ing thing is that Morris Udall revealed the same pattern of thinking in casti gating or criticizing Carter for his poor choice of words. Udall said, in effect, that we have said to minorities “if you improve yourselves" (through education and otherwise) you will be accepted. You will be able to enjoy the better things of life -- such as moving into white neighborhoods. He further stat ed, in effect, that Carter was saying that a "Black with a Ph.D will not be able to move into a white neighbor IMPACT ! N a w tp o p e , advertm ng ha« a w ay • t getting ereund * regaeling a «laying ereund good petfonwem e Olha« advertising ma««ag«i «aan, »• diaeggee« in eM, * da. hwt news paper The trem tbe Gary Uadiaaal CrwmAar Why I won’t vote for Carter I Editor's Not* | D.F. Glover, as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in the Democratic Primary in 1970.1 The recent inappropriate choice ol words used by presidential candidate Jimmy Carter is causing much debate especially among Blacks and so-called liberals. The tenor of the debate seems to be that the statement made by Mr. Carter is a true reflection of his racial views and, therefore, proves that he is a southern conservative unworthy of con sideration for president of the United States of America. An analysis of the statement made by Carter, the so-called southern moderate, and the statement made by Morris Udall, the so-called nothern liberal, cri ticizin g C a rte r reveals w hat many Blacks have known for years. There is no real difference in the basic racial understandings of so-called Semantics and Carter advertising Is there . . . eben as yew w a n t Ml as hood." The point I wish to make is that the choice bf words used by Carter, “ethnic purity" and the choice used by Udall. “Improve yourselves.” reveals the same - superior and/or paternalistic view of whites. Like Carter, Udall is projecting the idea that Blacks don't exactly mea sure up to whites. They need to improve themselves in order to move into white neighborhoods. Perhaps, a Ph.D will qualify a Black to live in the neighborhood w ith the “ pure w hite race." Frankly, all white Americans educat ed in the American educational system, (private or public) especially prior to 1970, and perhaps th e re a fte r, have serious misconceptions about Blacks. This is true because the American edu cational system was designed to distort the truth about Black Americans. Once more Americana, generally, and Blacks, specifically, have demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of language isage. The hue and cry over Jimmy Carter's “ethnic purity” concept was unwarranted in the first place; that it persisted after M r. Carter's definition of his own terms is an intellectural abomination. We are not yet overly fond of M r. Carter as a Presidential candidate, but we do admire his language, which upon analysis, tends toward the classicism of the 18th Century - with a southern drawl. Only a racist, or one lacking in Ian guage skills, could equate "ethnic” with “race". I f both denotes and connotes “heritage," usually "religious heritage." I t does imply “bigotry." according to Roget's Thesauras, but only in the sense of "opposing heritages." For example, in a Christian-Moslem society, "bigotry" would prevail only when each consider ed the other fidel." This could be equally true in our own Judeo-Christian society. Ethnic purity ia subcultural as any Black Studies student should know. The heritage of the Congolese was far dif ferent from that of the Swahilli. They were subcultures of a broader concept called “Black History". Similarly, the heritage of the Poles different substantially from that of the Germans, but both were subcultures of European history. All things considered, we must tem per any condemnation of M r. Carter. His language is much better than ours in the long run, but over and above this simple fact, we are willing to abide by the analysis of U.S. Representative An drew Young, Georgia's first Black con gressman since Reconstruction Days, who refused despite the racist condem nation of Hosea Williams, to condemn Mr. Carter for the (?) statement, and who, better than we, defined our own position. We are for "ethnic purity" for as long as it does not mean racial segregation, and by M r. Carter's definition, it does not. 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The events will include a dinner-dance at the Port land Ramada Inn on Saturday evening August 21st, and a family picnic at Laurelhurst Park on Sunday, August 22nd. Red Beaas k Rke* Yaa Bake Potatoes OPEN 24 HOURS - 7 DAYS A WEEK 284-8126 5246 N.E. Union 249-9351 I f you graduated from Washington High in 1966, or had any friends or relatives who did, please phone 659-5121 or send the information to 4995 S.E. Casa Del Rey, Milwaukie, Oregon 97222. We’ve just raised your starting salary. Starting salary in the Army is now $361. a month (before deductions). And the best thing about it is you might not have to spend it all. That’s because we provide you with meals, housing, medical and dental care, and 30 days paid vacation every year. Qualify, and you also get your choice of over 300 good jobs. And we'll guarantee it in writing before you enlist. PORTLAND CLEANING WORKS N O R TH & N.E. PORTLAND ONE DAY SERVICE Minor Repairs - No Charge Pick -up 4 Delivery iMMkMItICMI 282-8361 K N IT BLOCKING OUR SPECIALTY 3 9 5 5 N. Williams Ave. N. Alexander, Proprietor What Weight Watchers* members are saying about tha new Personal Action Plan' “ modules Call Army Opportunities 221-2267 Join the people who’ve joined the Army. Lucy Fellini Homemaker LOST 35 Va pounds Therefore, a choice by Black' for a Carter, a Ford, a Jackson, a Udall or a Reagan perhaps should be made on hasis of which one is more likely to recognize his societal imposed faulty perception and distorted notions about the needs, hopes and aspirations of Black folds, and in so doing, is willing to be corrected. Jimmy Carter has demonstrated his willingress to be corrected. Let those who support or aspire to support Mor ris Udall remind him that he, too, has reflected a white supremacist trend of thought. Maybe he will also be willing to quickly admit an error. In my opinion one who is wrong must first admit that he is wrong before he can be expected to do that which is right. Indeed, this may be the difference be tw een a southern m oderate and a northern liberal. Thursday. May 6, 1976 SHOP JO IN A N Y CLASS A N Y T IM E ! IENOWS FOR B R A N D S you know V A R IE T IE S y o u lik e SIZE S v o u w a n t The Friendliest I Stores In Town| Since 1908 1 h 1. N M M ■Lint AN» »« . S'* A t m m b If.’n.t < HI C N I ott<ha< ft a' • M fM B IR Of l/N IH D v GROCEkS Maranatha Church 1222 N .E . Skidmore Sat. 9:30 a.m. Carpenters Hall 2225 N. Lombard St. Mon. 7:00 p.m. Thurs. 9:30 a.m. Emanuel Hospital 2801 N. Gantenbein Emanuel East, Room B-2 (Nursing Home) Thurs. 7:00 p.m. Fellowship Baptist Church 4737 N. Lombard Tues. 9:30 a.m., 7:00 p.m. Join us today We ve got so much that's new to help you reach your goal W E IG H T W U C H E R S ® NEW PERSONAL ACTION PLAN “
