Thursday, April 14. 1977
We see the world
through Black eyes
CitizeR partidpotioR?
Citizen participation is a difficult thing to produce.
Although citizens will easily grumble and fret and
will express their opinions in the neighborhood bars
h n r rf So
and beauty shops, it
it •«
is hard
to aet
get them involved in
the long hours of research and discussion, the late
night meetings, the hours off work that are
necesssary to form aad express an opinion.
It becomes even herder to elicit citizen involve
ment when citizens do spend the time and the effort
and the money to become knowledgable and
involved and then they ore ignored.
The issue of the Fremont Bridge ramps is a good
example. The people of the Albina community have
spent a great deal of time studying this issue. Several
years have passed since the state began tearing
down homes in the Boise nieghborhood to build the
bridge ramps. The people didn't want the bridge or
the ramps but they were built anyway.
There have been three years of discussions, study
and hearings on how the ramps should be used. The
people of the Boise neighborhood now accept the
fact that the ramps are there — whether they like it or
not — and have decided to support their best use, a
use that would bring economic development to the
broader community. They will be hurt no matter
what happens, but perhaps someone will benefit.
So Boise residents supported the Fremont option
that would put traffic onto Union Avenue. Adjacent
neighborhoods and those to the north joined them,
as did Albina businessmen. Neighborhoods to the
east — Sabin, Alameda and Irvington — fearing
added traffic on Fremont and Knott Streets, opposed
the Fremont option.
Whose advise was accepted? Not the neighbor
hoods that are most affected, but their more affluent
neighbors to the east, the neighbors who earlier
refused to join Boise's opposition to the bridge.
So the ghetto has lost again. Black people have
watched and suffered while their homes and
businesses have been gobbled up by the freeway,
Emanuel Hospital, the School District, and the
Fremont Bridge and can see no benefits to them
selves. No wonder we are frustrated and angry.
Stop Krugerrand
"Every time a South African product is bought, it is
another brick in the wall of our continued exist
ence." These words of the Prime Minister of South
Africa are as true today as they were when he spoke
them nearly five years ago.
The Krugerrand, which gets its name from a former
Prime Minister of South Africa, is as surely a weapon
as the bombs and tanks in the South African arsenal.
Funds received from the coins' sale are used to
suppress the Black and colored population and to
'
prepare for outside attack by those who promote
Black liberation.
The Krugerrand is a one-ounce gold coin which is
sold in the United States and Western Europe to raise
funds to stop the deteriorating balance of payments
situation in South Africa. The economic crisis has
developed from falling gold sales, inflation, unem
ployment, a slow-down in foreign investment, and a
42 per cent increase in defense spending. South
Africa is deteriorating because it is attempting to
continue a way of life that benefits the small
privilodged white class and perpetuates Blacks in
virtual slavery. Former Prime Minister Krugger, for
whom the coin was named, described the govern
ment's goal: "The chief principal that must be born
in mind is that savages must be kept within bounds."
Sales of the Krugerrand h thi country,and h ths cty,
are designed to promote that goal. The reaction of
Portland's citizens and its government should be to
ban their sale as has been done in other cities.
I truly believe that it’s about time you
people know the truth about vour court
system, and how they breed (pro-liars).
Our courts now breed pro-liars With
the help of the police department. What
I'm saying is, they don’t care about you
when you are arrested, they believe you
are guilty way before you even appear in
court. You live in a jail that is as near to
hell as it can be.
Now my point is, they breed pro
liars, now this comes about when you
have to face the court. (Step l...In your
case there will always appear a person
who saw the whole crime, or just a little
bit. but the courts feel that this is enough
to convict you. Or they pay a person to
go as far as to lie on their best friend
The way so many people are trapped, is
the fact that the otticer believes that you
are involved, so they call you up and
either come over to your home or they
invite you down to the department. Once
you are there, they ask you questions,
they listen to your story and then they
take your story to their grand jury and
they are then able to arrest you.
You people are the public, but 1 wonder
■iM H ii
The announcement last week that the Veterans
Department has decided to build the new VA
hospital on Marquam Hill is disappointing and we
believe it is a mistake.
Fiist consideration must be given to the care
provided the patients, of course. If being adjacent to
the U of O Medical School would enhance that care,
then the decision to build next to it would be proper.
The site selected by the VA is not adjacent to the
medical school - transportation for students who
travel between the school and the hospital will be
required. It is hard to see why a ten minute ride
between the two centers would be far superior to a
twenty-minute ride between the school and the
Emanuel site.
In adding to the conjestion and inconvenience at
Marquam Hill, the new hospital will continue an
error that was made years ago. It is unfortunate that
the Medical School was built there to begin with and
adding more facilities in the vacinity will not make it
right.
On the other hand, the Emanuel site has the
transportation, utilities, and space to make it the
better site. The difference in time between the two
sites and the medical school rs not sufficient to be the
deciding factor.
Which leaves the obvious question. Is the VA
selecting the Marquam site because it is in an
upper-middle class white neighborhood and re
jecting the Emanuel site because it is in a Black
neighborhood?
if you are aware of the fact that you are
being used. Yes, that’s right, when you
the public allow a lawyer to convict a
person on guess-work and speculation,
then you're being used to do their dirty
work. Or on the other hand, the D.A. can
talk his side of the story to the judge way
before you even appear in court.
With the court system we now have,
any person can be convicted on guess
work and or speculation. No evidence is
needed in some cases but the courts use a
word called tprima-Facea) meaning if a
victim says you used a weapon in the act
of a crime, but no weapon is recovered
then the courts use the above word as
their clean up.
This one-sided law system is killing
black men here in Oregon, mainly if you
are telling the truth to begin with, the
police say you're a liar.
I ’ve been here at OSP, tor some time
now, and I ’ll have to stay for some time,
but at the same time I'm here at OSP
working very hard on my own court case.
And yes. I've been convicted before, but
what is more important, is the fact that
I ’m no good for either crime.
Some of the cases that bring young
black men here to OSP are Rape,
Bobbery these are the hardest crimes.
In a rape case, if the woman is white-the
black man is always convicted. A judge
could not face the town club if he let one
go free, because he is Innocent.
All I ’m saying is, a bitter man is not a
happy man, and as he has to do his tune,
weird things go through his mind.
The thing I hope you really notice is.
don’t make yourself a victim. Sure you
have the right to walk, talk, play, etc.,
but let’s just face facts. People involved
in crime don’t care about who or what you
stand for. So don't make yourself a
victim. Be aware of who, what, and
where you are at all thus«.
Sure I know alot of you people don't
give a darn, but I understand because
some of you were or still are victims of
crime. But we people that have been
convicted and the ones that are coming
here only ask that you pick the right
person. Never be influenced by a police
officer. Tell the truth. I ’m not saying
disrespect the police, but everything they
say is not GOD.........
W IS D O M & A W A R EN E SS
Deone E. Washington
1st Place
Community Service
ONPA 1973
Portland O b se rv e r
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 220:
North Killing»worth, Portland, Oregon 97217. Mailing add res:
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- y
A LF R E D L. HENDERSON
Editor/Publisher
The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in
its Publisher's column IWe See The World Through Black Eyes).
Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the
individual writer or submitter and does not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the Portland Observer.
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1st Place
Best Ad Results
ONPA 1973
5th Place
Best Editorial
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k Editorial Award
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3rd Place
ONPA 1976
New York
O re g o n
New spaper
4 .«
Wrong decision,
wrong reason
to tkt, ZdilM
Dear Editor,
I
p ER
K IIM M B i
MAIN STREAM
$ :8 ::
B lA C M . AAOOtA teAC.
B'/BRVBOOY IÑTTO THE POOL.
tfo ¿qalaiuM
by Rep
Massive Taxpayer Relief
Last week, the Oregon House of
Representatives passed House Bill 2040,
the Homeowner and Renter Relief Pro
gram (HARRP). Because of inflation,
program eligibility was extended to those
with adjusted gross incomes of up to
$20,000. The size of the payments was
boosted also. In addition, the Elderly
Rental Assistance program was com
bined with H A R R P under specific in
structions to the Department of Revenue
that the elderly applicant receive the
highest refund available from either
program. The minimum age for Elderly
Rental Assistance participation was
lowered from 66 to 58 years. The direct
relief provided through the H AR RP bill,
along with the indirect relief from the
state's Basic School Support program,
provides the most massive taxpayer
relief program in the history of Oregon.
HB 2040 now is in the Senate Revenue
and School Finance Committee for consid
eration.
Budget Cato
Democrats arc holding to a promise to
keep government in check. The Demo
cratic Caucus recently considered a pro
posal from the House leadership to slash
$118 million from the Governor's budget.
About $30 million would come from
proposed increases in existing programs.
The remainder would result from not
funding or only partially funding new
programs. The feeling is that this is just
not the time to get the state involved in a
bunch of new programs or to greatly
increase the size of state agencies.
Faculty Evaluations
Students at colleges and universities
sometimes have problems in deciding
what professor would best meet their
academic course needs.
The Oregon
House of Representatives recently
sought to help students by passing HB
2702 which would allow the publication of
evaluations of faculty for student inform
ation. The bill was referred to by some as
a student consumer bill.
Heavy Hearing Schedule
This week continues the rigorous com
mittee schedule on the House side. From
Monday through Friday of this week
more than 100 bills will undergo public
hearings or work sessions in the different
House committees. Many of the hearings
begin at 8 a.m„ while others are run in
the evenings beginning at 7:00 p.m.
It makes a long day, but the heavy
scheduling should help us finish up the
more than 2,600 measures which already
have been introduced in the Senate and
House and adjourn within the next 10 to
12 weeks.
Remember if you need information
about the status of House or Senate bills,
you can call Legislative Information on
the direct dial, toll free number. It is:
1-800-462-0290.
W ishing...
doesn't m a ke
it so!
Birth defects
ore forever.
Unless
yo u help.
March of Dimes
▼ H IS SFA C C C O M T W Ig U t t P « V VMC U U B IIB M C W
Panther Party
(Continued from p .l col.6)
operative, the Watts Summer Festival
and even a credit union.
A church next door has given the
Panthers a key and carte blanche use of
their facilities whenever they are avail
able.
Spokesmen for the Los Angeles Police
Department and the local FBI claim not
to have been aware that the Panthers
have returned, despite allegations by
Panthers that the office has been under
close surveillance.
Elaine Brown confidently predicts that
thia time around the Panthers will take
hold wherever they set up chapters and
come to represent “a concrete alterna
tive" to the problems of the crime-and
poverty-infested ghettos. She views the
community self helf programs as the key
to entrenchment.
“W e don't get the ear of our people by
walking down the street with our gun
operation and scaring half of them to
death,’* she says.
“The party believes in mass participa
tion, not dead heroes."
“The Vanguard Party," she proclaimed
recently in the Black Panther newspaper,
“still lives to fight another day.
It's
building a base in Oakland, by any means
necessary, a base for revolution. The
Black Panther Party is alive and well and
living all over America.”
*Jeff Gottlieb is a freelance journalist
who has written on social and political
issues for the Nation and Mother Jones.
He is currently completing a book on the
Martin Luther King assassination. Jon
Stewart is a PNS editor.
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