Portland Observer Thursday, May 8. 1977 Page 9
From behind the wall
Oo i ctoody Tuesday afternoon. April
2ft. a vary productive meeting waa
arranged between a group of men at the
Oregon State Penitentiary. At the meet
iag. labels like captain's bar and superin
t'a name tags were layed aside
with label* of convicts like the
»arh o f the 25 Black
for identification. Each of
men sat down, began to roll up
their aieevee. and proceeded to work and
deal with internal grievances and prob
lems. Thia was too allow the two groups
to work toward Black prisoners’ human
i men were not afraid to deal with
subjects, such aa racism, discipline and
unequal justice. They were looking for
the same goal: How to live together with
respect for one another behind the walls
at OSP. Not many prisons would attempt
to make such efforts today, in the United
States, because of the high, invisible wall
between prisoners, guards and admini
strators. Grievances are never shared by
either aide. I t is unheard of for a prisoner
to walk up to a warden and voice his
opinion, but this is a daily occurance at
OSP.
Superintendent H.C. Cupp makes it
obvious that such an open relationship
and communication between inmates and
staff stay that way.
Three guard captains. Director of
Security, the Superintendent and his
assistant govern by laws and administra
tive procedures. They met with Coordi
nators of the Black Culture Organization.
Bantu and Muslims, who govern by codes
and morals. Together, they worked
through some of the discontent of every
day prison life.
The main complaints were registered:
A Black prison staff member be ap
pointed to be a direct liaison to the
Superintendent's office in the event of a
black problem: escorts be obtained for
Black inmates who are approved to
voluntarily work on church projects in
the Albina community of Portland: disci
plinary actions; and race relations be
tween guards and Black inmates.
After the meeting, this reporter was
able to question two representatives of
the Black prisoners for their comments
on the meeting's accomplishments.
Ray Charles Maples said. " It was
conceivale that we needed channels more
open in order to direct the problems of
the rapidly increasing Black population ro
the ‘powers that be.' ”
George Rhodes commented. “This is
the same rhetoric. Nothing was accom
plished at the first meeting that we
haven't been hearing for years, but at
least the administration is showing
willingness to test the water level of
caged up Black emotions around here."
Both men haertily agreed that more
meetings such as this were needed more
often.
The administration brought other
areas that needed work to the attention
of the group, such as a guard's union and
prison procedures and obtaining qualified
staff.
This reporter approached two of the
Captains of the OSP guards for their
observations.
Captain Seed stated that such meet
ings were very healthy for all concerned
and that at one time under the prior
Classification Committee, when officers
as well as staff had input, the decision
making process worked out many prob
lems. but that these sorts of meetings
were definitely an access to this prison's
environment as a whole.
Captain Whitley replied, “Meetings
like these are very enlightening. It gives
the channce for people to view their
differences and then all work toward a
solution."
Ron Martin, the only Black OSP coun
selor, was selected to become the liaison.
When there is a willingness for men
wanting to work together, then 50% of
the problem is already solved.
Even as the meeting ended on this
cloudy Tuesday afternoon, rays of sun
light were beginning to shine through.
Come
Today!
I .
Why are there no flowers
Even convicts like to smell and feel -
Why are men laughing so loudly—
Are there fears they're trying to conceal -
Why do they rush from day to day—
Because time is passing by—
It makes a man stop and wonder-
Where his destiny lies—
A M cn F a
(London) Skyrocketing coffee prices
have brought much-needed revenues to
Africa's 28 coffee-producing nations, but
have also presented them with a dilem
ma: Should they increase production now
and risk a big drop in coffee prices when
the huge Brazilian coffee crop returns to
normal in 19607
Because it takes three years for newly
planted coffee trees to bear fruit, cashing
in oo the current boom is no easy matter.
And weather problems and political dis
ruption have already cut into production
in several key exporting countries, in
cluding Angola. Tanzania. Uganda and
Ethiopia. I f those and other African
coffee countries plant too many new trees
now, however. 1960 may see an enormous
coffee glut on the world market and an
steeper drop in prices.
One factor may force a rush to expand
_ fa m o u s ,
to p q u a l i t y
t
Whirlpool
But iiomeday, My Brothers, never—
Never more to Roam- we will get to—
Leave this place and maybe even -
Go Home
Peter Austin Jr.
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Your Next Drink Is On Me
When I was a child I use to sit and think.
What made, my brothers and sisters
drink.
Now I ’m a man, I don't have to wonder.
I t ’s society that made its blunder.
While you sit at home tonite in your easy
chair.
Have a drink on me and feel no despair.
Smoke on your joint and sip your wine.
While must sit here and do my time.
Peter Austin Jr.
*39023
Inside Africa
Toward Unity
(Dor Es Salaam. Tanzania) The two
Rhodesian nationalist movements that
formed a political alliance as the Patriotic
Proa at the Geneva conference. ZA N U
and ZAPU . are taking steps to unite their
fighting forces. Patriotic Front leader
Robert Mugabe announced here recently
that the two movements are attempting
to reconstitute the Zimbabwe People's
Army (ZEPA)-a force put together over a
year ago by ZA N U and ZAPU command
ers but splintered last summer by fac
tional fighting.
Under ZIP A. the Patriotic Front would
have joint military training for its re
cruits as well as joint field operations
directed by a unified command. The
African front-line presidents, from Tan
zania, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana
and Angola, have urged the Zimbabwe
nationalists to unite and avoid the kind of
power struggle between rival Black fac
tions that precipitated the Angolan civil
hom e fu rn ish in g*
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production in spite of the risk. Under the
International Coffee Agreement of 1976,
export quotas will be imposed, beginning
in 1979. if prices fall to an unsatisfactory
level. But the quotas will be based on the
export performance of coffee producers
between now and 1979 s dear incentive
to beef up exports in the next two years.
South African Military
Using Mercenaries
(Johannesburg) The Johannesburg
Star reports that more than 200 foreign
mercenaries have joined the South A fri
can Defence Force. The foreigners,
coming in what a defense spokesman calls
a steady stream, sign three year service
contracts.
The Star says the foreigners include
former officers of the British Royal Navy
and former servicemen from Portugal,
which fought several long guerilla wars in
its African colonies before granting them
independence. The most common reasons
given by mercenaries who join the South
Sfrican military are early retirement in
the armed forces of their own countries,
unemployment at home and the high
salaries and fringe benefits offered by
South Africa.
Rhodesian Judge Slaps Government For
Botswana Abductions
(Salisbury. Rhodesia) A high court
decision here has offered the first public
admission that Rhodesians have abducted
citizens of neighboring Botswana in their
“hot pursuit" raids across the border.
Special Court President Sir Hugh
Beadle ruled that two Botswana citizens
arrested by Rhodesian forces in Bots
wana were not subject to trial. “The
courts should discourage the illegal ab
duction of the nationals of another state...
and they can only do so by refusing to
exercise jurisdiction." he said.
The Rhodesians have launched hot
pursuit raids against guerilla training
camps in both Botswana and Mozam-
bique, designed to wipe out the Black
nationalists before they have a chance to
do'any damage. In the recent case, the
Rhodesian prosecuting authorities ar
gued they had a right to arrest the two
Botswana citizens because they had
rifles, ammunition and grenades and had
"conspired” with others in Botswana who
later entered Rhodesia. They cited the
case of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war
criminal who was captured in South
America after World W ar I I by Israeli
agents and taken back to Israel to be
tried and hanged.
Amnesty International Charges
Widespread Torture By South Africa
(London) Amnesty International, the
respected international human rights
organization, has accused South Africa of
carrying out systematic torture in Na
mibia, which South Africa rules in de
fiance of the United Nations.
Amnesty claims that torture is fre
quently used to extract confessions from
political detainees and to gather informa
tion about the movements of nationalist
guerillas in northern Namibia. Torture
methods include shock tre a tm e n t,
beatings and assassination threats, the
organization says. And in some cases the
South Africans have allegedly sentenced
their nationalist opponents to death.
“Under the laws which South Africa
applies to SWAPO (the guerrilla organi
zation) supporters in Namibia,” says
Amnesty spokesperson David Simpson,
“just about anything the government
chooses can be an offense.” In addition to
those actually convicted of political of
fenses, Simpson says, hundreds have
been detained without trial.
Africa Expected Te Boycott
U S. Sports Teams
(Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) U.S. sports
teams are expected to be boycotted soon
by African nations, in the wake of the
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U.S.-South Africa Davis Cup tennis
match in southern California. The Organi
zation of African Unity here has called for
boycotts of all events involving countries
with sports links to South Africa. When
New Zealand, which had sent a rugby
team to South Africa, refused to leave the
Olympic games last year, all but two
African nations boycotted the event.
Mobutu Arrests Potential Opponents
In Zaire Capital
(London) While fighting continues in
Shaba province, the Zaire army has
arrested dozens of prominent citizens in
Kinshasa, the capital. BBC correspondent
Ben Ammar, who returned to London
recently after a month in Zaire, says the
detainees are mostly well-to-do citizens,
some born in Angola.
Observers believe the arrests were
ordered by President Mobutu in order to
remove potential opponents at a time
when his position is threatened by the
rebellion in Shaba province. Mobutu has
weathered previous political storms in
much the same way.
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home furnishings
30th and S.E. Division
Shop W e e k d a y s 9 to 9
We'd like to introduce some
thing new in saving energy.
It’s called a Power Saver
Center.
What is it?
It's a one-stop shopping
center for power saving ideas
and hardware everything
from storm-window kits to
water heater wrap packages
to shower restrictors plus
much more
234-9351
Saturday til 6
C losed Sunday
Where are they located?
We re putting them where
you do your shopping... in
hardware stores and other
locations that handle con
servation supplies. Also,
every Pacific Power office
will feature a Center.
The People el
Pacific Power.
Power Saver Centers are
at the following locations
Burtitt
numbing. Inc.
Portland
Bressie Electric
Company
Portland
Cornell * Woodland
Park Lumber, Inc.
Portland
Parkrose
Hardware
Portland
Phillips
Hardware
Portland
Woodland Park
True Value Hardware
Portland
Pacitic Power
Offices
Portland
W ert, J r. tekee k b erth «f
ram Jsrtga Wflfoaa B. Bryart
Coert for the District rt
Aprfl 21 as the chief dvi
I aa Navy Gas erai
Chief J artica of the
la Paatagsa
lawyer la Usa Navy
The 84 year-eid W ert wfll everaee the week al
thaa 200 Navy lawyer* worldwide. W ert la a native of
Winstea-SakmmN.C. and la married te the former Gail Estelle
Berry ef CiadaaaU. Mrs. W ert U holding the family Bible