Portland observer., November 17, 1977, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2
P,«rl land Observer
Thursday. November 17. 1977
We see the world
through Black eyes
'T’oitft o{ Uuw
Safety should be priority
It w as a cold ro m y M onday m orning. A sm all
g ro u p o f ch ild re n stood in the ram o r 7th A venue,
w a itin g fo r thei.r school bus. On the o the r side o f
King School, on 6th A venue, ch ild re n w ere strung out
a lo n g the sid e w a lk Two odults lea ne d a gainst the
school house w a ll, try in g to a v o id the rain. O ther
ch ild re n p la ye d on th e school yord. ru n n in g through
the puddles. They w e re not a llo w e d to w a it inside
w he re it was w arm a nd dry.
H a lf a block a w a y on the corner o f 6th A ve nu e and
Alberta, a no the r g ro u p o f ch ild re n w a ite d
W o u ld
their bus be la te ’ W o u ld it com e today? Yes, it cam e
— and fo rtu n a te ly it was on tim e M inutes a fte r the
last ch ild c lim b e d on b o a rd a nd the bus p u lle d a w a y,
n CQr r a n o v e r t h e s iff e w o lk w h e re they had stood
knocked d o w n a fe n ce a nd ran into an a p a rtm e n t
b u ild in g
That n ig h t the Board o f Education m et A fte r
h e a rin g the S u p e rin te n d e n t's rep ort the Board voted
to rem ove fiv e bus lines fro m the O regon Bus Service
and o pe ra te th em w ith d istrict-o w n e d buses. The
King buses w e re not a m o n g the fiv e The Board
quickly a p p ro ve d the reco m m e n d a tio n . No, they
w o u ld not take tim e now to discuss m ore in v o lv e d
and long ran ge p ro ble m s. They m oved on to the
p la n n e d a ge nd a, an o d o p tio n o f G oals fo r Education.
In response to p a re n t's co m p la ints — the most
verbal b e in g fro m the West H ills — the district had
hired a co nsu ltan t to com e fro m Los A n ge les and
m oke im m e d ia te a n d lon g range reco m m en d atio ns.
D uring an a fte rn o o n press co nfe re n ce one a d m in i­
strator hod said a w ritte n re p o rt was su bm itted by the
consultant. The re p o rt was said to be c ritic a l o f
district staff a nd o f the B oard's d ecision to a w a rd the
e n tire tran sp o rta tio n co ntract to one bus com pany.
W e requested a copy o f this re p o rt and w e re to ld
that no w ritte n re p o rt exists -- that a verbal report
hod been m ode to the S uperintendent.
This is a strange state o f a ffa irs. If c o nsu ltatio n is
purchased and its purpose is to address tran spo rta ­
tion p olicie s a nd procedures, and e sp e cia lly if this
rep ort is critica l o f sta ff, s h o u ld n 't this report go to the
School Board a nd s h o u ld n 't it be a v a ila b le to parents
and taxpayers? W e hope the absence o f a w ritte n
report, if th ere is no such report, is o te m p ora ry
co n d itio n and th a t a re p o rt w ill soon be from the
consultant.
In lig h t o f th e im p o rta n ce o f tran spo rtatio n
procedures to b oth the e du catio n and the sa fety o f
ch ild re n , w e w o u ld suggest th a t this re p o rt q u ickly
be m ade p u b lic. C ontrary to the district's a p p a re n t
o p in io n , the im m e d ia te pro ble m s have not been
solved by the transfer o f these fiv e routes.
South African Press
fro m the Jo ha nn esb urg Star, Johannesburg. South
A fric a
Repression, in a la n d that has o lre o d y e x p e rie n c e d
dem ocracy a nd fre e d o m , is a b itte r adm ission o f
fa ilu re Today a dozen or m ore o rg a n iz a tio n s are
b a n ne d a n d m any p e o p le d e ta in e d , b ut th e thoughts
they express a n d the things they stand fo r w ill not go
a w a y sim p ly because o f a clum sy a tte m p t to s tifle
them
Instead, they w ill m u ltip ly in the dark
W h a t need to be e lim in a te d a re the c o n d itio n s that
led to protest fro m these o rg a n iza tio n s a n d p e o p le
not the protest it s e lf — e x c e p t in p r o v e n r o s e s w h e r e
protest th re aten s v io le n c e a nd anarchy
W e a re a b le to co m m e n t o n ly in g e n e ro l term s o f
p rin c ip le a b o u i these b a n ne d o rg a n iz a tio n s but
a b o u t th e b a n n in g o f The W o rld n ew spaper w e con
speak w ith k n o w le d g e
W e k n o w its p e o p le a nd its p o licie s fo r The W o rld
(an d The W e e k e n d W o rld ) are the Star's sister
new spapers.
As in a ny fa m ily , w e o fte n disa gre e But w e seek
the sam e p e o c e fu l so lu tion s fo r South A fric a The
W orld, o f course, is w ritte n by Black m en alm ost
e x c lu s iv e ly fo r Block readers Its o u tlo o k th e re fo re is
u n iq u e , a nd th e service it can ren de r to c o m m u n ic a ­
tio n b e tw e e n th e w id e ly separated roce groups is
u n p a ro lle d .
The W o rld w as m o m ly resp on sible fo r g ettin g
to g e th e r a g ro u p o f le a d in g S ow eto citizens w ho
co m b in e d as the C o m m itte e o f Ten and fille d the
u gly d a n g e ro u s vacuum le ft a fte r the student riots
The g o v e rn m e n t has not o n ly fa ile d to ta lk to these
m o d e ra te voices, it has n o w crea ted a greater
vacuum
The g o v e rn m e n t seems b ent on b rin g in g a bo ut
choos.
It seems b e n t on tra n s fo rm in g m od erate
Black o p in io n in to e xtre m ism . There appears to be a
fra n tic , su icid al e le m e n t in the ca bine t w h ic h , unless
checked, w ill d estroy th e co un try ond p lu n g e us into
c o n fro n ta tio n .
The b a n n in g o f Block South A fric a 's n e w ly
a rtic u la te
yet resp o n sib le new spapers d e e p ly
w ou nd s South A fric a 's re p u ta tio n and the c re d ib ility
o f the e n tire press o f South A fric a . The West w ill ask
— a n d e ve ry South A fric a n sh ou ld ask — do the
new spapers th a t c o n tin u e to ope ra te , p ub lish o n ly
because the g o v e rn m e n t approves?
The a nsw er is no. The Star w ith others w ill
c o n tin u e to speak o ut on b e h a lf o f a ll its readers —
w h ite . Black, English, A frik a a n s — e xa ctly as it has
d o n e in th e past.
by wing
WAKE
T H E Y T ftY TO act uke
G O O , down HE<E ! NOME
O f THE AfiENClES THEY
FUMMEb F IN D J o M S & t
lack unemployment
X O U M G B zJ V C K S !
am d businesses in the
.TH E Y USED OUR H IG H
H -E. S EC TIO N ? K N A M T RATE Of UH EMPLOY ACHT
«m r o r
TO GCT FuM0$ FROM THfc
------- «UNERT..
.UNEttfeOYMENT IN TWE
WMArS KITM77UEM?
'b o H 'r THEY C A K MCHT
B
rue tuenesr
'Reverse discrimination’ a fraud
by Be.>. 3 v o BB e R Burke
“Reverse discrimination" is a fraud
The phrase su g g e sts that Black ptsiplr
are discriminating againsl while pisipk
That is not the case anywhere In this
country. although Allan Hakke would like
to Believe it is so.
Allan Bakke. a 37 year old white
engineer, was unsuccessful in attempts lo
gam admission to medical school at the
University of California al Davis. lie
sued the university on his grounds of
"reverse discrimination." That case has
gone all the way lo the U.S. Supreme
Court.
On trial is not Hakke’s claim for the
right of admission to the medical school,
but instead the legitimateness of affirms
live action anywhere that we attempt to
correct inequities in our educational
system and economic institutions.
Affirmative action programs help meet
the needs of all people in this country.
For example, one of the inner city areas
where the residents have great health
needs is the W atts section of law Ange
les. hut the reality is that southeast law
Angeles is medically underserved.
The country as a whole has Mt) physi
cians per lOO.Otk) persons, but southeast
law Angeles has less than half that
percentage Nationally there is one white
physician for every 600 white persons but
only one Black physician for every 5.1W0
Black persons.
In areas like these the evident need
for minority physicians is well served by
special admissions programs The same
is true of equal opportunity in jobs and
throughout our educational system.
With the inception of affirmative action
programs came the upsurge of admis
sions for minority students to predomi
nalely while schools.
These schools
achieved this not by taking away admis
sums opportunities from while appli
rants, but hv increasing ths- class sine.
Dr. Wixximw Myers, in an article
written lor the June 1977 Medical I limen
s stags, staid. "The absolute number of
w bite students attending medical srhixils
has increasisl each year since the affirms
live artiun push began
While the
number of first year Black medical stu
ilents dropfied by 70 from 1974 to 1975,
the number of white students increased
by 609.”
How can "reverse discrimination" exist
when those who claim to he adversely
affected by the pnx-ess are gaming
entrance into medical scfnatls in ever in
rreasing number? How ran one mdi
vidual who has been adversely affected
by the admission-. pnx-ess claim that it is
invalid when the group of which he is a
member has had increasing success with
that pnx-ess?"
In filing his claim of "reverse discrimi
nation" in 1974. Bakke said that he would
have been admitted had there not been a
special committee dealing with the admis
skin of minority students
students, he
argues, were less qualified than he.
However, n-eent evidence suggests
Bakke would not have been admitted
even if there had been no affirmative
action program.
Bakke had previously applied and been
dented admission to the medical schtxil of
his alma mater, the University of Minne
sola. Twice he was denied admission to
the medical school al the University of
California al Davis, with one of the
reasons being that he failed lo meet the
university's admission requirements.
Some medical schools are reluctant to
admit first year students over the age of
30. At the time of his application. Bakke
was 32 years old.
The aftermath of ilakkea initial suit
encompasses more than just the question
US legacy in Thailand: One more junta
bv I.I t . Allman
I N I I F.D N A T IO N S . N .Y.. IM T . 27
|PN S| - " America never had any chance
of winning the war in Vietnam," an exiled
Thai denux-rat said recently. "Hut Ameri
ca might have won a victory for human
rights in Thailand
“Instead." he added sadly, “for a
quarter century America built up the
forces of repression. We see the results
now." He was referring to the recent
Bangkok coup d'etat, in which one unde
mocratic government replaced another.
Between 1954 and 1975. the U.S. apent
nearly $360 billion, and nearly btl.tXM)
Amenran lives, to stop communism in
Southeast Asia.
But the fundamental
objective of the struggle. Lyndon John
son said in 1966. was to still “the
principles of the self-determination of
peoples and of government by the gov
emed" in the vulnerable "domino" na
tions of Southeast Asia.
The military half of this American
national endeavor ended. >n humiliation
and banner headlines, some 90 months
ago
But America scarcely noticed
recently when Thailand
once consider
ed the roost crucial domino of all - yet
again became the scene of an equally
ignominious American defeat.
This defeat was one for the principles
of freedom John F. Kennedy offered the
world in his Inaugural Address - and
which Jimmy Carter still holds forth in
his human rights policy. To an extent
few Americans realize, America bears
much of the same heavy responsibility for
the failure of Thai demorrary that it does
for military defeat in Indorhina.
“We don't give a damn if the Thais
have elections or not." a former U.S.
ambassador lo Bangkok remarked sev
eral years ago. "just so they let us drop
bombs "
It was from U.S. bases in Thailand
that, from 1964 to 1973. the American
warplanes look off
seeking targets in
Indorhina. and light at the end of the
tunnel. Across a crucial decade of Thai
history, during which real democracy
might have evolved, keeping the bombing
going was the governing imperative of
Amenran policy there.
The problem was that the only sun-
way to maintain bombing access from
Thailand was to maintain in power
Thailand's corrupt and increasingly un
popular military dictatorship. Even the
U.S. agnrultural development program
in Thailand - where 35 out of 40 million
people are farmers was subordinated to
that goal.
The program principally took the form
of shipments of U.S. surplus tobacco, to
swell the profits of the generals' cigarette
monopoly,
Throughout the Indorhina
war. Thai democrats were considered a
seeurity risk within the massive 50,000
man U.S. mission there.
The Thai American relationship, how
. C IT Y !
JL c ÜMÍ
OSTA
A&rUMSnwnoN]
T re in in j
to tÁt Editto __________
K ru g e rra n d sale d e p lo ra b le
To the Editor:
..B ut , afte /? Twer GET TH£
7MAN f 1 5 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 IH 1977).
1st Place
Portland O b se rv e r
O NPAT1973
Published every Thursday by E rie Publishing Company. 2201
North Killingsworth. Portland, Oregon 97217 Mailing address:
P .0 Box 3187, Portland. Oregon 97206. Telephone: 2832466.
I t is amazing that in the City of
Portland, the deplorable sale of the
Krugerrand (South African gold coin) is
being conducted by a number of firms and
is being promoted by the news media aa if
what is happening in South Africa is only
something in a novel and not reality.
The arrests, the killings, the suspen
sion of press publication are matters
which are reported almost daily in Port
land newspapers and by television and
radio stations. Yet. these same news
papers and radio and television stations
continue to advertise the sale of the
Krugerrand.
The coin shops, the investment firms in
this city who include persons concerned
about justice and human rights, continue
to sell the Krugerrand and that sale
supports the evil of apartheid in South
Africa.
The racism and exploitation which are
parts of the policies of the South African
government are deplorable and only
deserve condemnation
However, the
sale and promotion of the Krugerrand
which helps support that government and
those policies is equally deplorable.
1 write this letter as an individual. I
will do all that I can to acquaint friends,
members of the labor and the church
community about the sale and promotion
of the Krugerrand and what that sale
supports.
If we really express concern about
human rights, justice, we cannot continue
to promote and sell the Krugerrand.
Sincerely yours,
Roger A. Yockey
ever, was not limited to M His and (T A
agents, it exposed the Thais to the ideas
of other kinds of Americans, ranging
from Thomas Jefferson to Marlin laither
King
In October 1973, half a million Thais
peacefully demonstrated for demorrary
The military junta fled the country.
Freedom
not communism
had
broken out in America's most important
SEATO ally And from President Nixon
down to Henry Kissinger's hand picked
envoy in Bangkok. Ambassador William
R Kinlner. the U.S. official reaction was
one of alarm at the Thais practicing the
freedom* America had preach«! for so
long
The ensuring three years were a David
and Goliath contest between Thailand's
adolescent democratic institutions and
authoritarian forces girded up by a
cumulative total of $1 billion in U.S. aid.
Goliath won. in part because even after
Indochina had fallen. U.S. officials still
considered American military ronve
nience more important than Thai demo
cracy.
U.S. intelligence agents began harrass
ing Thailand's democratic government
within two months of its formation. But
the turning point waa the May 1975
Mayagüez incident. Eager for a display
of military machismo following the fall of
Saigon. President Ford ignored the pro
tests of the Thai government, and used
Thai bases to attack the Cambodian port
of Kanipong Som
even though the
Khmer Rouge already had released the
ship and its crew.
The raid was a cameo of an entire
generation of misplaced American priori
ties. It achieved nothing militarily in
Cambodia. But it irrevocably polarized
Thai politics
between the democrats,
who protested the U.S. violation of Thai
sovereignty, and the opponents of demo
cracy, who supported it.
“Parliamentary democracy had three
years to combat authoritarian inatitu
tions nourished by 25 years of American
larges*." Thailand's former pnme mini
ster, M .R. Kukrit Pramoj. later remark
ed "It was a most uneven contest."
Ijesa than 18 months after the defeat in
Indorhina. Thai democracy was indeed
dead, but not as U.S. doctrine had
predicted. Instead of "going communist"
following the left wing victories in Indo
china. Thailand veered violently to the
right. The generals seized power again.
It only is within the context of Thai
land's recent repressive excesses, there
fore, that the recent coup gives cause for
even the most qualified optimism The
(Please turn to page Page 5 Column 1)
1st Place
Best Ad Results
O NPA 1973
■nibscnptiona $7.50 per year in the Tri-County area. $8.00 per
year outside Portland
5th Ptac.
Beat f-ditoriaJ
N N P A 1973
Seeood C ltM Postage Paid at Portland Oregon
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Editor Publisher
ol whether he should have Ire n admitted
lo the medical school It questions the
constitutionality of affirmative action
programs nation wxt«-. Bakke rlaims that
the Davis sfH-cial admissions program
violated the equal protection clauses of
the 14th Amendment
No actual trial was held Bather, the
judge who heard the evidence in the case
ruled lhal Ihe Davis program did discri
mmale against Bakke because of his rare
anil was therefore unconstitutional He
also concluded that Bakke was not en
titksl to an oriicr of adm ission lo Davis
As a result Ixith parlies i Bakke anil I If
Davis) ap|M-alcd the ih-eision. On Feh
ruary 22. 1977 the U.S. Supreme Court
accepted for argument Bakke vs. the
Regents of the University of California
The .lust h i - Department, after eonxiv
tent pressure from the Congressional
Black ( aucus and civil rights leaik-rs.
recently filed a brief in Ihe rase which
affirms the use of affirmative action
programs to overcome Ihe efforts of past
discrimination
Thi- brief urges the Supreme Court to
reverse ihe California Supreme Court
ruling outlawing the use of race as a
factor in I he administration of affirmative
action programs
II also asks that Ihe
high court vacate and remand to the slate
court the question of Allan Bakkes
admission so that more facts ran he
ascertained on the matter.
I am indeed heartened by I hi- vertial
commitments to affirmative action ex
pressed by the Carter Administration
The exrlusion of Itlarks and women, ami
Ihe over representation of while males
was once the norm
Affirmative action programs are help
ing lo erode that concept, and it is my
wish to raise the level of minority
education to the point where struggles
over quotas and goals are merely a thing
of tin- past.
H o n o rab le M e n tio n
The Portland Observer s official position is expressed only in
its Publishers column (We 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
$ 7 .5 0
in Tri—County Aroa
$ 8 .0 0
Other
Herrick Editorial Award
N N A 1973
2nd Place
Beat Editorial
3rd Place
( ommuaitv L nadsrsbi,»
O NPA 1875
NatioonJ Adverttstag Re weoentauv»
Name
Address
State
City
O b server
Box 3137
r
9 7 2 0 8 Zip
t
I