I
’ *“#»' 2
Portland Observer
Thursday. January 12. I97f>
The importance of economic growth
We see the world
through Black eyes
A Band-aid on a Cancer?
"T h e y p ut a b a n d -a id on o c a n c e r" w as the
o p in io n o f o ne spectator a fte r the M o n d a y nigh?
School Board m e e tin g
Using the school district's o w n statistics the
C o m m u n ity C o a litio n fo r School In te g ra tio n had
d em on strate d th a t fo rce d busing o f Boise and King
students proposed by th e Board w as not necessary.
N e ith e r w as m uch o f the m a n d a to ry busing o u t o f
Black h ig h school students that has bee n ta k in g p la ce
fo r several years.
The a nsw er to the question o f "ra c ia l is o la tio n " a t
Jefferson is q u ite sim ple.
Just e nfo rce cu rren t
a tte n d a n ce p o licie s because if the w h ite students
liv in g in th e Je ffe rso n district a tte n d e d Jefferson, the
school w o u ld be o v e rw h e lm in g ly w h ite .
The C o a litio n m ad e th re e re co m m e n d a tio n s . The
C o a litio n said "e n fo rc e the a tte n d a n ce a re a b o u n
d a rie s ." S u p e rin te n d e n t Robert B lanchard re p lie d
th a t the in v e s tig a tio n necessary to check addresses
w o u ld cost to o m uch so this ca n n o t be don e.
The C o a litio n asked that since m ore Benson
students co m e fro m Je ffe rso n th e n a n y o th e r school,
adm issio n to Benson be lim ite d to a rea son ab le
n u m b e r o f " q u a lif ie d " students.
Dr. B lanchard
re p lie d th a t odm ission ca nn ot be lim ite d because o f
oddress w ith o u t causing leg al p ro ble m s. If a dm issio n
o f m in o rity students to Benson d o not reach 15
p ercen t he w ill reserve 15 p e rce n t o f the vacancies
u n til S eptem ber to g iv e m o re tim e to re c ru it
m in o ritie s This can h e lp o n ly if th e re is an e ffe c tiv e
e ffo rt to re c ru it m in o ritie s to Benson, b ut it is a sm all
concession to the C o a litio n p o sitio n .
Parents say students a t Benson ra n g e fro m th e very
b rig h t, d e d ica te d students, that th e school professes
to re cru it to the slow le a rn e r. A fra n k discussion o f
the q u a lific a tio n s fo r a nd p ro gram s o ffe re d at
Benson w o u ld shed som e lig h t on this aspect c f the
d e se g re g a tio n issue.
The C o a litio n asked th a t Je ffe rso n's m agnets be
b ro a d e n e d a nd h ig h ly p u b lic iz e d so they w ill d ra w
m ore students. Dr. B lanchard reco m m e n d e d th a t the
p e rfo rm in g arts m a g n e t be e n la rg e d to in clu d e
instru m e ntal m usic.
He advised that a strong
re cru itin g p ro g ra m is u n d e rw a y - a id e d by a ta b lo id
N o bussing ntxT year son
i t c a m t to late. -For you,
but maybe your othtrj
b ro th e rs W on't
1
have to Fight so
h a rd For a good
e d u c a tio n I I I
new spaper d e scrib in g m ag ne t program s g o in g to
e very e ig h th g ra de r. The o n ly p ro b le m w ith this is
that besides p ro m o tin g the m agnets at Je ffe rso n,
C leveland, Lincoln and A dam s, it also prom otes
Benson a nd M on ro e.
As fo r the C o a litio n 's re c o m m e n d a tio n th a t the
g e n e ra l a c a d e m ic p ro g ra m at Je ffe rso n be o f the
highest q u a lity so it could a ttract ond h o ld n e ig h b o r
hood students. Dr. B lanchard said the "F a c u lty and
a d m in is tra tio n a t Je ffe rso n have w o rk e d d ilig e n tly to
im p ro ve th e ir g e n e ra l a c a d e m ic p ro g ra m a n d to
m eet th e needs o f n e ig h b o rh o o d as w e ll as tran sfe r
students...I b e lie v e that c o n tin u e d e ffo rt in this
d ire c tio n w ill address as a hig h p rio rity our g o a l o f
stren gthe nin g both the s p e cia lize d a nd a c a d e m ic
program s at J e ffe rs o n ."
It is u n fo rtu n a te th a t Dr. B lanchard d id not in c lu d e
the co m m u n ity in p la n n in g fo r m a g n e t e xp a n s io n , if
any, a nd fo r g e n e ra l a cad em ic im p ro ve m e n ts. This
w o u ld have been an o p p o rtu n ity to b rin g m ore
parents and co m m u n ity m em bers into th e process
and d e te rm in e w h a t program s the c o m m u n ity w ants
fo r its ch ild re n .
Thus, the a d o p tio n o f Dr. B lanchard's re c o m m e n
d ations d id little to e ffe c t the changes sought by the
C oa litio n .
The C o a litio n 's m a io r a c c o m p lis h m e n t — in the
eyes o f m any observers — w as to d em o n stra te that
the Board of Education has d e v e lo p e d a nd sustained
a p ro gram o f d e s e g re g a tio n th a t is m a n d a to ry fo r
Black students w ith o u t the p ro p e r facts to support
such a p ro gram . These facts w e re a v a ila b le to the
Board. The fa ct that the Board w o u ld ta ke a c tio n
w ith such a d is ru p tiv e im p act on c h ild re n , fa m ilie s
and c o m m u n ity , w ith o u t d e m a n d in g the fa cts to
support the need a n d w ith o u t c o m m u n ity in v o lv e
m ent is inco m p re h e n sib le .
This in its e lf sh o u ld
dem onstrate th a t c o m p re h e n s iv e analysis o f the
d istrict's d e s e g re g a tio n p ro g ra m is essential.
In the absence o f an analysis by the Board, the
C o a litio n w ill p e rfo rm this fu n c tio n .
It w ill be
interestin g to see w h e th e r the Board w ill be a b le to
accept the fa ct that m istakes w e re m ade a nd m o ve
d e cis iv e ly to correct the w ro ng s th a t have b ee n
fo rce d on the Black co m m u n ity fo r a ll o f these years.
1 hoptyouVc r ig h t mom |
B u t you'd b e tte r Keep
your eyes o p tn .T h em an
d o n t give awag ndthiiiq
ur le s s he's going
to gain double!
by Bayard Rustia
It has been said that nothing is more
crucial to the political success of the
Carter presidency than achieving enough
economic growth to bring about a stgnifi
cant and rapid reduction in unemploy
ment. If anything, this is an understate
ment.
The questions of how much
economic growth is desirable and how it
is to be achieved are emerging as central
issues in American politics.
Although the economy remains mired
in stagflation with high levels of both
unemployment and inflation, there ap
pears to be modest optimism about the
prospects for a relatively healthy ecu
nomy in 1978.
Unfortunately, modest
optimism means a rate of economic
growth that will reduce joblessness only
slightly. A t the same time, there is still a
real danger that growth will slow and
unemployment will again worsen. There
is also a smaller, though very troubling,
possibility of another recession with
negative real economic growth and an
explosive increase of joblessness.
Even modest optimism about the state
of the economy has extremely disturbing
implications for society. Nobel Prize
winning economist Paul Samuelson has
recently warned that the anticipated rate
of economic growth is ‘ not good enough
to realize Jimmy Carter's promises to
create jobs for youth, the unskilled, and
minority workers."
The longer we
endure high unemployment, the harder it
will be to achieve economic integration.
Black unemployment already appears to
be stuck at higher levels relative to
whites. This trend can be expected to
continue unless there is more rapid
growth.
The economy has recovered somewhat
from the depths of the recession, but it is
still far from full health. Although we art
less than half way back to prosperity and
full employment, powerful and influential
Murder of the mind
by Representative louis Stokes
National attention is focusing on a little
known, but highly controversial brain
operation called Psychosurgery.
This
highly experimental procedure has been
performed on hundreds of mental pa
tients, children, and even some prisoners
to control aberrant behavior, thoughts,
and emotions.
I t differs from normal brain surgery
ii.e. tumors, lesions, etc.) in that it is
[•erformed on non-diseased brain tissue.
Healthy tissue is destroyed and since
brain cells do not regenerate, the func
tioBs they govern are also obliterated.
The term psvehosurgery refers to a
variety of operative procedures.
The
most familiar form is the lobotomy which
is the amputation of the prefrontal,
bimedial or transorbital portions of the
brain. Included in this scope of psycho
surgery are those operative procedures
which cauterize, place lesions, or inject
foreign substances into specific areas of
the brain.
Some psychiatrists and neurosurgeons
have termed psychosurgery as "murder
of the mind." Yet o tte r medical profes
sionals feel that it is a legitimate way of
treating severe mental and behavioral
disorders. The controversy over this
experimentation is so great that I have
sponsored legislation prohibiting its prsc
tice in federally-funded institutions.
Furthermore, in 1974, the National
Research Act (Pub. L. 93-3481 was signed
into law. thereby creating the National
Commission for the Protection of Human
Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral
Research.
The Commission, which was asked to
make an indepth study on psychosurgery
and determine the appropriateness of its
use, recently submitted recommends
tions of its use to H E W Secretary Jo
Basically, the report recommends that
psychosurgery be used only to meet the
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this delicate procedure. The Commission,
also failed to add my recommendation to
their report that a minority person sits on
the proposed National Psychosurgery
Review Board.
They also rejected the findings of a
Special Minority Conference on Human
Experimentation sponsored by the Na
tional Urban Coalition.
The minority
report stated that psychosurgery should
not be performed on prisoners, or those
who are involuntarily confined in institu
tions. sexual deviants, social deviants, or
political dissenters, and that funds for
research should not be accepted from law
enforcement agencies, pharmaceutical
companies or other institutions that do
not hold paramount the patients personal
care.
In my letter to Secretary Califano. 1
also urged him to support my bill H R.
7371 which would prohibit psychosurgery
in federally connected health care facili
ties, prisons, and hospitals.
My decision to sponsor this legislation
has been baaed on four major premises:
1) psychosurgery has no therapeutic
value; 2) it is impossible to give informed
consent to psychosurgery because of the
experimental nature of the procedures; 3)
because of the potential to docilize its
victims, it violates the patients right to
freedom of speech since he loses his
ability to personally gain redress, and; 4)
psychosurgery has awesome potential as
a tool for the social and political repres
sion of minority groups, and political
dissenters.
If psychosurgery is not banned. Blacks,
the poor, the young and the social and
political activists are in danger of being
its victims. Even though the National
Commission for the Protection of Human
Subjects proposed certain safeguards in
their endorsement of this surgery, in my
opinion the practice of psychosurgery is
not amendable to effective regulations by
either the public or private sector, and
therefore, should be totally banned.
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health needs of individual patients, and
that an institutional review board (IRBI.
approved by the Department of H EW .
should be instituted for the protection of
the patient, especially when the subject is
a prisoner, minor, or mental patient.
I am unequivocably opposed to the
Commission's recommendations not only
because psychosurgery is dangerous, ex
perimental and of dubious medical value,
but because it also presents a clear and
present danger to disenfranchised mi
nority groups.
The danger in permitting psychosur
gery. in my opinion, is the possibility of a
politically inspired move to employ pay
chosurgery to "rehabilitate" prisoners,
"cure" sexual diviants, detoxify drug
addict», quiet unruly children and gen
erally silence political dissenters.
In fact, several years ago, two Boston
physicians suggested that urban rioters
may be suffering from "brain dysfunc
tion." Shortly thereafter, in 1968. it was
reported that three inmates at Califor
nia's Vacaville Prison were subjected to
psychosurgical procedures. In Michigan,
13 mental patients were lobotomized
before a court order averted further
procedures.
It is estimated that 40,000 prefrontal
lobotomies were performed in the U.S. in
the decade following 1940. Recent esti
mates reveal that between 500 and 600
psychosurgical operations are now per
formed each year. In order to prevent
further experiments and abuses, I have
asked H E W Secretary Califano, who ia
scheduled to act on the recommendations
by mid January to reject the findings of
the Commission
In my opinion, the report is inadequate,
inconclusive and incomplete. The Com
mission report is based on the studies of
four surgeons and included only 61 case
evaluations. This is not sufficient evi
dence on which to give the green light to
psychosurgery. Furthermore, only a few
surgeons in the country have expertise in
It could make
all the difference
in the world.
Community Service
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201
North Killingsworth. Portland, Oregon 97217. Mailing address
P.O. Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 9720b Telephone: 283 248fi
ALFRED !.. HENDERSON
Editor/Publisher
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P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r
voices now argue that this is about as
which does not place a burden on working
good as we can hope for Herbert Stein, a
people and the poor.
leading Republican economist, and A r
A common proposal for stimulating
thur Burns, the powerful outgoing chair
growth is a lax cut focused on invest
man of the Federal Reserve Hoard,
ment.
The idea is that jobs require
believe that a seven percent jobless rate
capital and, therefore, investment. Since
is full employment. While it is true that
most investment is done by high income
more youth, women, and minorities have
groups, it is contended that tax cuts
entered the labor market, this is not. as
should he concentrated on business and
Stein. Burns, and others would have us
the rich. The final, and often unstated,
think, the cause of high unemployment.
part of the proposal is that because
These new workers should be viewed as
energy and social security taxes are
an opportunity not a burden.
They
going up any way, low and middle income
increase the ability of the economy to
earners must pay more absolutely and as
achieve higher levels of non inflationary
a share of total taxes in order to provide
growth. Our high unemployment rate
"incentives" for the rich to invest. There
cannot he explained away as a structural
is an element of truth in this argument,
problem. Excessive unemployment ia not
but far less than is usually imagined and
restricted to "unemployables," secondary
certainly not enough to justify its obvious
workers, or groups especially affected by
and profoundly inegalitarian results. Jobs
government benefit programs.
do require capital, that is. plants, equip
The reason that unemployment re
ment, and so forth.
But with almost
mains so high is not really a mystery.
twenty percent of existing productive
Production simply has not grown enough
rapacity idle, it is not obvious that new
to generate the jobs needed to get us
investment is the way to generate jobs.
hack to prosperity. Between 1973 and
Business is unlikely to invest in new
1977, our annual growth rate averaged
plants when old ones are not being fully
only two percent.
used. What is needed instead is more
1 ear that growth will aggravate a
total demand for goods and services.
persistent inflation has been a powerful
The economy is presently operating
brake on the economy.
In both its
almost $200 billion below full employment
extreme and mild forms, this fear has
levels. This is a waste and extravagance
wrecked havoc without providing a solu
which a rational and humane society
tion to inflation. As demonstrated by
cannot afford. Moreover, with industry
Richard Nixon's deliberate slowing of
running well beneath capacity we should
the economy, a severe recession and
be able to achieve much faster economic
massive unemployment on a scale far
growth without increasing inflation
exceeding even our recent experience
The differences between those who
would be required to eliminate inflation.
would accept continuing high unemploy
The slow growth policies of recent years,
ment and those who urge quicker growth
a milder product of this fear, are doing
and full employment are much more than
little to reduce inflation, while extracting
economics. It is also a debate about what
a heavy economic and social cost. Slow
is a tolerable or just distribution of
ing the economy enough to reduce infla
economic resources
jobs, income, and
tion by one percentage point sacrifices
wealth - and the social priorities and
$100 billion of output in goods and
moral values that guide a society. Econo
services. It is increasingly apparent that
mic growth is an essential precondition if
what we need ia an anti inflation program
we are to expand economic and social
which is enthusiastically pro growth and
justice.
O b se rv e r
S ta te
Zip
Box 3137
97208
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