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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1978)
r u m a n a vD server L u rj U m «39520 :. Cnrrea.wadent «35021, Webster» New World Dictionary de fines rehabilitation aa, among other things. in sociology; to restore (a dependent, defective, or criminal) to a state of physical, mental and moral health ing this concept of rehabilitation, (and the correctional systems’ attempts at same) there are many men and women uselessly and wrongfully, incarcerated in our pri son systems today. Most psychologists agree that the human personality is developed by eighteen months of age (the so-called Primal Urge Theory). And from that age on, it is just a m atter of acting out ones life with behavior patterns of which the individual has virtually no control. Fol lowing this reasoning, how does one "restore" an individual to a state in which he has never been? Adhering to the “Primal Urge Theory" that is accepted by so many of the leading medical authorities of this day, (not withstanding the hint at reincarnation and karmic law that this theory could imply to the discerning eye,) it follows that some people are constitutionally incapable of differentiating between "right and wrong" as classified by our Society. Is it just, therefore, to punish these people for their native inability to construe right from wrong? I think not. Still, every day, hundreds of morally retarded individuals are sent to prison. People that know the acts they commit will lead them to incarceration, but are helpless to the way their minds can rationalize the committing of what so ciety as termed crime (i.e. immoral acts) e.g. theft, rape, murder, etc. 1 agree these people should be isolated from society, but in such a way that re-motivation, rather than punishment, is stressed. One does not punish ones child because that child is not bright enough to compete with his peers. Society does not punish a being that happens to be born into this life a physical or mental cripple. This holds true in every aspect of human endeavor except that dealing with the so-called criminal mind which, to me, is synonymous with moral retardation. Is a machine more valuable than a human life? No, but when a machine is unable to function properly it is not warehoused for months or years, then expected to work again when brought back into use. I t is sent to the shop and examined minutely to discover wherein lies the malfunction. Then it is repaired and sent back into the world rehabili 0 .8 J*. 30 ft. walls Gun towers manned by Star W ar storm troopers Death missies honed in with lasers They seldom ever miss Locked down at 0930 hours Awoke 0730 hours Too tight, to be loose 5 minute telephone conversations on a three way line can’t get sexy important things to say ler. . Garner served as Chairman of the Oregon Platform and Resolution Commit tee of the Democratic Party. During the 1976 election he worked for the party as the Portland metropolitan area coordina tor for voter registration and the “get- out-the vote" drive. In this capacity he worked closely with the Albina Voter Registration and Education Project in registering Black voters. “The Black com munity is becoming more involved politi cally and can become a deciding factor in many races.” Gardner worked with Common Cause to draft a bill that became the Election Day Registration Law, allowing citizens to register to vote up to and including election day. “I believe the bill was very important. The candidate's activities and public interest in the election reaches a peak just before the election. Many people would get interested in a candi date or an issue and decide they wanted —.«• * A highly secured fortress this Joint O.S.P. . . . UNION OR COMPANY DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable asset. . . your health and appearance C O M P L E T E C O O PERATIO N ON A L L DENTAL INSURANCE CLAIMS WE HANDLE ALL THE DETAI IA OF COMPLETING YOUR CLAIM FORMS NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED Com« in at your convenience PARK FREE-Any Park n Shop Lot HOURS. D e n tis t 8.W. 3RD A YAMHILL 8T., PORTLAND, OREGON TAKE ELEVATORTO 2ND FLOOR 3RD 8T. ENTRANCE JIM G A R D N E R to vote, only to find out that it was too late to register so they couldn’t vote." Other related laws, for example registra tion by mail, have made the registration process easier. Gardner and his wife are attempting to visit every home in the district before the primary election. “We are taking a poll of the peoples needs and desires. This is not a one-time poll, but an instrument I will use to formulate my legislative activi ties.” The poll is unique in that rather than just a paper poll, all those who return the questionnaire will be called so they can discuss their opinions. T ake a G IA N T ST E P in the March of Dimes WALKATHON TO PR O TEC T TH E U N B O R N A N D TH E N E W B O R N by Wfl H. Kendrick «38976 I was born on June 18, 1943, in Los Angeles, California - the fourth of eleven children, eight sisters and two brothers - so my life in sports started at a very young age. As far back as I can remember my life has involved sports of some kind, from street fighting to orga nized activities in school programs, such as baseball, basketball, football and track and field. The dream of my life was to play professional football and become a super- star, which I think is every young mans dream at one point in his life. M y big opportunity came in June 1966 when I received a letter by invitation to come to Denver, Colorado as a free agent on a trial basis. I t meant that I was going to have the opportunity to fulfill my dream. During Spring Training I was begin ning to get into form, as far as timing on hand-offs and the quickness needed to get through the opening, I was a running back. Pre-season finally came and the coach gave me my big opportunity to start the first pre-season .game, and my intensity was running high. I f 1 could just yelax I would be okay, but sure enough when we got the bali on the first play my fears came true I fumbled on our twenty yard line, so I was really feeling low. A ll the season players assured me that it was alright everyone fumbles sometime and not to worry about it. But I still couldn't put it out of my mind for I knew if it happened again I would sit on the bench. The very next time we got the ball the quarterback called my play up the middle, this time luck was on my side, I broke the play up the middle for forty yards gain. Everyone was slapping me on the back, it made me proud. I didn't get the ball anymore until the second half. The same play was called, only this time bad luck was staring me in the face, the defensive linebacker and cornerback. I don't remember too much after that, except waking up to find myself in a hospital bed with both legs in casts. I knew that I was out for the rest of the season. Come to find out from the Doctor, I would not only never play football again, but also never walk again. A fter my casts were removed I was put on a weightlifting program to regain strength in my legs. By faith or a will and determination to walk I was able to. I was not able to continue with football but I decided to continue working out with my weightlifting and, in September 1971 some friends talked me into entering the Northwest Bench Press contest in Port land, I did and placed second, with a lift of 400 pounds. Since then my best bench press was 485 pounds. In 1971 I entered the M r. Northwest and M r. Pacific Coast Physi que Contest. I never placed in the top five, but my hopes are still high that one day I too will be number one. THIS SPACE CONTRIBUTED BY THE PUBLISHER American State Bank 2 7 3 7 N.E. Union 282-2216 Come Now and Save! Spring classes will be available for Senior Citizens, offered through the Portland Park Bureau's Senior Recrea tion Project. All classes are free; participants may register from March 20th April 7th, at each listed facility. Classes begin the week of March 27th-31st, and end the week of May 8th 12th. 1. Beach School, 1710 N . Humboldt, Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.. Crafts - T. Schulz. 2. Overlook C.C., 3839 N. Melrose, Fridays, 2:30 p.m., Discuss - T.B .A .; Fridays, 10:30 a.m.. Exercise - V.R. Johnson. 3. Peninsula Park, 6400 N. Albina, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.. Exercise - V.R. Johnson. 4. St. Johns C.C., 8247 N. Central, Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m.. Crafts -- T. Schulz. 5. M att Dishman, 77 N .E . Knott, Wed nesdays, 10:30 a.m.. A r t - N. McKimens. 6. Senior Adult Service Center, 3804 N.E. Union, there will be a swimming group for seniors at 1:15 p.m., Mondays. For further information, call Rob Jef fries at 288-6339. SMITH’ iwj MAYTAG J _ M AYTAG Heavy Duty 7 Washers / Senior citizens classes set 30 ft. walls Guntowers in the flower beds Temperatures rising summer’s on the way Plastic sky above I ’ve never seen a star Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, Jim Gardner. 31, is a candidate for the Oregon Senate. He is seeking the seat now held by Raul Sota Seelig, who was appointed by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners to fill the posi lion vacated by Betty Roberts who was appointed to a judgeship. Gardner, who is an attorney, served as legal advisor to Justice Stewart Potter of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge Alfred T. Goodwin of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Portland. He is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School. He currently is a member of the law firm of Lindsay, Nahstoll, H art, Neil and Weig- Juüu. D. Snowden «38013, Poetry Editer Unfortunately, a malfunctioning hu man being must be re-programmed in some way as to instill a whole new concept of morality. If a person commits theft just because he is without funds, the simple act of furnishing him with the ability to earn an adequate, steady income isn’t going to keep him from stealing again. Vocational and educa tional training in prison is a wonderful thing, a far cry from the medieval system of even twenty years ago. And with some individuals these programs work. They furnish the man that chooses to be rehabilitated with a concrete foundation from which begins the process that, hopefully, culminates in remotivation. Yes, it works for some people, usually the poorly educated, vocationally handi capped individual who with proper schooling and training would not have committed the acts that brought him to prison in the first place. But what about the others; the recidi vists, the hard-core con; the intelligent, well-educated individual who already pos sesses all the tools (except moral re straint.) necessary to maintain a purpose ful existence in society? This man, with all his intelligences, experience, and street knowledge; knowing with a cer tainty that to commit a crime is to be caught, and to be caught is to get locked up; with this certain knowledge, (of which he will never admit) he is still able to justify, in his own mind, going out and robbing, raping, murdering, etc. without any pangs of conscience and the certain conviction that he will continue to get away with his crimes again and again. Why? Is it because he enjoys being incar cerated? I think not. Is it because of the thrill, the excitement of the chase, so to speak? In some cases this is true, (see Leopold/Loeb, et al). O r is it because of some inherent inability to cope with the ethics of a society that is so alien to his nature that he is literally helpless (in and of himself) to understand what drives him, against all reason, to continue to do harm to his fellows, society, and himself? I do not profess to have the answers. But before the-e ,s ever to be any hope of true rehabilii.vion in our prison system these questions must be pondered, and possible solutions investigated. The public must be educated to the fact that people commit crimes, because of a basic moral im m aturity, not because of any desire to do wrong. Page 3 Gardener seeks Senate seat Behind the wall O.8.P. («rrea;MMMÌeot in u rM ay. March 23, 1978 . Dependable heavy duty construction •■AJJ1 rir rvcle selections • Energy-saving • Long nte « b in et • Fabric *>*ene, d « £ n; i r . Tough poly pump • Self-cleaning porcelain enamel wash baske Sale P riced ! Save Now on Maytag Dependability P51 PCC classes begin March 27th Spring term classes start at Portland Community College the week of March 27th. All night classes begin March 27th and day sessions start on March 28th. Open registration is set for March 27th. Open registration hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 6:00-8:00 p.m. the first day. On Tuesday through Thursday the hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday's registration period will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students should see an advisor and then register at the appropriate spot. A t the Cascade Center, 705 N. Killings - worth, registration is held in the audi torium. A t the Sylvania Center, 12000 S.W. 49th Avenue, registration takes place in the College Center Mall. Continuous registration takes place at the Rock Creek Center, 17705 N.W . Springville Road. Many modular pro grams and open entry/open exit courses allow more flexible scheduling at that center. Registration may be handled at any of the PCC centers, but the process is expedited if students register at the center where they plan to attend classes. Schedule of classes are available at all centers or through phone requests. Widows, widowers get tax break A taxpayer who meets certain require ments is entitled to the special benefit for certain widows and widowers for 1977 if the spouse died in 1975 or 1976, according to Ralph B. Short, District Director of Internal Revenue in Oregon. The law provides that if a spouse died within the two tax years preceding the year for which the return is being filed, and if certain other requirements are met, then the taxpayer is entitled to a special split-income benefit. Four requirements for obtaining the benefit are that the taxpayer must have been entitled to file a joint return, even if one was actually not filed, for the year of the death; must not have married before the close of the current tax year; must have a child or stepchild who qualified as a dependent; and must furnish over half the cost of maintaining a home which is the principal residence for the dependent child or stepchild for the entire year. To avail himself or herself of this benefit, taxpayers who meet the require ment should file Form 1040, check Block 5 under filing status, "Qualifying Wi- dow(er) with Dependent Child” and fi gure the tax using the "Married Filing Jointly” column. The last year a tax pay e? may file jointly with, or claim an exemption for, a deceased spouse is the year of the death, M r. Short said. 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