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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1978)
P *0« 2 Portland Observer Thursday. Septamber 21. 1978 O u r heritago, O u r ch alU n g « 'To Set Afoot a New Maa’ by H erb L. Cawthorne "Z «r»i u.sfwm«7 io think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institu tions. ” President Carter took an enormous gamble White the city administrator tor aging programs when he invited the warring Israeli and Egyptian is extolling the virtues of Measure 6, the elderly rulers to an unprecedented conference at Camp citizens are worrying that the tew programs they David. Credited by Begin and Sadat for his have will be taken away. leadership in the conference. Carter was able to It is a crime that in this day end age. older citizens still have to worry about how they will announce to the world that great progress toward buy food, medicine and still pay the rent. Right peace was made. A side effect of this announcement was to here in Portland old people who have worked all of their lives raising families and trying to make raise Carter's image a few points on the polls. the nation a better place to live are dying of Under unceasing attack by the press. Carter's malnutrition. They have neither the food nor the public image has slipped badly and had the Camp David talks failed he would have been in trouble. teeth for proper nutrition. Yet Carter took that chance and this time his They must use their meager pensions for rent and utilities and often are sick from the cold. courage was rewarded with success. We can Some are known to spend their days in bed to only hope that should the peace effort now be stay warm. Others, who are able, spend the cold reversed, the blame be placed squarely where it days away from home — anywhere that is belongs, on Israel's prime minister Menachem Begin. reasonably warm. Another man who took a chance and won is Transportation is another major problem. In Governor Bob Straub. Calling a special session to terested community citizens provide a once-a- month luncheon for the seniors, but many have deal with Measure 6 was a politically dangerous no way to get there — especially in cold or wet act, opposed by many of his own party. Had the legislature failed to write an alternative weather. Many senior citizens cannot sew, read, or that he could support, Straub would have been watch TV because they do not have necessary left out in the cold. To add to the problem, Straub's opponent. State Senator Victor Atiyeh glasses or hearing aids. was busily trying to get his own measure, a Yet they are told that $1 million might be lop cleaned up version of Measure 6, through the ped off the small budget that attempts to meet legislature. some of these needs. Straub won that round, but deserves credit for A community meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m., September 29th, at the Senior Adult Ser risking everything in an attempt to save the vice Center, to address the needs of the elderly people from the devastation of Measure 6. citizens. The 'leaders'' of the community should be at this meeting to provide assistance and sup port for the trying days ahead. Politics before principles Student safety absent Last weekend a young man was killed in a motorcycle/car accident at the intersection of Rodney and Tillamook. This is a dangerous cor ner, where according to several neighbors, frequent accidents occur. It also is a corner where school children wait for their bus. Last year a car crashed over the sidewalk and into an apartment building on 6th and Alberta. Several children who had been standing on that corner had boarded their bus and left just minutes before the crash occurred. Parents complained. Children still stand in the rain on that corner waiting for their bus although King Schoo! is less than half a biock away. Just a block from the school, in another direction, another group of students stand waiting in the rain. It does seem that a little more consideration could be given to these young children — that they could wait in safe and dry areas. Will the school district wait until a child is killed before they will see to the safety of our children? We all know that politics makes the world go round. Politics can be gentle persuasion, negotiation and compromise, or “ you pat my back and I'll pat yours,’’ or it can be strong arm tactics designed to have one's way at all cost. An example of the latter type happened re cently when the long arm of the School Board reached to Salem and pressured the Attorney General's office not to w rite an opinion designating “ Minority Business Enterprise" as dealing with ownership and stating that this use is legal in Oregon. Fortunately Attorney General Jim Redden had the courage to do what he con siders to be right. Another example of "strong arm" politics was the scolding of Gregg Batiste for his statements opposing the School Board's proposal definition of "Minority Business Enterprise' based on em ployment, and supporting his statement with the Attorney General's letter. It seems that one of our local politicians has forgotten the words of our great statesman and Senator, Wayne Morse, "P rinciples before politics." The rush to make political points has left the school district in a position to foster ridicule and hopefully a court suit. Iä t Place C o m m u m ty Service O N P A 1973 PORTLAND OBSERVER 1at Place Best Ad Pesulta O N P A 1973 Published ever) Thursday by Exie Publishing Companv. 2201 North killingsworth. Portland. Oregon 9"2I7. Mailing address: P.O. Bo» 313". Portland. Oregon ‘T20* Telephone 283 24W, ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher H onoreble M e n tio n Second Class Postage Paid at P o rtla n d . Oregon H errich Editorisi A w ard N N A 197 3 The Portland O b servers official position is expressed only in its Publisher's column (W e 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 ,n T ri-C o u n ty A re a In The Wretched o f the Earth, F ra n z Fano n le ft us w ith the challenge that our struggle demands in this modern age. “ Come, then, comrades, it would be as well to decide at once to change our ways. W e must shake o f f the heavy darkness in which we were plunged, and leave it behind. The new day which is already at hand must find us firm , prudent and resolute . . . we must turn over a new leaf, we must work out new concepts, and try to set afoot a new man ” by Fungat N . Sengerwe Kumbula The situation in Rhodesia reminds me so much o f a picture that keeps going in and out o f focus. A t times everything seems clear enough, as if the persistent problem is fin a lly headed fo r a solution. B ut, each time, without fail, something always happens to cloud the issue. Things have been like this ever since the set tlers First arrived to ‘civilize* Z im babwe. I f it were a normal country, Zimbabwe would have been free fif teen-twenty years ago. The latest trip -u p occurred two weeks back with the shooting down o f that A ir Rhodesia plane near Kariba and the subsequent deaths of 48 o f the 56 whites on board. As usual, the American media pounced on this like a hawk pouncing on a rabbit. Every day now for a whole week, it has been: ’Smith on national T V , ’ ‘ N k o m o denies m e e tin g ,’ ’ Kaunda appeals to B ritain,’ ‘Smith declares lim ite d m a rtia l la w ,’ ‘ N k o m o claims responsibility for shooting down o f plane,’ ‘ Front line Presidents’ meeting concludes incon clusively,’ ‘ A ll parties' conference now dead’ , etc. etc. etc. And in all these stones, all the writers made repeated references to “ the murder o f the 48 innocent whites’ * and the revenge promised by Smith and his cohorts. The declaration of a limited form o f martial law will make very little difference to most o f the Blacks since a state o f emergency declared in 196? and still in effect affected them more than any other group o f people. W hat it will mean though, is that what little “ freedoms” they had will now be taken away. For the whites, it will also make very little difference since they have always had preferen tial treatment anyway. The only d if ference w o u ld be that now they would be liable to be called upon at any moment to “ defend their way of life .” In his latest speech. Sm ith in dicated he might attack both Zambia and M o za m b iq u e to " liq u id a te guerilla bases." The problem with both countries is that they do not have v ia b le a ir forces and are therefore virtually defenseless when Rhodesian bombers come to attack. Rhodesia inherited her air force from the now d e fu n c t F e d e ra tio n o f Rhodesia and Nyasaland as well as the bulk o f its army. Zambia (then called N orthern Rhodesia) had to start from scratch. There has been speculation that both M o za m b iq u e and Z a m b ia might request the aid o f the Cubans in defending themselves. But, that approach is highly unlikely because, for one, the Cubans are committed in too m any places elsewhere a lre a d y . F o r a n o th e r, Kenneth Kaunda, the President o f Zambia is so stridently pro-West and would balk at inviting the Cubans for fear T o the Editor: o,her P.O. Box 3137 C i t y _______________________________ ■» I Go slow, they say — While the bite O f the dog is fast. Go Slow, Z hear — While they tell me You can’t eat here! You can ’I live here! You can ‘I work here! Don "t demonstrate! W ail! While they lock the gate. Martial law in Rhodesia: So what else is new? O N P A 1*75 PORTLAND OBSERVER Address G O SLO W o f alienating his Western ‘allies.’ If they were invited to Mozambique, it is highly unlikely they would get in volved in the Fighting in Zimbabwe because Robert Mugabe, co-leader of the Patriotic Front, has been op posed to this. H e has co rrectly stated: “ We are our own liberators.” Smith would very much like for the Cubans to get involved so he can summon help from the West. There are so many people who would like to back him but so far do not have the excuse. I f the Cubans do get in volved militarily that would be the excuse he has been waiting for to come to bail out Smith. Journalists like to speculate as to the final outcome in Zimbabwe. One theory being tossed around is that S m ith w ould lik e to dum p Muzorewa, one o f his partners in the interim ad m in istratio n, and align him self w ith Joshua N ko m o , co leader o f the Patriotic Front — the so-called alliance o f minorities. Also rumours continue to surface about efforts at establishing contacts be tween M ugabe and M u zo re w a , a formidable alliance. This alliance is being to u ted as being fa r m ore workable than the present Nkomo- Mugabe alliance. And you thought you had heard it a ll! L ik e the A m ericans say ‘ Y ou a in 't heard nothin g y e t!’ T h e Z im b a b w e tragicom edy isn’ t over by a long shot. Conflict of interest 3rd Place C om m u nity Leadership O N P A 1978 $ 8 .0 0 In recent weeks I have gotten a good deal o f personal advice and questions fro m m any d iffe re n t people. In the process, a healthy one for me. 1 have come to realize one reason why we so often fail to make the kind o f progress which bestows the benefits o f A m erican society upon our people in an equal manner. The reason is reflected in an attitude, a fe a rfu l stance, a d e b ilita tin g hesitation — all because the system o f A m e ric an p re ju d ic e has con ditioned too many o f us to stand back and "lo o k out exclusively for Number O n e ." 1 spoke out during the controversy over the screening process the Board o f E d u c a tio n used to select a replacement for Ms. Gladys McCoy. T h a t, coupled w ith the tense discussion now taking place regard ing desegregation, caused a certain destructive attitude to be placed in my path several times. The state o f mind about which I am talking came first in a question: "H o w will your speaking out like this a ffe c t your jo b ? " Then it came dressed in a veiled and fearful tone: " T h is could affect your television show or y o u r w ritin g in the newspaper, you k n o w ." The un m istakable impression was that a Black man should look out for him behind the fe a rfu l w a ll o f an exaggerated concern for his job, for his status, for his own selfish future. He is so unconcerned about hjs community, so willing to sacrifice anything for his moment o f personal security, he becomes the chief in strument in the Divide and Conquer philosophy. He is the one who says, " D o n ’ t speak o u t, d o n ’ t m ake waves, don’ t call attention to our plight.” This is the person who, in the words o f Langston Hughes, con stantly impedes our progress with bad advice: JL c OM! to thl Sdito 2nd Place Best Editorisi 3rd Place C om m u m ty Leadership N atio n a l A dvertising R ep resentative A m a lg a m a te d Publishers. Inc N ew York $ 7 .5 0 Ralph Waldo Emerson "Self-Reliance" 6th Place Best Editorisi N N P A 1*73 Subscriptions: 1 7.JO per year in the Tri-County area. M OO per year outside Portland. self, no matter what goes down in the community. Too many Black people have been conditioned to w orry about their jobs first. As the "last hired and first fire d ," we knew it makes good sense to worry about one’s means o f em ployment or one’s livelihood. In the process, how ever, this legitim ate concern has become so perverted, so self-centered, that nothing else seems important. Even those actions which do not threaten our jobs and per sonal security are avoided. The daily struggle o f our oppressed people, therefore, is secondary. Our personal situation is first. In reality, though, one cannot be separated from the other. As our community is strong, so are we strong as individuals. " A race o f people is like an individual," said Malcolm X , adding that "u ntil it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirm s its own selfhood, it can never fu lfill itself.” I f more o f us could stop worrying so exclusively about our jo b and about our personal circumstances, perhaps collectively we could move together in ways which, ultimately, w ill create better jobs and more stable personal circumstances for everyone in our community. On the other hand, if everything politically is measured by the narrow yardstick o f “ m y” individual gain or " m y ” individual loss, then most of our people will always feel lonely and isolated. An isolated individual is in secure. H e or she w ill never act boldly in support o f those less for tunate. This person will hide forever A fte r reading the August 29th column o f 'Behind the W a ll', on how the Oregon Prisoners Legal Services arc misusing the people in prison by their phony representation, for the First time I felt an urge to write my feelings to the ‘colum n.’ First I would like to thank Larry B aker, the O .S .P . Correspondent and the Portland Observer for him and his staff putting together news worthy articles each week o f many of the things that go on in this prison. But more so I am thankful that the Black community has knowledge First hand on how Black prisoners who are sent to prison in this state are the First to be exploited. The question has been brought up many times, why hasn’t the Oregon Prisoners Legal Services defended Black prisoners’ civil rights cases as th o ro u g h ly as they have w hite prisoners’ over the last two years. Is it because they refuse to hire any Black people to work in their office? I have heard many Black prisoners com plain how the PLS attorneys would not even answer a Black in mate's request when they were called upon, especially when it came to civil rights issues concerning their incar ceration or the treatment they were receiving. Now that the full story has been exposed on who’s funding them, is it a w onder why the O rego n Bar Association and the Law Enforce ment Assistance Association would even fund such a legal organization? Since they are doing n othin g to p ro tea the civil rights o f people in prison some o f the legislators should be asking for a full investigation on where the taxpayers money is going that pays for such a service to be provided for prisoners. W hy were the facts kept so secret that the Prisoners Legal Services was receiving local fu n din g fro m the Oregon Division o f Corrections? There have never been so many Black people placed in our Oregon prisons in Oregon's history, and now it is only more sickening to find out that they are there being exploited by agencies like the Prisoners Legal Ser vices who are supposed to be helping them with federal funds to protect their civil rights. It is very fortunate that PLS is not located in A lbina, in stead of safely tucked away in Salem. There must be another route found to give prisoners who have no money to have their legal rights protected. I hope the ’ Behind the W a ll’ column can suggest more in their future ar ticles. Keep up the good reporting to the public so that they know what their (axes are paying fo r behind closed doors. Thank You, Richard W ilbrun « 8 7 5 7 I
