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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1978)
Page 4 Portland Observer Behind the wall Larry Baker 935021 O.S.P. Correspondent Once Daniel Berrigan wrote: "T o write about prisoners is a little like w riting about the dead. They are jealous o f their souls. They guard their thoughts, nurse their rages in secret.” When this Correspondent placed a sheet o f paper in his typewriter he tried to think o f a story interesting enough about prisoners' lives that would make sense to the reader. A ll o f a sudden his mind drew a blank as his fingers lightly tapped across the keys. Nothing happened, not a word or even a constructive sentence could be formulated in his mind. Bui a question did appear. Why? Why should the general public care one way or another what any of the prisoners th in k or say from behind these walls, with their mount ed gun towers? They no longer have any say within different matters that directly concern their well being. Many o f these same individuals have been legally labeled by the courts as 'society outcasts.’ ‘scum of the earth.’ ‘ psychos without any human exis tence.’ Furthermore, here it is, that time o f the biennium year again, when the most popular and controversial sub jects turn toward those who are to be counted in their steel cages each night. The incarcerated convicted felons. Prisoners, who come in all shape, color and size. Prisoners, who this year, will be publicized as an ex- pense burden to the State. Even in their small spaces o f hell (a cell), it is becoming the opinion o f the voters that the prisoner has become too comfortable. They are still not safely tucked away adequately enough in their dungeons to prevent being a threat to society. Or better yet, a threat to societies pocketbook. Since the adoption o f the 1977 ‘ metric system’ a lot o f the pressure has been delinquented fro m the Oregon State Parole Board, the power to determine when a prisoner is ready for parole — five, six, or seven years — they now must work under some rules, regulations, and procedures that state a prisoner can not be ready before ten, twenty or thirty years. In many cases this is telling the prisoner to ’ forget it . ’ Some voters are opposed to men and women convicted o f crimes spending that much time in prison and using that old cliche ‘ but we gotta feed ’ em’ . And then there are others who are under the impression that Ballot Measure 8 just might be the most ap propriate measure to elevate the problems concerning penal rehabili tation and expenditures. K ill 'em. The ‘death penalty’ (Measure 8) has been the most on-again, o ff- again, on-again penalty o f all the laws in Oregon's history. Since the State relieved the county sheriffs of the responsibility (executions) in 1803 the voters repealed it the following year. It was reinstated in Julius D. Snowden 938013 Poetry Editor 1920 and repealed again in 1964. In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court found plenty o f evidence that the death penalty discriminated against the minorities and the poor, so much in fact such statutes were found uncon stitutional. In the Corvallis Gazette- Times, October 17, 1978, Editorial: "F our years after the court's decision, a study o f the nation's death-row found that 62 percent o f them were unskilled, service or domestic workers, while only three percent came from professional or technical job ranks; it was also found that sixty percent o f the inmates were unem ployed at the time o f their crimes.” A re these individua ls who are promoting the ‘ death penalty* this year searching for the power and ex citement to kill? And what i f the death penalty is found as a deterrant over the next couple o f years. W ill the penalty be used on rapists in the 1981 election? W ill armed robbers be in fashion by 1983? Just think by 2001 ‘driving on a suspended license' could be the order-of-the-day. W ith this madness forming deeply within this Correspondent’s mind, he suddenly slammed his fist on his typewriter. Hey! I t ’s just a matter o f time before the ‘ death penalty* will sink to his level. Suddenly, fear and anger slowly become a mixed emotional-terror in the pit o f my stomach. Why not go all the way o ff into left field and Will Blacks vote? by Eddie N. Williams President, Joint Center For Political us to prove that the impact o f the Black vote in 1976 was not an ac cident; 2. They also provide an oppor tunity for Blacks to take maximum advantage o f th e ir considerable political potential in several states, in clu d in g Alabam a, Georgia, M ississippi, N o rth and South Carolina, where close races are ex pected in the November elections; 3. Aggressive voter participation w ill help to assure the election o f Black candidates; 4. The 1978 elections w ill signal the beginning o f the process o f gearing up for the Presidential elec tion in 1980. Studies The p o litic a l fu tu re o f Black America is literally in the hands o f Black youth. It is about time we let this fact sink in and begin to take a critical look at how steady those hands are. This assessment is necessary despite the plight o f 18 to 24-year-olds who are plagued by rising unemployment and declining expectations. A nalysis What we see is not reassuring. Black youth have the worst voter participation rate o f any other age group in the Black community and in the nation as a whole. What makes this situation both frightening and challenging today is that Black youth have the most to gain from aggressive p a rtic ip a tio n in the political process. As 23 percent o f the total Black voting-age population, 18 to 24-year- olds should want to use the political process to reduce th e ir unem ployment rate and to help develop policies and programs that w ill shape their lives and liv e lih o o d in the future. And, too, they should want to help keep Black political prospects on the incline in the 1978 elections. These elections are critical for Blacks for several reasons: 1. They offer an opportunity for Clearly, there is an urgent need to increase Black voter participation across the board. But there is an even greater need to get our youth on the right political track. What makes the participation o f Black youth so con spicuous and tro u b lin g is that it represents the waste o f vaste poten tia l — a waste that is often overlooked. In short, the Black youth vote is musclebound, and we have failed to do anything about it. There are 3.4 million Black youth between the ages o f 18 and 24. In 1976, only 38 percent o f them were registered and only 26 percent ac tually voted. This is significantly lower than the voter participation rate o f Blacks nationally: 59 percent were registered and 49 percent voted, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is lower still than the rate fo r white youth: 53 percent were registered and 45 percent voted. . . . U N IO N OR C O M P A N Y DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable asset . . . y o u r h e a lth and a p p e a ra n c e C O M P I.F.T E C O O P E R A TIO N O S Al.1, O E M A t I S ‘>t K A S C E C L A IM S W E H A S O U AU I I I ! DETAILS«» COMPLETING YOt R« I.AIM EDRMS NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED C o m e in a t y o u r c o n v e n ie ,n c e PARK FREE-Any Park n Shop Lot HO URS' " **k«Uvi> « :.» a.m to 5 p.m Saturday S:.'M4a.m to I p.m. Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, Dentist S AY . 3RD A YAMHILL NT . PORI L AM) /REGOS T ARE EI.EY ATOR TO2M ) FLOOR 3RD SI EN I R A V E Yet another reason for singling out Black youth is the fact that among eligible Black voters, 25 and above, 54 to 73 percent were registered in 1976 and 44 to 65 percent actually voted. That our youth are not pulling their political weight is the under statement o f the year. A n exam ination o f the Black youth vote yields some disturbing regional variations. In the South, where 18 to 24-year-olds are more numerous (1.8 m illion or 53 percent o f all Blacks in this age group) and where voter participation drives have been more intense, only 37 percent were registered in 1976 and only 26 percent voted. What this means is that for every youth who voted, three did not vote. What a waste! Voter participation by Black youth was highest in the N orth Central states where there are 672,000 eligible 18 to 24-year-olds. Here, 44 percent were registered and 32 per cent voted in 1976. In the Northeast, 37 percent o f Black youth were registered and 28 percent went to the polls; and, in the West, where Black youth represent only 9 percent o f the national total, registration was 40 percent and turn out was 22 percent. The 823,000 eligible youth voters in these two regions contributed only 214,000 votes in 1976. The point, we hope, is well made and well taken. We insist that our w elfare mothers, our sharecroppers, our two-job holders, our poor, and our infirm find the time to register and to vote. Isn’t it about time we insist that our youth pay their dues? This is the least we can do to help assure our political future. Public Schools (Continued from Page 1 Column 3) sive, thoughtful, and balanced in its treatm ent and in te rp re ta tio n o f available m aterial, and in the judgements made and recommen dations presented. The Board's response will obviously be affected not only by the Board’s commitment to improvement o f its integration programs, but by the quality and thrust o f the Coalition’ s report.” Neuman referred to what members o f the Board and staff have referred to as “ several fundamental points of disagreement involving the data and the interpretations o f data” which appear in the first draft. “ We simply must await receipt of the final report to learn in what way the C oalition has considered, ac counted for, weighed, and evaluated factual material. We shall expect, however, that the Coalition will wish the Board in its response, not only to recognize what may be accurate, wise, and constructive, but also to be frank in responding to any inadequacies, omissions, or misin terpretations o f data which may exist.” I make 'Measure 8’ retroactive? Has the image o f the Oregon convict grown so gross that he can no longer hide with his guilts in a 6x9 cement guarded cell? Some prisoners cannot help but feel angered. Anger that must be concealed with a smile before the guards, counselors, a priest and the pre-executors. Because o f a mistrust in exposing their true feelings — from being interpreted as rebellious. Anger and fear. Fear to relate honestly among their peers about their newly adopted public image; the prisoner can say nothing, because it could be miscon strued as a weakness. A prisoner no longer stands in judgement o f his own failures or suc cesses. No longer can one thrive for the incentive to overcome that life long chant being said, “ You're no good,” “ you’ re no good,” "y o u ’re not worth a damn.” Today a new voice sings from the sidewings o f the stage, "ten, twenty, sixty years, die.” There are no sorrows left in the w ill o f the people. Prisons have become a business leaving no room for reform. The last drop o f mercy drains from compassion. We prisoners must learn to hate our selves and return once again to a nothingness. And those o f us who have sinned against mans laws may even end up cussing God’s. Romans 12:19, ’ ’ Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.” You wanna bet? Not as long as people believeth upon "M easure 8’ ’ and unequal justice. So once again, the show must go on. The drama o f that long and last walk to the gallows, a chair, or an in jection room. The cost o f admissions once again becomes the will o f the people. Madness? Who! This Correspon dent? He has not tasted the sweetness of it yet. Although it might come one day — when those prison gates may open and at a passing glance a young man shackled and chained may march through on his way to the ‘ Death House.’ What type o f pain would be felt by this Correspondent i f the young man he just passed happened to be his son? 'Persons with dreams o f up ward mobility cannot serve the common people — and when elected to office make opportu nistic politicians, not public servants. ” Stata Repräsentative Wally Priestley Member, Portland Public School Board Paid tor by Dwnocrat» to Kaep Wally Priestley Fighting tor the People at the Capitol, Better Home Er Garden Handyman Book PEGGY JOSEPH Field Underwriter 283*5012 The New York Life agent in your community is a good person to know. A m erican S tate Bank "The Bank that integration built " 2737 N.E. Union Tft?.??-^ B SHOP IENO W S FOR B R A N D S you kn o w V A R IE T IE S y o u lik e SIZES y o u w o n ! • *411 i t MMwauki, • 141* • S I Murnaen Frwndlteat • • • • • J J rh B 10 ,1 B u r n ,< 4 . 12 2 n d B N . I O h u in N lo m b n -rl a t O r a a la , B o l . i p * M il l, e i a , „ I B in d - ' l l O iviM o n • O ok . • . • . 3 3 r. 3 » ,h 33^ la * . K in a B H I HancorS B I I O l» l ,l * n 4 B . . .n , ld . O e O B *» • fry G ro v e M t M t t * CM U M lV fO ( « ( K i l l EXODUS '■¿fcoÂt/i.ïm A d ttttt/ts s is t/ a n t / 1518 N E i r a / m r n / ^'e et/et KILLING SW O RTH PO RTLAND. OREG O N 9 7 2 , 1 2 8 4 -7 9 9 7 FACTS OF IM P O R T A N C E VOLUME V OCTOBER 1978 SERIES Directly, Exodus is working hard to improve the HEALTH, SAFETY and MENTAL OUTLOOK of people living in our community. One indirect result of our work in treating Alcoholism is the reduction of crime and crime potential; while increasing the overall productivity of our community citizens. Hunters! You can SEE, HEAR and THINK clearer WITHOUT Alcohol and Drugs. REGISTER AT: EXODUS 1518 N.E. KilllngswOrth Portland, Oregon 97211
