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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1979)
I, Thursday, January IB. 1979 EDITORIAL/OPINION The Year of the Child This year. 1979, has been designated the Inter national Year of the Child by the United Nations. Its major aims are to - encourage all countries, rich and poor, to reveiw their programs for the promotion of well being of children, and to mobilize support for national and local action programs according to each country's conditions, needs and priorities. - heighten awareness of children's special needs among decision-makers and the public; • promote recognition of the vital bnk between programs tor children on the one hand, and economic and social progress on the other; - spur specific, practical measures -- w ith achievable goals - to benefit children, in both the short and long term on the national level. The Year of the Child is a response to the needs of 350 million children in the developing nations who do not have the minimum essentials of health care, and education. The Un- ed States, and Oregon, also have children w ho are dtsciminated against, who are neglected or abused, who do not have adequate nutrition and health care, who have physical and mental han dicaps. Oregon does not provide essential services for children in need of mental health, dental and medical care; for child care; for children in trouble with the law; for children whose parents are poor. Oregon does not provide a quality, in tegrated education for children who are of minor ity races or who speak non-English languages. In this Year of the Child an effort should be ex tended to insure that every child has the oppor tunity to reach his optimum mental, physical and emotional development and that each child has the love and respect that will allow him to grow to be a happy and productive adult. This city and this state have a long way to go to reach this goal. Guest Editorial Keeping Dr. King's Dream Alive by John Lewis It’s Martin's birthday again. Had he not been assassinated in Memphis in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 50 years old on January 15,1979. For many, the civil rights movement which Dr. King led already seems lost to mem ory. Too many of our young people know little of Dr. King and his rote as a Moses a Nobel Prize winner, a prophet, a friend of the poor, the alienated, and the dispossessed. Contrary to those who feel that Dr. King's in fluence had waned by 1968, I believe that the world had yet to experience the depth of Martin 's true greatness as a moral spokesperson. Martin was perceived by the world as a Black, American leader Today, had he lived, Martin might have been an internationalist, a planetary figure fighting to forge a coalition of the peoples of the world to improve the human condition. As a spokesperson for hum ankind, M artin would have applauded the controversial and courageous attempt of President Jimmy Carter to make human rights a cornerstone of our nation's foreign policy, but he would have used every ounce of his potent moral suasion to insure that the image was one of substance and not mere rhetoric. M a rtin had a personal relationship w ith American Presidents' Kennedy and Johnson, but he also had a way of keeping a distance from any Administration, a way of being free to bring tremendous pressures upon political leaders who might seem inclined to drift toward tokenism. Martin knew that to become too cozy with any elected official m eant an unacceptable com promise of principle and a lose of effectiveness as a movement leader Martin would have reserved the right to protest and, more, to mobilize against the administration, regardless of his relationship to the President. Basic to M artin's personal diplomacy w ith w o rld leaders was his recognition th a t the m ovem ent fo r social change w ould not be brought about by the edict of any administration or the action of government, no matter how prin cipled or well-meaning, but could come only by grass roots demands and by the participation of the masses in determining their own destiny. W ere Martin alive today, he would still be a symbol of optimism, for he knew the value of hope. He would have been elated to see the ef fects of the great legal victories of the 1960s — the civil rights act of 1964 and, particularly, the progress made under the Voting Rights Act of *8 1965. It would have overjoyed Martin to know that 4,503 Blacks had been elected to public of fice, 2,733 of these in his beloved Southland. But Martin would be greatly troubled today that the flourish of minority political participation in the United States did not result in an equally dramatic record of effectiveness on the part of the officials elected to office. Instead of going I b o u t politics as usual, M a rtin hoped th a t minority officials would be crusaders for those human values which were the essence of the movement he led. Martin would have been in the forefront in reminding the government that it's first concern should be the basic needs of human beings — food, shelter, health care, education, jobs, livable incomes, and the opportunity to realize the full human potential. He would have supported cut ting the excesses of government spending, but in the ongoing "guns vs. butter" debate would have made it clear that the greatest threat to our nation is not military, but the danger of losing our soul because we deny those most in need. M ar tin's first concern was and would ever be the disinherited of the earth and the struggle to find creative ways to share the abundance of this planet. Dr. King was a moral crusader who would have awakened America from the sleeping sickness of an apathetic, me-first, too-comfortable, selfish society. He would have turned out attention to the cries of those who must struggle constantly just to survive. Perhaps Martin Luther King, Jr.'s greatest con tribution would be that of bringing the entire human com m unity together in a caring and sharing Beloved Community, for it was Martin's greatest strength to inspire people to reach out and help. It's Martin's birthday again, but he's not here, so it's up to us — the ones he loved, inspired, gave to, and died for to give flesh and substance to his spirit which shall endure to the ends of the earth. If Martin's dream is to be fulfilled, if we are to overcome the negative limitations which have plagued the species, if we are to build a beloved c o m m u n ity of caring, sharing people on a planetary basis, we must gird ourselves with the philosophy of life, love, and nonviolence which Dr. King personified Martin was not so much a hero as he was a sensitive and concerned hum an being. By following in his footsteps, we seek not to become heroes, but to claim our rightful inheritance as we nurture that divine spark of love which is the birth right of humanity. 1st Placa C o m m u nity Service O N P A 1»73 PORTLAND OBSERVER ’‘udW 'ec M r , Thurso» to E m futM hing Company 2201 North K «ng*w orth Portlanc O açon »7217 Maifcng sOOea* P O Box 3137. Portland Oregon » 7 2 « Telephone 28S 248E Subscriptions (7 SO par yaar m the Tr, County aree year outsKte Portland The Portland O b t m t r t oH io» poartwn ■ expressed only m ns Pubheher a column I W e Saa Tha World Through Black Erast Any other metenet throughout tha paper a tha opinion of tha mdrxidual wntar or autxmttor and does not neiteseerHv reflect tha opinion o» the Portland Obterrer N ational A dvertising W ap raaan tatira A m a lg a m ated PubHehers Inc N aw Tork I * Honorable M entio n Herrick Editorial A w ard N N A 1»73 2nd Piece Beat Editorial 3rd Piece C om m unity Laadarahip O N P A 1»7S 3rd Place C om m u nity Leadership O N P A 1»7S M‘M » ,. R i Aaaoc.anen • Pounded IB M 6th Place Boat Editorial N N P A 1B73 SS 00 par Bacond Claaa Postage Paid a t Portland Oregon ALFRED L HENDERSON Editor /Publisher 1st Place Beat Ad Results O N P A 1«73 * Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Mag: Toagb Miad, leader Heart by Herb L. Cd wt home W e pause, in the hurried lives we live, to give thanks to the Almighty for the privilege o f knowing the spirit and deeds o f D r. M a rtin L uther King. Jr. We pause on the day before the an niversary o f his b irth d a y to acknowledge the achievements o f D r. M a rtin L uther K in g , Jr. H e faced some o f the greatest odds, some o f the most vicious hatred, any American leader has ever endured h is fitting that we honor him. The story we all know best began in 1955. Fresh out o f a seminary in stitute, the young Reverend Martin Luther King. Jr., enjoyed his work as Pastor o f Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. W ithin a year, the spirit o f the times had tracked him down. W ithin a year, he found himself the leader o f a movement — a collective drive for change that set the fires o f reform throughout the South and across the nation. One day, a tired Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person on a crowded public bus. The custom o f segregation required that she give up her seat and move to the back o f the bus. This time, though, she refused. She was p ro m p tly thrown o ff the bus. The courageous action o f this single Black woman, Rosa Parks, began the Montgomery Bus Boycott. D r. King later said. " I t was the beginning o f a movement, »here 50,000 Black men and women refused, absolutely, to ride the city buses, and we walked together for 351 days.” As the m ovem ent spread, the philosophy and techniques o f non violent direct action were applied to the struggle in America. For twenty years now, we have debated this philosophy. By now we should know that M artin Luther King was right. Non-violence is, as he told us, “ the sword th a t h e a ls .’ ’ N o n -v io le n t direct action is the best method for us today. In a book published before his death. D r. King took time from his busy schedule to write out some of his best-loved sermons so that we might read them again and again. One was called. "T o u g h M in d , Tender H e a rt.” I would like to ex plore what D r. King may have meant by this expression. W hat does it mean in light o f a commitment to non-violent action fot change? W e need to build a community which is cohesive. One which looks out fo r its ow n interest. A n d , following D r. King's advice, we will do this building in a non-violent manner The job we have to do for ourselves and our children requires a “ tough m ind** and a “ tender heart.” (Since we will not be violent) never lowering ourselves to the pits where those who oppose us reside, we will soon come to realize that our best weapon in the fight for equality is T he M in d . W e have no ato m ic weapons. W e are without an army. We have no air force. We are not cowardly sabatours and terrorists. No! The weapon against oppression is The M ind — a strong mind able to see Western society with an African soul. A weak mind is a crack in our defense. It is extra baggage. It slows us down. But the tough m ind — that’s what Dr. King talked about, and that’s what we need today. He never said the tough minded had high college degrees. The tough mind sharply focuses on the facts, always keeping history up fro n t. When the facts arc clear, the tough minded Black person has no desire to change them around. There is no need to cover them up with roses in order to make a bad situation smell sweet. The tough mind has trained itself to recognize the present facts. It is not afraid to place these facts into h isto rical co n te x t. T here is no delusion, no excuse, no denial. The tough minded see the facts. They recognize many struggles right here in Portland: 1. They recognize that desegrega tion is inequitable. As long as we permit it to be so, we will contribute to the in fe r io rity com plex o ur children often develop; 2. They recognize that city govern ment has not provided our com munity with a fair share o f federal funds sent here to develop Portland and us. The tough mind cannot turn its head and act as though the facts do not exist. The tough mind is honest, fo rth rig h t, and understands the meaning o f progress. Yet it knows that cold, hard facts are dangerous by themselves. The facts must be balanced w ith com passion, w ith love, with a will to forge a better tomorrow. The tough mind and the tender heart go together. It is the tender heart which makes us move. The tender heart makes us want to c o n trib u te som ething positive fo r someone. The tender heart gives us direction. The facts make it clear that we need change in Portland. But we do not want change that w ill oppress others as we have been oppressed. W e are compassioaate enough to realize that, simply because we have been alienated, the w illful alienation o f others is no answer. Although we cannot stop fighting for better op portunity, we can always look our adversary in the face and say, "W h en this battle is over, we shall be brothers.’’ The question most inspired by the tender heart is not, “ I f 1 stop to help someone in need, what will happen to me?” Instead, the question is, “ I f I do not stop to help someone in need, what will happen to them?” This question preoccupied M artin Luther K ing, Jr. A nd this is the question which, in the answering, made him great. He asked us all to think about the "te n d e rh e a rte d " question. W e honor a man who had the courage to ask the "tenderhearted" question, and who had the toughness o f mind to follow the answer. He was, and is, and always will be. o f such great stature. We can capture only a small bit o f his greatness. But, in our humble way, we can make it so that his living will not have been in vain. We can honor his sacrifice. I f we develop our minds — by reading and study, by conversa tion and listening, by organization and m u tu a l support — then we honor h im , and we share in his sacrifice. I f we never say, first, “ What will happen to m e?", but instead, when we see the Tacts, if we will always ask, “ I f I do not stop to help someone in need, what will happen to them?” Then we honor Dr. M artin Luther King, Jr., and we show our undying gratitude by practicing the Greatness he taught us. Tbosa dam ■arcsoorias ora badi agola by N. Fungai Kumbuta Theoretically, it is an offense for a U.S. citizen to either go fight in a foreign country with which the U.S. is not formally at war or to recruit for a foreign power (country). U.S. Code Title 18, Sec. 959 (a) reads: "W hoever within the U .S . . . . hires or retains another . . . with in tent to be enlisted in the service o f any foreign prince, state colony, district or people as a soldier . . . shall be fined not more than S I,000 or imprisoned not more than three years or both.” Section (b) o f this same act goes on to define as an of- fensv the use o f U.S. personnel in a war against a country with which the U .S. is at peace — a reference that could easily be applied to both Zam bia and M ozam bique which have been repeatedly raided by Rhodesian soldiers with the help o f American mercenaries. T h a t there are Am erican m er cenaries in Smith’s army has never been disputed. W h at has been disputed instead is the actual num ber — just how many o f all these mercenaries are American citizens? Estimates range from a low o f 400 to a high o f well over 1,000. The total mercenary force is now reported to total over 5,000 which, as o f 1977, made up half o f Rhodesia's regular arm y. These unscrupulous individuals are recruited by various groups and individuals not only in the U n ite d States, but also in E u ro p e , A u s tra lia , Japan, New Z e a la n d , South A fric a , T a iw a n , Brazil, etc. Last October, you may have read o f a Reverend Paul Lindstrom o f the Chicago based Church o f Christian L ib e rty announcing th a t he was vending a force of 300 former Green Beret "C h ristian soldiers to Rho desia to reopen E lim M ission. This place had been closed after three British missionaries had been killed by members o f Rhodesia’s notorious Selous Scouts who had trie d to place the blam e on the g u e rrilla s . The leader o f these "Christian soldiers." a Vietnam vet called Giles Pace was quoted by The Washington Post as saying: “ We see ourselves as crusaders. We are not interested in dialogue or detente. We will shoot the bastards on sight.” C h ris tia n soldier??? H e also in dicated that some 500 Cuban exiles would probably join them later. In his book ’ In Search O f E nem ie s '. e x -C IA agent John Stockwell makes some disturbing references to C IA complicity in mer cenary recru itm en t d urin g the Angola C ivil W ar o f 1975. Most o f the names mentioned in that cam paign crop up again and again in connection with the current recruit m ent o f A m ericans to fig h t fo r Rhodesia. The above mentioned laws notw ithstanding, a David B ufkin interview ed by The Chicago Sun Times, The Washington Post and National Public Radio among other revelations, admitted he had placed ads in C a lifo rn ia newspapers and recruited twelve mercenaries to fight in A ng o la. A t the height o f the Angola civil war, Bufkin was report ed to have been in Kinshasa, Zaire, the staging ground for most o f the Angola directed mercenary activities. Stockwell goes on to say that a C IA agent excised Bufkin’s records from the C IA files. Newsday reported that the C IA had 'old the Justice Depart ment it would not cooperate with a pending investigation o f Bufkin — he was never prosecuted. Internews o f California and The (British) Guardian both reported the story o f a U C Berkeley student, Lawrence Meyers, who was recruited to go fight in Rhodesia by the head of the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1976. Meyers obtained all the necessary application forms from (he Rhodesia In fo rm a tio n O ffic e in W ashington. Though the F B I in dicated it was carrying out an in vestigation o f the Rhodesia In fo r mation O ffic e fo r this and other related illegal activities, nothing ever came o f it. No legal action was taken against the R O T C head either. As for Meyers, who fought for a while in Rhodesia until he deserted to Bots wana from where he was subsequent ly deported, he was granted im munity from prosecutionr. The bulk o f the recruiting though, seems to be done by Soldier o f For tune; a magazine that seems to exist solely to cater to mercenary exploits, recruitm ent and dissemination o f mercenary propaganda. It is run by an Arthur K . Brown, a mercenary with very close ties to both the Smith and Both (South Africa) regimes. It periodically runs interview s w ith military commanders and recruiters for the Rhodesian and South African armies but never with the leaders o f the liberation movements. Not to be overlooked in this inter national mercenary network is Robin Moore, author o f The Green Berets who also runs an official " U .S . em bassy” in Salisbury, Rhodesia — a place which serves as a 'political and social center for American and other foreign mercenaries serving in the Rhodesian arm y.’ He also runs The C rip p le d Eagles F o u n d a tio n in M a n n a del Rey, C a lifo rn ia which raises money to support M oore's pro -R ho d esia a c tiv itie s . O ne ex mercenary, a M ajo r M ike Williams, a Special Forces captain in Vietnam and former commanding officer in the Rhodesian arm y even ran for Congress but was defeated in the Democratic primary. A French mercenary who deserted from Rhodesia gave a rare insight in to the activities o f mercenaries. He said that Americans are doing the bulk o f the fighting, virtually all the flying and they constituted a large portion o f the murderers who bomb ed the refugee camps in both Zam bia and Mozambique, killing hun dreds o f women and children. He also accuses them o f carrying out most o f the worst atrocities and. he (Please turn to Page 4 Column 3)
