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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1979)
editorial / opinion Africa*. Itzy Bitzy Tidbits by ,Y Fungai Kumbula Reconsider police review board Back in the sixties there was a lot of talk about Citizen Review Boards to police the police, in vestigating charges of brutality and harassment During the civil rights demonstrations and the Vietnam war protests many honest and upright citizens fell under the police club Police Departments conspired with the FBI and other government agencies to spy on and at tempt to destroy legitimate citizen organizations Portland had its own police riot at the PSU campus and more recently the "shoot-out at Van's Olympic Room. The killing of a series of young Black men was followed by other police errors which brought injury or death to innocent people. These cases, when investigated, were always found to be acceptable Lately reported instances of police brutality and harassment seem to be on the rise. Or is it just that more cases are being reported and discussed publically? How much of the seemingly increased police activity is due to political tension? Several years ago a North Precinct captain told a Sabin Neigh borhood Association meeting that Albina and St Johns would eventually war with each other over jobs and other economic gams - so the necessity for a citizens' Precinct Council to advise the police of hot spots Along with valid and necessary aspects of neighborhood crime prevention, the spy system was discussed. Although neighbors should look out for neighbors, when does it cross over the line and approximate what one neighborhood organization leader suggested -- buying cameras to take pictures of suspicious looking people waling down the street? The new captain expressed concerns about conflict between boycotting and non-boycotting Blacks, while denying any increased police presence during the period that the boycott was being planned and discussed. Many citizens question that denial. W hile charges of brutality are increasing, nothing seems to be done. Frustrated citizens file complaints and receive form letters. During the Ricky Johnson inquest police o f ficials admitted that when tensions are high - during the chase or the capture - expressions are used, vulgarities and racial epitaphs - that in dicate the true feelings of some police officers. Is it just a few bad apples or is there a lack of discipline from the top? Can't the Chief control his men, or doesn't he believe the reputable people who claim they have been abused? A police review board is something the people should seriously consider. If hard times are ahead - as predicted by economic forecasters - then now is the time to get control of the police. r T. ¿ uocu i <> ' r ’ o . ô o t ù e.tC-<c£(Z. C k p 'T ^O T Go»J o s /' The jubilation we had felt at the overthrow o f self-styled emperor Jean Bedel Boka_ssa of the then Cen tral African ’ Empire' has been in terrupted in mid celebration by some o f the first moves made by his suc cessor, David Dacko. To begin with, he is retaining Bokassa’ s entire cabinet. W hat madness has possessed him to retain a group o f ministers who formed the core o f probably the most ruthless regime in this whole miserable world? The logic excapes me. It also makes me wonder what son o f changes we can expect when the system Bokassa left behind is left intact. Dacko has also indicated that the CAR (Central African Republic) will pursue the p ossibility o f opening d ip lo m a tic relations w ith South Africa. If he does, the CAR would be only the second African nation to open an embassy in Pretoria. The only other one is Malawi. This would be a great disservice to all Africa and would do a lot o f harm to A frica ’ s e ffo rts to com pletely isolate the apartheid regime. It is true that un der Bokassa, the C AR had established considerable economic ties with South Africa and it is also true that several A frican countries clandestinely trade with her but none has gone so far as to recognize the illegal apartheid regime. Not even such countries as l.esotho, Swaziland and Botswana that are completely or partially surrounded by South Africa have gone that far. Here's hoping that Dacko reconsiders his hasty de cision and backs out before he finds himself on the outside looking inn. Bokassa himself, is now in the Ivory Coast after being kicked out o f France where he had tied Io alter his overthrow He is a dual 1 rench-Cen- deliberately sought out Mozambican m ilitary targets as well. This can be seen as a feeble at tempt to divert attention from the horde o f problems facing him at home. The white exodus continues steadly at the rate o f a thousand a month. Desertions from the mostly white led army are said to be on the increase. His extension o f the draft to include Blacks who, up till recent ly have been exempt, has met with very little success. What popular support he still claimed among the Africans has evaporated as more people see him for what he is: a mere standin for Ian Smith. At the confer ence being held in London, much to the h o rro r and co nsternation o f some o f his closest aides, he con tinued to fight for the rentention of whites’ privileges at the cost o f Black advancement. London: A little progress has been reported from the conference taking place in London. Muzorewa, with the surprising backing o f most o f the white delegation with the sole excep tion o f Smith, finally agreed to a new proposed c o n s titu tio n that w ill reduce the roll o f the whites. The Patriotic front, for its part too ac cepted the proposed co n stitu tio n which still reserves 24 seats out o f 120 for the whites. Supposedly, the guerrillas agreed to this compromise because they did not wasnt to appear intransigent and thus offer Britain a way out (B rita in could then very easily have excluded the PF from further negotiations and recognized the M uzorew a-Sm ith clique). However, whites w ill no longer have veto power under this new arrangem ent. It is s till being negotiated and is far from being fully accepted by either side. tral African Republic citizen. He was such a fiercely loyal French ‘ citizen’ that, when Charles de Gaulle died, he (Bokassa) openly wept ‘ ‘ M on pere!” (Mv father) at his grave. He also served in the French army and was an unabashed adm irer o f Napoleon but, when he fled there, the French were too embarassed and they kicked him out. So far, Felix Houphet-Boigny, virtual dictator o f the Ivory Coast and also another fiercely pro-French “ leader” , has refused to extradite Bokassa back to the CAR to stand trial. E q u ato rial Guinea Macias Nguema, the dictator o f Equatorial Guinea who was toppled August 3rd, has been executed. He was tried and sentenced to death by c iv ilia n - m ilita ry tribu na l. A fte r his over throw , he fled with a number o f followers to his birthplace in the in terior o f Guinea but, soon after wards, his followers deserted him and when he was captured, he was alone. A fitting end to one o f the most arrogant and most brutal mur derers o f modern times. Uganda Idi Amin is still missing. After all this time, he has not been located. He, supposedly has been seen in such varied places as Libya, Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq, Uganda and, somebody swears he saw him in Los Angeles headed toward Hollywood. Could he have been looking for San Clemente? I t ’ s taking a little time but Uganda seems to be settling down at last. Rhodesia: The dimunitive, arrogant and misguided bishop continues to grapple with an unwinnable war. He has made a number o f raids recently into Mozambique and Zambia again k illin g m ostly innocent civilians. This time, however, he seems to have Young leads successful African trade mission Reprinted from "The Rap Sheet", official publication of the Portland Police Association and the Oregon Council o, Police Associations. Warren charges police brutality (( ontinucd troni page I col. 6) was happening. I had never seen such ignorance or such racism. I didn’t believe it could happen.” Warren said he tried to tell them they should he helping him find his daughter, not arresting him , but when his questions were met with laughter and snickers, he gave up. He was booked into the jail and released on bail. When he went for his first court appearance, he learned no charges have been filed. He was treated the next day for injuries to his throat and hand. The police report tells different story. According to the report w rit ten by R W Morris, when he and his partner arrived they found Warren in the house using the telephone. Morris asked him to leave and when he refused, “ I placed my hand on his left elbow and started to lead him out and he grabbed Officer Paniley. I then told him he was under arrest and when we tried to handcuff him, he refused lo let us. He was subdued, taken down and handcuffed.” Warren says the police did not tell him why they approached hun, that he was under arrest until he asked w hile in the squad car. No ex planation o f the police behavior toward him was made, he said. Warren, who is an insurance agent for Prudential, was employed by the Boy Scouts for seven years. Ihe first year he was Executive for the Big Thunder District - recruiting boys and leaders, training leaders and raising funds, f or six years he was District Executive for the Explorer program Besides operating his own district including much o f Portland and Southern Washington, he coor dinated the la w Enforcem ent programs throughout the state. W arren is a L ions C lub past president, a 12nd degree Mason, a Shriner and a member o f the United Way board, a resident ol Beaverton, he has a son in pre law at Willamette University and a daughter at Sunset High School. Warren said he intends to sue the City. “ I hae worked closely with the Portland Police Bureau and with other law enforcement agencies. It was a shock to experience the ignorance, the b ru ta lity , and the racism practiced by these officers.” PORTLAND OBSERVER 1st Place Community Service ONPA 1973 The Portland ()h \e rv rr tU SPS 91,9 irftOl is published every Thurs dey by Enin Publishing Company, Inc ¿201 North Kilhngsworth. Portland. Oregon 9221Z. Post Office Hon 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208 Seconrl (.lass postage paid at Portland. Oregon 1st Place Best Ad Results ONPA 1973 Subscriptions $7 SO par year in Tri County area. »8 00 per year outside Tn County area P o s tm as te r Send address changas to the Portland tllo e rv rr p Q Bow 3137. Portland. Oregon 9 /2 0 8 5th Place Best Editorial ONPA 1973 The Portland O h trrv rr s ottir ial position is ewpresserl only in its Editorial column Any other material throughout the [latier is the opinion ot the individual writer or submitter and does not neces senly reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award NNA 1973 283 2486 ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher Ik » 'A C’í¿ & « r / N a tio n a l A d v e rtitm g R e p re s e n ta tiv e A m a lg a m a te d Publishers Inc N e w York NNA Sjtcx f'On L PER ■ fo a n d a d II 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1975 '.*( MCI ‘ .1 0 'o r . I il B L H J i P u b lis h e rs B V * Assor s itio n 8 Bj ™ 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 LAGOS, N IG E R IA —On his last visit to Africa, United States Ambas sador to the UN, Andrew Young has b u ilt “ bridges” between Black America and West A frica that will have a significant p o litic a l and economic impact by opening doors for business opportunities in West Africa, a region plentiful in natural resources. Nigeria was the th ird stop o f a seven-country trade mission, led by Young, along with Louis M artin, Assistant to President Carter lo r Black Affairs. Seven ot the 23 chief executives of American firms selected for the mission are Black. They in cluded: Theodore A. Adams, Jr., Unified Industries, Inc., Alexandria, V irg in ia ; Clarence A vant, Tabu Productions, Los Angeles, C a lifo r nia; Ofield Dukes, Ofield Dukes and Associates, Washington D.C.; John Grayson, U N IVO X-C alifornia, Inc., Los Angeles, C a lifo rn ia ; M arion O liver Greene, J r., International Business Services, Inc., Washington, D.C.; Thomas Wood, TAW Inter national Leasing Corp., New York; Edward Henry Jones, International Commercial Resources, LTD ., New York. Young's political stature and un the itinerary were the Cameroons, Kenya, Tanzania, and Senegal. In L ib e ria , where President W illiam Tolbert, Jr. told Young he was "considered a son o f Africa, and we salute you for all you stand for, for all you've done," Young received the Star o f Africa. The award, one o f Liberia’ s highest civic honors is given for “ distinguished achievements in the service o f fellow men.” It was appropriate that Young visit Liberia first since the small West A fric a n country was founded by freed slaves in the 19th century. The mission spent two days, most o f which centered on business meetings in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, described as the French Riveria o f Africa. In Lagos, the Nigerian govern ment expressed its interest in in creasing its business endeavors with American firms. Despite his controversial resigna tion over an unauthorized talk with a Pl.O representative to the U N , Young, as a result o f this mission, has made an impressive mark as a U.S. statesman with the foresight and initiative to forge international alliances that will go far in benefiting Blacks and the nation. paralleled popularity with A frican dignitaries gave the mission the aura o f a head o f state visit. Adding to the Economic power and influence o f the trade mission were John Moore, C hairm an o f the Export Im port Bank, and Bruce Llewellyn, who is Black, President o f Overseas Invest ment C orporation. Both represent more than SI billion in funds avail able for African business investments. The trade mission and its success will only add to Young’s track record in opening lines o f communication in the hope o f forming lasting ties with A frican nations in m utually bene ficial alliances. Moreover, the clout o f the mission, coupled with the in clusion o f Black businessmen, w ill go far to merge Black Americans with their African brothers and sisters in economic ventures and exchanges that w ill strengthen Blacks’ political and economic position domestically. Young said he was “ extremely pleased” by the reception o f the trade mission and the substantive and productive business discussions held with top officials and business leaders o f the first three countries visited— Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. The remaining countries on National Champs (Continued from page 1 col. 6) Roy P ittm an o f the Peninsula W restling Club, both were bright prospects when they started. Nine year-old Darren won first place in the City o f Portland cham pionships; First Place in the State Championships; First Place in the A .A .U . Junior Olympic Regionals in B utte, M ontana and firs t place A .A .U .J u n io r O lym pic Grand Nationals. It might be noted that Darren has never placed less than Third Place in any competition. On the other hand, you have the oldest o f the two brothers, Dwayne, who’ s wrestling record is just as im pressive as his brother’ s, Dwayne won First Place in the federation regionals; First place for the City of Portland. He placed second in State competition and won second place in the A .A .U . Junior Olympic Grand National Championships. Both young men work out three to four hours a day, five days a week, to keep the competitive edge. The season starts in September and ends in July. Their parents Bctlie and Lovine Briggs continue top support the boys in their hectic schedules. As far as the boys are concerned, their ultimate goal - the Olympics! I he chances excellent! i l-.S. I u tili ! " know iii"i. tip- Name t ( il.v r———— Zip S h ill l ‘,. \ ''.n L ' i . I l '. I \ B > ." ft U S Department ol Energy I Subscribe Today , $7.50 per year—Tri-county i $8.00 per year —Other I I I N A M E ______________________________ ADDRESS CITY _____ STATE ZIP I I I 283-2486 Mail to: Portland Observer P.0. Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208