Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1979)
Page 2 Portland O b a a rv a r October 26. 1979 EDITORIAL/OPINION Brouhaha over PLO by N. Fungai Kumbula School Board ethics Is it the "old board” or the "new board". The new school board is beginning to act much like the old -- preferring to operate in secret. The fact that the school board would like to discuss as controversial a subject as school desegregation in private is understandable. Flaming headlines in reaction to prelim inary reports and ideas could raise Dublic concern. Also, some board members find it difficult to function in front of the press, giving way to post uring for the TV. On the other hand, fear of ex posure can hamper free discussion. That is one of the problems of the democratic process. It is difficult ot discuss emotional issues in public but after all it is the public's business. And in Oregon we have the open meetings/open records laws. Perhaps those who are afraid to reveal their opinions before those who elected them should reconsider their interest in holding public office -- or their ambitions to seek higher office. For those whose concern about publicity is genuine those who fear scare headlines might hinder their work, they need to carefully review the events of the recent past. Not only do we have the ultimate example of secrecy in govern ment Nixon's attempt to steal the government but we have the continuous successful efforts of the Portland school district to evade school desegregation and minority rights. The desegregation committee not only avoids the press and public by confusing meeting dates and failing to make required public notice, but the desegregation committee even refused to share inform ation w ith other board m embers. It allowed its Superintendent to refuse to provide public information to school board members -- his bosses. up their activities in school desegregation and minority rights. The members of the "new board" were elected and selected on a platform of open government and citizen involvement. What does it do as it ap proaches its first big decision? Although the intentions of some of the com mittee members might be pure, its actions and their results are not. Open discussion, available to an aware and informed public will bring far better results than the rumors and suspicians th a t secrecy breeds. I he desegregation committee should consider the cause of its concern. If the suggestions put fo rth by their Superintendent were so unreasonable as to inflame the white and the Black com m unities, w hy not reject those suggestions? Or better yet, why not reject the Superintendent? Wayne Morse used to say that it is improper and dangerous to use an unjust procedure to pass a good law, because that same procedure can be used to pass a bad law. In other words - does the end justify the means? Letters to the Editor Witnessing police brutality 11) the editor: ( buries Iordan finds no evidence of local police brutality according to his statement I uesdas on the Channel 2 evening newscast. I nknown to Iordan, police were busily creatring evidence on my neigh bor Kandy Valentine around 9:30 last I riday esening. A police siren alerted som e D neighbors out to their porches in time Io see an officer pull out a gun on Kandy and also to witness him being knocked down hard into the wet puddled street lot no obvious reason, lie was booked for speeding and eluding at olficer, and was taken off to tail \ tasi delivered him home 24 hours later barely able to walk, cut wrists, throwing up blood and unable to sleep that night because of massive pain. It it is not enough evidence that we all saw Kandy’s unmarred face before he was taken downtown, we have on at 9 p.m. The o ffice rs claimed they were justified in throwing Randy down in the street because they “ had to chase him for four miles at nearly 100 miles an hour.” Randy’s story is that he was only a few blocks from home. Is an officer ju stifie d in throw ing tra ffic offenders around? Isn’ t Ran dy's fine ol $300 -t- enough o f a pinch w ithout having a body racked in pain as a vic tim o f policem en's power games? Should officers o f the law add to the judgm ent o f the law by mutilating fellow human beings? Randy has personally filed a protest against his treatment, but that protest w ill not reach the public. Right now the majority o f the public sees the sub ject o f police brutality the way Jordan describes it: without evidence. W ill Jordan see any “ evidence” in Randy Valentine’s abuse? two rolls ot film what he looked like when he returned. f ollow ing is Kandy’ s account as he told his wife, Margaret: “ Down town the officers bashed Kandy’ s face into Ihe elevator wall, and after being beat up he was taken to the hospital to have his face stitched up. When Kandy later asked the officer in the booking room if he was a trustee (because he wanted a cigarette), the o f ficer said, “ N o !" and told him to shut up. He then opened the cell and grabbed Kandy and started hitting him. Then another officer came and they threw him to the floor and stuck their knees in his back. A fte r having stitches on his face Kandy found the officers had made them bleed again. W hile they were beating him they tore his coat up. Then the tw o o ffice rs to o k him to another cell where he was finally left alone and things were calm the next day (October 20) when he was released Eunice Jean Nance Mitchell Affirmative action officer joins PSU staff (C ontinued from page 1 col. 6) M o rris says he w ill try to create a warm perceptive o ffic e . He w ill teach out and be in contact with the P o rtla n d c o m m u n ity . No one usuallv comes to see him unless they need his service, or the employer w a n ts to stay out o f trouble. The PSI A ffirm a tive Action officer says, the conflict puts him in a situation o f jeapordy. His main ob jective is to make sure everyone is -civ cd due process, honesty and equality and normal recruitment ef forts are carried out. Among M o rris' many diversified skills, he hopes to use his teaching skills at PSU as well as the city o f Portland. He has worked with teachers and administrators in the area of m ulticultural-non-sexist curriculum . He says America is made o f many types o f people who have contributed to society, so there is no single American culture to follow . He enjoys helping people to learn a b o u t c u ltu ra l d iv e rs itie s , w hich u ltim a te ly helps to im p ro v e the educational system in America. This education helps provide m in o ritie s and the p o o r w ith a sense o f ch o o sing and sa m p lin g of professional careers. Black children m ust be ta u g h t to lo o k to m ore exotic fields. A ll children must be given the opportunity to grab hold o f th e ir lives and choose th e ir ow n destinies. Too many m inorities, he says, especially young Blacks, feel they are not a fu n c tio n in g part o f this society. PORTLAND OBSERVER The Portlund Observer IU SPS 959 6801 is published every Thurs day by Erie Publishing Company, Inc , 2201 North Killingsworth. Portland. Oregon 97217, Post Office Box 3137, Portland Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon Subscriptions $7 50 per year in Tri County area: $8 00 per year outside Tri-County area P o s tm as te r: Send address changes to the Portland Observer, P .0 Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208 The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in its Editorial column. Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the individual writer or submitter and does not neces sanly reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer 283 2486 ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher N atio n a l A d v ertis in g R ep re s e n ta tiv e A m a lg a m a te d Pub lishers, In c. N e w York 1st Place Best Ad Results ONPA 1973 5th Place Best Editorial ONPA 1973 Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award NNA 1973 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1975 member VIM8O- Assona'.on ■ founded 1st Place Community Service ONPA 1973 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 IM S Subscribe Today $7.50 per year—Tri-county $8.00 per year —Other NAME ____________________________________________ _ ADDRESS ' CITY-------------------------------- STATE____________ Z IP ______ Mail to: Portland Observer P.0. Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 Andrew Young was forced to re sign as Ambassador to the U N over his co n ta ct w ith the P alestine L ib e ra tio n O rganization and since then, the P LO has become a cause celebre among Blacks in this coun try. Young had argued that only by talking to the P LO can thre be any hope o f lasting peace in the M iddle East. The o ffic ia l US position paral lels that o f Israel which refuses to recognize the PLO and so refuses to engage in any dialog w ith them. W ith Young gone, his cause has been taken up by quite a few other Black leaders. Dr. Joseph Lowery o f The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (S C LC ), D .C . delegate Rep. Eauntroy and Reverend Jesse Jackson o f Operation PUSH have led delegations to the M iddle East, in recent weeks, in e fforts to get the PLO and the Israelis talking. They met with such leaders as Anw ar Sadat o f Egypt, Hafez o f Syria, King Hussein o f Jordan and Yassar A ra fa t, leader o f the PLO . Each delegation also visited Israel in an at tempt to talk to Israeli government o ffic ia ls b u t, a p a rt fro m M oshe Dyan who met w ith Jackson, Israeli officials shunned them all. Back in the US, these various Black leaders seem to have incurred the wrath o f other Black leaders and this gives the illusion o f a r ift in the Black leadership. Vernon E. Jordan, president o f The N ational Urban League, has let loose a barrage o f vituperations against “ those Black leaders who w ould cavort w ith terrorists.” He went on to castigate them fo r meddling in foreign policy matters, instead o f grappling with such immediate Black problems as unemployment and crime. This same sentiment was echoed by Bayard Rustin, o f the A . P h ilip Randolph Institute, who has since led his own delegation to Israel to “ reassure the Israelis that not all Blacks back the terrorists and bomb throwers,” The message that all three Black delegations that visited the Arabs passed on was basically the same. Stop the killin g and start talking. A ll stressed the importance o f peace and, at worst, their efforts would leave the present Mid-East situation as is. A t best, they could get the warring factions together because as Young put it; How can there be peace when the two sides are not even talking? It seems, therefore, that the Jor dan and Rustin vituperations were ill-fo u n d e d , ill-co n ce ive d and ill executed. To say that Blacks have no business meddling in foreign policy is about as myopic as one can get. A nything Blacks can do to aid in the cause o f peace anywhere in the w orld, they should feel free to ex ercise th is rig h t. A re they not Americans like anybody else? Is foreign policy any special group’ s business? This is the dangerous kind o f th in kin g that has kept Blacks uninvolved in foreign policy matters fo r so long w ith the tragic result that A rica has been relegated to a very low p rio rity . Jordan and Rustin are entitled to their opinions about the PLO-Israeli issue but fo r them to trv and muzzle o th e r B la ck leaders is u tte rly ridiculous. I f these Black delegations that went to the M iddle East had condoned the violence being per petrated by either side, then Rustin and Jordan w ould have had a legitimate beef. O nly when Blacks get involved in foreign policy issues, such as this one, w ill they be taken seriously enough fo r their interests to be taken into account when this country deals w ith A fric a , the Caribbean and o th e r parts o f the world populated by our people. This is the second tim e 1 can recall that Jordan has come up w ith egg on his face. As president o f the National Urban League, he also sits on the board o f several m ajor corporations, some o f which are very much in volved in South A fric a . Several months back, one o f these cor porations asked its board members to vote on whether they should w ith draw fro m S outh A fr ic a . N ow anybody who has follow ed events in South A frica knows that the Africans have been urging foreign companies to get out o f South A frica , and thus, aid in the Black struggle fo r liberation. One o f the few Blacks in a position to cast such an important vote, Jordan voted for this corporation to stay on in South A frica. A dding insult to in ju ry , the statement he made to the press regarding his vote demonstrated a disturbingly high degree o f insen sitivity. His statement read: “ I could not eat three meals at home everyday, then come in here and vote those people out o f a jo b .” To somebody who does not know the issues involved, I could forgive this kind o f ignorance, but not Jordan. He knows the dollar was more im portant and those brothers and sisters languishing under South A fric a ’ s slave system be damned. Since Israel is now emerging as one o f South A fric a ’ s foremost trading partners, could Jordan’ s anger at Black “ in tru s io n ” in to fo re ig n a f fairs have been prompted by this bit o f intelligence? Is he afraid lest his bosses get upset? The political vision of Africa's top leader (Continued from page I col. 6) becomes a sort of ’’benevolent" rationale for continued W estern involvem ent in Zim b ab w e - to prevent civil w ar. W hat do you think of this outlook? And the civil w ar projections? NYERERE: I must say that it is a great concern for me. I w ill confess I don’ t like the fact that there are two armies fighting in Zimbabwe. No liberation - no country -- has had tw o armies. You can’ t have a coun try w ith two armies! But you know Z A P U and Z A N U are fond o f the British parliam entary model. I say to them, “ Look, if you follow the British model, then you must have only one army because B ritain has only one arm y.” I have told them they must overcome this problem, and we have discussed it u n til I think they don’ t even want to hear from me anymore. But the situation has not changed. I am concerned about this, and I think i f the West is con cerned about this as well, then this is a good concern on the part o f the West. It isn’ t a ju stifica tio n to med dle in the country’ s affairs, but it is a reason fo r concern. Q.: Before w e look at the rational course of developm ent In the post-colonial period, I w onder if w e could look at developm ent gone astray. W here do the Idi Am ins and Emperor Bokassas come from ? W hat do they represent historically in term s of post-colonial develop m ent for Africa? NYERERE: Sometimes I think I, also, am a racist. When a Bokassa behaves as a Bokassa I feel bad. When A m in behaves as A m in I feel bad. There is a sense in which I am also like those blessed racists who point to Bokassa or A m in and say, “ A h ! look at Black A fric a .” But they don’ t point to H itle r and say, “ This is a white m an.” Or to Salazar or Franco and say, “ This is a white m an.” They simply say, “ This is H itle r. This is Franco. This is Salazar.” But w ith A frica they generalize. They say, “ See what is happening in A frica ? ” I could just as easily point to Portugal and say, “ See what is happening in Europe?” So you say what does Bokassa represent? Bokassa is a tyrant. A m in is a tyrant and the w orld has had tyrants. They never started in A frica . Bokassa's hero was N apolion. A m in quoted H itle r. So what is peculiar about the tyrant in Africa? T o put it the other way around, also, I would be claiming a superior position fo r A frica i f A frica never produced any tyrants at all. I d o n 't claim any superior position A fricans. We’ re not saints. produce tyrants. for We M y real p ro b le m -w h a t I ’ ve been complaining about, is the tendency among A fricans to feel shy in front o f these tyrants, to not denounce them as tyrants. A n A frica n feels ashamed when he sees a tyrant in stead o f being angry. So I d o n ’ t think i t ’ s a development issue in A fric a any more than in Europe, La tin America, Asia. A ll these continents have had their tyrants. These are not racialist ty r ants. They are just tyrants o f history! W ell, we are doing very well this year. A m in is gone. Bokassa is gone. But these are not the only tyrants that have gone. Somoza is gone. The Shah o f Iran is gone. W ell! We are doing quite well, aren’ t we? Q.: You've chosen to follow socialist paths of developm ent for the Third W orld, not just in Africa. Tanzanian socialism is obviously d ifferen t from other forms. H ow w ould you describe its ideology? NYERERE: I would describe our ideology as socialist. That’ s all. We’ re fighting against capitalism, all o f us. W e're trying to establish, I hope, just societies, healthy relation ships between individuals. We’ ve started from different bases. I am not a M arxist. I do ac cept the economics o f Marxism. I do not accept some o f the philosophies o f Marxism. But even the economics have some d iffic u lty . Classically, Marxism is a socialism o f the rich. It is a socialism which starts with highly developed capitalism, a highly developed proletariat. A t present it is the United States, under Marxism, which is really ripe fo r socialism. It has a proletariat, and this proletariat is a product o f capitalism itself. M y problem is, having accepted socialism as the right development fo r my country, whether (I should nurture capitalism u n til I have the proletariat. In Tanzania the dom in ant class is not the pro le ta ria t, i t ’ s the peasants. S o cia lism here w ill have to create wealth here. And so starting fro m a d iffe re n t base, our methodology is likely to be different. But I hope the objective is going to be the same. I nope we shall succeed w ith d if ferent methods to establish humane societies where human beings can live as human beings and not just be dominated by property. Property was never intended to dominate human beings. Property was always intended to serve human beings. Wealth was never intended to live side by side w ith poverty, ever. Wealth was always intended to discover what light is to darkness; where there is wealth, poverty disap pears; where there is lig h t, darkness disappears. But capitalism succeeds to work out this miracle—that wealth can live side by side w ith poverty, because wealth is used as power. Socialism with p o ve rty-e q u a lity with p o ve rty-is a big problem . And so socialists have accepted the language o f affluence. I th in k this is a shame. Because that is where Europe stood. I am still using the same kind o f language, as i f the wealth was there. It is not there. We have got to create this wealth. Q: T a n za n ia has s o u g h t a course of a g ric u ltu ra l d e v e lo p m e n t and s e lf-re lia n c e . H o w w o u ld you look at th e s tra te g y th at you have been fo llo w ing so far? NYERERE: We can feed ourselves because o f our land d istrib u tio n . We do not have la n d lo rd s . We are a peasant country. The peasants have land, and they can grow what they like. Therefore, i f the rains are all right, you can trust the peasants w ill produce all the food that they need, and enough surplus fo r the small ur ban and service population o f Tan zania. So that gives us a base from where they can move. But structurally, farm ing has not changed. Technologically, farming has not changed. Therefore, our agriculture cannot support a rapidly growing industrialization. We must industrialize. But i f the momentum o f industrialization was to pick up, become rapid, before our farming has become more e fficient, we would run into trouble. A nd that is our next stage, which is making this farm ing produce more good surplus o f food and also raw materials fo r our in dustries. The problem we have now really is the m ajor problem o f the inter national com m unity. This year we arc consuming less o il than we con sumed in 1972. But we are paying nine times as much fo r it. You can’ t call a country “ developing” when today it is consuming less oil than it was seven years ago. The only reason why we're not collapsing is also because o f some o f our agricultural successes I ’ ve been talking about. Otherwise, quite fra n kly, a country like this could just collapse But this year I am going to spend h a lf o f our export earnings on o il, it is not going to be very easy to pay fo r the im provement of our farming techniques w hich we need This is a vital problem o f all T h ird W orld countries, the non-oil producine countries.
