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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 1980)
Pag« 2 Portland Observar January 10. 1960 EDITORIAL/OPIIMION Rhodesia to Zimbabwe: Here we go again By N. Fungai Kumbula A question of ethics A th irte e n year old ch ild is accused of killing a four year old girl, and an earlier death of a three year old cousin is being investigated. The law protects the identity of children and prevents the release of their identity to the news media and to the public. Aside from the fact that the child might be innocent - in fact she is innocent until proved guilty -- the whole d ire c tio n of the ju ve n ile c o u rt system is re h a b ilita tio n . The secrecy in vo lve d is to protect the child in case the arrest was in error, and also to give the child a chance for a future, should she be found guilty. True, the identity of the child would even tually leak out, to friends and neighbors and to school mates. But w ithout the involvement of the media, the damage would be restricted. In this case, the Oregonian requested the c h ild 's id e n tity and w hen it was refused, so u g h t to ob ta in it th ro u g h the co u rts , challenging the constitutionality of the law. Although the Oregonian had already obtained the child's identity from other sources, they did not reveal it while the court case was pend ing. The Jo u rn a l, o b ta in in g the same in fo r mation, rushed it into print. Now the child's name has been splashed across the newspapers and over the air. We do not disagree w ith the Oregonian’s contention that the press has a right to the facts, and that it has a right to print the facts. But this case demonstrates why the law exists and why courts are reluctant to release infor mation about children. Although the Journal probably has a right to print what it knows, the ethics in doing so are certainly questionable. Has anyone benefited by the release of this child's name and history? It certainly was not done in a way to construct ively challenge the law. A child who has lived a miserable life and who perhaps brought suf fering and death to others has been hurt again by a society that has failed her. This time that hurt could and should have been prevented. Political prisoner freed Ben Chavis was recently released from a North Carolina prison where he had been held fo r more than fo u r years, the last of the Wilmington Ten to be released. The W ilmington Ten were convicted in 1972 of burning a white owned grocery store during a period of violence, when white vigilantees invaded the Black community. The conviction, which civil rights leaders have considered a fra m e -u p to d e stroy the m o ve m e n t, was dependent on the testimony of a ten year old boy. In 1976, this witness and others admitted they had been paid to lie. In spite of mass protests and repeated ap peals, the state courts refused to reverse the conviction and give the defendents a new trial. Finally, under pressure fro m the U .S . D e partm ent of J u s tic e , G overnor H art reduced the sentences. This reduction made Chavis eligible for parole on January 1st and he was released early for Christmas. Reverend Chavis is still on parole. The con viction is still on his record. He and the other defendents will continue to challenge the con victions. Who says there are no political prisoners in the US? -/F/C 4/V £»£>«> 01/71 ASA CHRIST IA N OUGHT. IF I CAN ORING SAL VATION TO A UORLO once B rought . IF ¡C A N SPREAO THE M ESSAG E A S THE MASTER TAUGHT. THEN mi living hill N O T H I N vain . TO LINE FOR SOME' 0001 TO SAY THAT PAY, THAT MARTIN LUTHER'HINGJR. TRIER TO LOVE SOMEOOOY." 1939-1968 Letters to the Editor Age discrimination still City policy To the editor: Recent occurances w ith in C ity governm ent p e rta in in g to age d is c rim in a tio n p o in t out several issues which the public should be aware of. Commissions, such as the C ity- County Commission on Aging, are appointed to provide government o ffic ia ls w ith in fo rm a tio n which w ill aid them to make intelligent decisions. For quite some time the C C C O A has tried to obtain C ity support for the abolition o f all age related restrictions on hiring as they pertain to city employees, including Police and Fire Departments. The City has chosen, in this instance, to ignore our suggestions and instead, chosen to pay $4’ ,000 o f your tax monev to study an issue which one o f the CCCO.A's committees could investigate for much less. Had the Council made one phone call to the CCCOA they could have avoided a law suit fo r age d iscrim in atio n in h iring and they would have been inform ed about M ichigan Judge P a tricia Boyle's July 30, 1979, judgement restraining the City o f Allen Park. Michigan from discharging any police/fire of- o ffic e at age 57 or a recent suit against United Airlines concerning mandatory retirement fo r pilots. O ur investigations w ould have also reported other decisions which have had some effect upon hiring issues in relationship to the elderly. We suspect there w ill be a ruling in the present case that w ill make Portland but another precedent in the c o n tin u in g b a ttle to prevent d is c rim in a tio n because o f race, c o lo r, re lig io u s beliefs, sexual preference or AGE. For seven long years the two sides fought a vicious silent war, a war whose main characteristic was the absence o f open confrontation. At the outset, the "better armed, better equipped, better tra in e d , better d is c ip lin e d and better m anned” Rhodesian army was supposed to blow the g u e rrilla th re at “ to sm ithereens w ith in a m atter o f days.” The whole thing was sup posed to be one big joke. A t the conclusion o f the war last week, no one was laughing. The joke had turned out to be such a serious d is ru p tio n o f Rhodesia’ s "w h ite paradise" that as much as 20 per cent o f the c o u n try ’ s w hite population had been forced to flee. Over 21,000 had been k ille d , the economy had ground to a halt, the war was costing the regime in excess o f a m illio n d o lla rs a day, the government’ s civil administration in the o u tlyin g areas had long since crumbled, 90 per cent o f the country was under martial law and as many as 50 per cent o f the people had been forced fro m th e ir homes. O n ly South A frica, supplying S50 m illion for the war effort and as much as two battalions, had kept the Stnith- Muzorewa regime afloat. The joke had suddenly become a il to o serious. The African e ffo rt, fo r its part, was not entirely without casualties. Combined with the to ll on the bat- < « as big as their odds versus the USSR and possibly could be reconciled in a unity against it? So here too politics could make some very strange part ners, namely Khomeini and Carter joing forces against a much bigger danger. The way we’ve been acting against Iran out o f blind passion and vin dictiveness, more harm than good happened—e g , Oregon alone lost m illions in trade while the USSR used the occasion for invading Af- by Vernon Jordan 1979 began with a stunned nation try in g to understand the mass suicides in Jonestown and it ended with an angry nation concerned with Americans held hostage by Iran, in gross violation o f international law and any standards o f accepted dip lomatic practice. In between came twelve months o f continued hardships fo r poor people, some im portant gains fo r m in orities, and some setbacks as well. Perhpas the most important plus in 1979 was the Supreme C o u rt’ s Webber decision. Especially after the d is a p p o in tin g result o f the Hakke case the previous year, Weber b ro ug ht fresh hope to millions. In its decision the Supreme Court upheld an a ffirm a tiv e action plan condemned by some as an uncon s titu tio n a l q uota system. The C ourt's action gave a big boost to a ffirm a tiv e action ju s t when it looked as if it might be swept away by the rightward tide. The Court also laid down some ground rules on what makes an a f firm a tiv e action program accep table. Since those rules are con sistent with every such program I ’ ve heard o f, the outlook for progress on this front is bright. The Weber case takes on greater importance since it came against the backdrop o f continued high Black unem ploym ent and a predicted A t the annual C om m onw ealth prime ministers’ conference held in Lusaka last July, the African count ries mounted a spirited challenge to Thatcher's Rhodesia policy and she was forced to back down. Instead o f recognizing the Muzorewa regime and liftin g trade sanctions as she had said she would, she ended up promising to invite the warring par ties: the P a triotic F ront g u e rrilla alliance and the Stnith-M uzorewa regime to London for talks. These talks w ould center a ro u n d the drawing up o f a new constitution that would be more acceptable to the Africans but would continue to reassure the whites. On this note, the conference end ed. Next stop was Lancaster House in London fo r the proposed con ference. Next week we too shall visit Lan caster House and see: "W H O ’ S FOOLING W H O ?” recession that may yet inflict heavy damage on Black workers. That recession, now starting, was deliberately engineered to curb in flation. I t ’ s the old story — you beat in fla tio n by dam ping dow n the whole economy. If people lose their jobs, why it’ s only a temporary in convenience. T h e y ’ ll be back at work when the recession ends and inflation w ill be under control then. It's a small price to pay fo r con trolling inflation. Well, that kind o f thinking is all wrong. Not only does it make the poorest people pay the greatest price fo r c o n tro llin g in fla tio n , but it won’ t work. In the seventies, we’ ve had both high in fla tio n and high u ne m p loym en t, and th e re ’ s no reason to expect c o n ve n tio n a l economic policies to work now. The nation's economic problems may be a factor behind the w ith d ra w a l o f s u p p o rt fo r m in o rity rig hts and fo r the rise o f fringe groups lik e the K ia n. When the economy is expanding, the m ajority is n 't w o rrie d about c o m p e titio n from minorities. But in hard times, everyone takes a “ m e-first” attitude and sees justice for others as a per sonal threat. T hat’ s also part o f the reason for the disarray o f the old civil rights coalition in the seventies. The last and most devastating blow to the coalition came in the summer, when Andy Young’ s resignation from his post as UN Ambassadore led direc tly to increased tensions between Jews and Blacks. Young's departure from the A d ministration set o ff shock waves o f anger in the Black com m unity. It has still not been fully explained to most people’s satisfaction. But the immediate effect was to intensify fric tio n between Blacks and Jews, since Young’ s resignation came in the wake o f his meeting w ith a representatiave o f the Palestine Liberation Organization. L o n g -s m o ld e rin g resentm ents about numerous issues broke to the surface and the groups are now engaged in dialogues to try to re establish their past partnerships on behalf o f civil rights. In a way, the break may have been healthy in that it provides a basis to r realistic coalitions based on each group being co m p le te ly aware ot the o th e r’ s p o s itio n . Sometimes a fractured bone, when it heals, is stonger than it had been before. Both Blacks and Jews w ill benetit from a healed, reconstituted creative alliance. For most m inorities, 1979 con tinued as a year o f hardship, high unemployment, high prices, eroding c o n d itio n s . D is c rim in a tio n co n tinues to be an integral part o f our society, and there were few signs o f any renewed n a tio n a l c o m m m it- inent to the ideals o f equality that once were so important to so many Americans. That’ s a sad com m entary on a year that could have been a lot bet ter. Subscribe Today $7.50 per year—Tri-county $8.00 per year —Other Portland Observer Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 N A M E _______________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________ C IT Y ____________________ STA TE_____ ZIP PORTLAND OBSERVER The Portland Observer (USPS 969 600! ,s published every Thurs day by E«.e Publishing Company Inc . 2201 North Killmgsworth Portland. Oregon 97217. Post Off.ce Bo» 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland. Oregon O.J. Gates Executive Director, CCCOA ghanistan. We have to learn that discretion is the better part o f valor and that whom God would destroy, he first makes mad. We must con sider that in some respects Khomeini »as try in g to do fo r his country what say, G. W a shington was seeking fo r his c o u n try , nam ely "independence,” etc. In England's sight, Washington was a devil some what as Khomeini is in the esteem o f the USA. Paul Brinkman, Jr. that had been installed six months pre vio u sly. The o u tg o in g L a b o r governm ent o f James C allaghan had steadfastly refused to do so un t il the P a tro tic F ro n t o f Joshua N kotno and Robert Mugabe had participated in any elections that resulted in the fo rm a tio n o f a government lo r Zimbabwe. The PF had boycotted the elections that were held last A p ril because they withheld so may priviledges for the white m inority. 1979 A Mixed Year Subscriptions »7 50 per year in Tn County area $8 00 per year outs.de Tn County area P ostm aster Send address changes to the Portland Observer. P 0 Bo« 3137. Portland Oregon 97208 Will USSR unite Iran and US? To the editor: P o litic s and n a tio n a l interests make strange partners, e g , after W o rld W ar II, our hated enemy Japan became our ally while our big ally, Russia, became our number one foe. C o u ld n 't that happen likewise with Iran now our hated foe by jo in in g us against a common enemy, the USSR, as it now tries to take over the reins o f Afghanistan? While the USA and Iran are at odds with one another, these odds aren’t tlefield was the effect o f the war on the economies o f the F ront Line states o f Botsw ana, Z am b ia , A n g o la , T an zan ia and M ozam bique. Not only did each o f these co un trie s have to feed, house, clothe, arm and provide train in g fa c ilitie s and sanctuary fo r the freedom fighters but they also had to cope with the influx o f refugees fleeing the war. This had the effect o f draining the meager resources o f these fledgling nations. Added to that also were the all too frequent “ cross-border ra id s" directed first by the Smith regime and later by the "g o o d ” bishop. The international community was very slow in corning to the aid o f these F ro n t L in e states. T h e ir economies could not continue to ab sorb such pum m eling to the solar plexus. The p opulations o f these countries, deprived o f most com mon everyday necessities as salt, sugar, corn, toilet paper, began to get very restive. Z im b ab w e thus became a h o tly debated issue in Z a m b ia ’ s last e le c tio n . Should Zambia continue to sacrifice for the liberation e ffo rt even as her people were dying? Compounding this problem even further was the election o f the new C o n serva tive governm ent in England headed by Margaret That cher. Before corning to power she had vowed she whould recognize the illegitim ate Muzorewa government The Portland Observer s official position is e<pressed only in its Editorial column Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the individual writer or submitter and does not neces sarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer 283 2486 N ational A dvartising Representative A m a lg a m ated Publishers Inc ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher New York U tM ttA » a m a / a l f > E ÍW P /* P £ P Aaaociation - founded 18M w i W SI 1st Place Community Service ONPA 1973 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 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 *
