Pag« 8 Portland Observer January 17. 1960
Behind the Walls
by Larry Baker M35021
O.S.P. Correspondent
CELL TALK
David Wright »39816
Assistant Editor
Bv Asmar Abdu Seifullah
aka Joe West »40404
LIVE A N D LET LIVE
By David Wright
Assistant Correspondent
bio sword on earth, were it the
Excalibur o j King Arthur, can cut
that which opposes no steady re­
sistance to the blow.
These words by the Wizard of the
North, Sir Walter Scott, gives an
idea of what the typical prison in­
mate is up against when dealing with
staff, adm inistration, and public
opinion.
One not fam iliar with society
within these walls might be inclined
to believe that our problems and
fears are confined w ithin this
miniature society and controlled by
men trained in correction and
rehabilitation. But such is not the
case-at least not entirely. Public
opinion
and
reactions
are
devastating, opposing no steady
resistance to our problem, but
nevertheless having a critical im ­
pact, indirectly, on our lives and the
well-being of our families.
The indirect involvement o f the
public is inititated by the media.
People seem to thrive on violence.
When prison is mentioned, convicts
are autom atically spotlighted,
regardless o f their participation,
because o f the violent nature.
Although “ violent” might be an
appropriate tag, it is a difficult blow
to deal w ith, d iffic u lt to oppose
when it catches us o ff guard and
especially so when the pressure is so
illusive and diverse.
A convict has two im portant
responsibilities. The firs t, ob­
viously, is to obtain a release. The
second is to do their tune in the
easiest manner possible. Dealing
with public sentiment is not an easy
way to do time, but the public’ s
reaction to prison related problems
makes time even more difficult.
Yesterday, after a meeting with
the Governor, several newspapers
published articles about a labor
dispute between the correctional
officer's union and whoever they
dispute w ith; be it the state, the
Governor, or prison administration.
As an inmate, I could care less who
they engage in arbitration with or
what the arb itra tio n concerns.
Prisoners are not organized, nor do
they participate in collective
bargaining-we just do time and ar­
bitrate in the courts.
Now. thanks to several choice ar­
ticles, inmates have become in ­
volved in something they not only
have nothing to do with and no say
in, but also are not interested in get­
ting involved in--we have enough
problems. The labor dispute, I have
found out, is concerned, among
other things, with the inmate-to-
guard ratio, which creates a “ poten­
tia lly dangerous s itu a tio n .” The
media has interpreted “ potentially
dangerous situation" to mean “ ex­
plosive atmosphere," or tinder box,
and printed it that way I see no
relationship between the two.
Anything can be, or is, a potentially
dangerous situation. Driving a car is
potentially dangerous, but it’ s not a
tinder box ready to explode at any
given moment after taking one’ s
position in the driver’ s seat. But if
the gas tank had a leak, or some
other part o f the car was tnal-
A v ie w fro m inside a cell
functioning, it would be explosive.
The interpretation o f “ potentially
dangerous s itu a tio n " w ithin the
prison as explosive, directly reflects
on the inmates. Apparently, we, like
a leaking gas tank, are ready to ex­
plode. This statement became the
beginning o f a s e lf-fu lfillin g
prophesy. Inmates became concer­
ned, rumors raged rampant, and all
because
of
one
misquoted
statement.
I went to Mr. W hitley, head of
prison security, and asked him what
was going on. “ In my twenty-five
years in corrections, this is the most
relaxed prison atmosphere I have
seen,” he told me. He also said that
racial tension is the least it has ever
been. To back up those statements
he gave me three memorandums.
One is from T.F. Keohane, Jr.,
from the federal penitentiary in
1 evcnworth, Kansas. He said, in
part, “ thank you and your staff for
allowing us to see your neat and well
managed institution...you all main­
tain it in outstanding condition and
appearance..."
The
second
memorandum,
from
Abelicio
Chavez, head o f a government sur­
vey on prisons, says, " I received
professional and courteous treat­
ment
(while
at
OPS)...The
professional attitude is reflected (in
that) OSP has a stable, positive
climate in all areas o f operation."
The third memorandum is an article
about Warden Paul M orris o f
Folsom Prison during his tour of
OSP. It says: “ One thing that was
very apparent was morale. It's high,
for a prison. In some o f these places
you can cut the air with a knife, it’ s
so tense. That doesn't seem to be the
case here. Obviously, it's a well run
prison.”
These statements are almost a
year old. M r. W hitley claims the
tension is even less now. He also
told me that a relaxed atmosphere is
most conducive to effective
rehabilitation and security inside an
in stitu tio n . So i f the guards are
having disputes among themselves
or their unions or the ad­
ministration, that is their problem,
and they apparently want to deal
with it professionally without un­
necessarily abusing inmates. As for
a strike, o fficer Dave Cortez,
president o f the guard’ s union, told
me there is no strike planned-“ ab-
solutely not" he said. I asked him if
the guards have any disputes with
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the inmates and again he said “ ab­
solutely n o t." This is a problem
they have and is in no way on ac­
count of the inmates as a whole. In­
directly, however, the over­
population is a point they are con­
cerned with. Again, this is not our
concern, nor are we accountable for
it. We are only accountable when,
reporting a “ potentially dangerous
situ a tio n ” w ith an aura o f sen­
sationalism, newspapers spotlight
convicts, labeling them as “ ex­
plosive" or ready to explode.
The media is a two-edged sword.
It affects more people and forces
than any felon can manage alone.
There is no steady resistance or at­
tack to deal with. The media can cut
twice. One edge cuts immediately by
inciting public reaction; the other
edge is held in reserve as a self-
fu lfillin g prophesy and biding its
time, ready to cut at the most inop­
portune moment. It does not resem­
ble the sword, Excalibur, o f King
Arthur; resisting all other metal, in­
capable o f breaking or being
defeated. Arthur won all his battles
until some recalcitant knight stole
Excalibur and replaced it with an
imposter.
There is an interesting parody to
the story. Merlin the magician told
Arthur that the sheath for his sword
would prove more effective in battle
than the sword itself. W ith the
sheath strapped to his side, Arthur
would never lose a drop o f blood,
regardless o f the severity o f his
wounds. It's interesting that a
sheath is used as a covee-to protect-
when the media can jo in a ban­
dwagon with the partisan public
using inmates as a sheath to cover
and protect. Those articles used an
“ explosive" imposter to sell a
potential situation. W ith such a
sheath strapped to one’s belt, blood
w ill not be lost, regardless o f the
wounding nature the media can
exercise and the public will react to.
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4 1 M l SF O v isHin
I
»
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E X O
10 b
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2 f(F H ix
here we are in 1980 still wondering
what happened to us. O ur
forefathers help build this country;
they sweated, cried and died to
make America the land that it is
today; it was the political awareness
o f the slaveinaster that made Black
people slaves and it’ s going to be the
political awareness o f Black people
that will set us free.
A man that doesn’ t stand fo r
something will go for anything and
that’s politics. I pray that the 80’ s
don’ , find us still trying to identify
with yesterday; if we don’t achieve
freedom, it w ill be because we didn’ t
wan, to be free; we can’ t blarne
anyone fo r our present problems
and we can’ t expect anyone to give
us anything that we don’t give our­
selves. To long have we made ex-
cuses-it’s time to get the ability to
influence people; i t ’ s tim e to
become political!
Oppression the wheel o f mad­
ness grinds d a ily , w hile simple
people-sit and stare-wonder why?
.......ummim.....
A PERSONAL MOMENT
FOR THOSE W HO CARE
■■■■maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai aaaaaaa
Mankind is running out of
some energy resources faster
than nature can replenish
them. We wear out our
automobiles, our homes grow
old. Burned out light bulbs and
worn out clothing is proof
nothing lasts. Nothing is per­
manent. we are even wearing
ourselves out in mind and
body. The exception is love,
properly cared for it will last
forever.
'.-l9 7 9 W /m A Kummer
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Police brutality
(Continued from page I col. 6)
Those who call the hot line,
should please leave their telephone
number and the best tim e BUF
representatives can get back in
touch with them. An appointment
w ill be made to discuss the com­
pla in t, a fte r which the law and
justice committee w ill review and
recommend what steps might be
taken when enough verifiable com­
plaints are obtained, the BUF will
be able to take legal action against
the police department.
“ I f you see someone being
misused by the police, write down
the details o f what happened, tune;
place; number o f officers involved.
Get the inform ation to the person
involved or their fa m ily. I f you
don’ t know the person call the hot
line, 288-9160, and we will try to get
the information to them. We must
help each other,” Ronnie Herndon,
Co-Chairman o f the BUF adv ised.
society has traditionally set for us-
typed and cast as second class
citizens or w ill we seek to ta l
equality, total freedom and total
lib e ra tio n o f a ll our oppressed
masses; will we argue amongst our­
selves as to which road to follow
and eventually end up still standing
in unemployment lines and at food
stamp counters; w ill we-can we align
ourselves behind our chosen Black
political leaders or will we end up in
opposition-debating on the virtues
o f liberals as compared to our more
outspoken representatives; w ill we
get bogged down in the muck and
mire o f gradualism or will we seek
"freedom now” at all cost; w ill our
politics allow us to love and respect
one another or w ill we remain
niggers fig h tin g over a piece o f
watermellon; is a revolution con­
ceivable or are we playing lip service
to our egoes?”
The questions are endless
because we haven’ t co llectively
come to any answers. There are
those o f us w h o ’ d rather k ill a
mickey o f tokay than attack the per­
tinent issues o f liberation.
There
are those who seek individual glory,
rather than collective stability-will
the big dog continue to get the bone
or will we forget about the bone and
go for the meat?”
In essence what I ’ m trying to say
is that our politics-the politics o f
Black-people-must include all Black
people. We’ ve got to somehow unite
the brothers in the pool halls with
the brothers on capital hill. We must
consolidate all our individual efforts
and resources into one big thurst for
freedom.
We must
become
politically aware o f ourselves and
the power we represent as a political
force in this country. It’ s foolish
for any Blackman or woman to say
that they aren't into politics; if you
aren’ t into politics, you aren’ t into
yourself. P o litics is money and
money is food on the table and gas
in the tank.
The whole w orld is p o litic a lly
oriented and we’ re s till arguing
about what to wear or how to get
over with the sister across the street.
The Russians, Iranians, Chinese,
Africans and the American white
people all have their politics. Yet
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EXODUS
a w o m e n '» choice clinic
Saturdays 8 30am to 1pm
POLITICAL AWARENESS AND
BLACKFOLKS
Today was a very good day, a
good day as prison days go-that is- a
good day for a Blackman trying to
find a way out o f a self made coffin
of dispair.
Today as I went about the
business o f being Black and
beautiful and proud o f being alive-
with hope, I had the privillege o f
meeting a success-success in the per­
son o f Chick Edwards, a State
Representative for Marion County
and West Salem. Chick, who’ s a
smallish man w ith a congenial
political smile and an exceptional
gift for words, surprised me with
some very important insights. The
reason why I say he surprised me is
that I ’m very offish with most white
people. Perhaps it’s because o f the
history o f abuse I ’ve received at the
hands o f whitefolks which left me
with an ingrained distrust o f them. I
can be very cynical in this respect
and 1 pride myself in being able to
pick out the fakes and squares on
sight. But in this particular instance
I reserved my judgem ent and
collared my cynicism until hearing
out the whiteman afore mentioned.
The conversation ranged around
politics, political responsibility and
the d e fin itio n o f p o litics. We
discussed the political involvement
o f Black people in general and how
they view the political apparatus
that governs their lives. I found
Chick to be very open and honest in
his opinions and surprisingly I
found that I agreed with him on the
topics discussed.
What I received most from the
encounter was an insight into
politics in terms o f people, the use
o f personal politics to achieve suc­
cess and in the words o f Chick Ed­
wards, “ politics is the ability to in­
fluence people.”
I now ask you what does all this
mean to us as Black citizens o f
America; what are our politics and
how do we gain the influence to put
our politics into action? These
questions might seem rhetorical but
they must be answered if we’ re to
achieve our rig h tfu l place in this
society.
Are we to follow the roles that
284 7997
JA N U A R Y
HappyNew Year
This is your invitation to
EXODUS FORUMS
JO IN US D U R IN G 1980
Each Tuesday Evening 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
1518 N.E. Killingsworth
Portland, Oregon 97211
Phone 284 7997
Standing
agenda:
Answers to your questions, workable
solutions to your problems and research
for your enlightenment.
Subject:
Follow-Through as a practical concept to
live by.
Conductor:
Thomas Boothe, author of Follow-Through
concept.
Statement:
Bring your questions, problems and con­
cerns to the Exodus Forums and we will
find workable answers and solutions for
you.