Portland observer., August 21, 1980, Page 2, Image 2

L
Pag® 2 Portland Observar August 21. I960
editorial / opinion
WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN?
f
h y N . iu n y a i Fumbulu
For the record
For Black people a relevant education for
their children is distinctly different from what
is generally emphasized as im portant by
spokemen for the dominant population.
Blacks are seriously concerned about the
humanistic and social content of education
and whether or not these are geared directly to
preparing Black youth to struggle with the ut­
most determ ination and com m itm ent for
liberation. The dominant population interests
are unwaveringly centered upon the natural
sciences and technology. These are the major
mechanisms they employ to the extreme in
maintaining surveillance and constrictions
over Blacks.
As the most oppressed population in
America Blacks are the leading protagonists in
the war to obliterate the Status Quo. There are
noticeable diluted and diffused warpings of
the Black intent by members of the school
board and adm inistration who lack the
courage to face the challenges and confron­
tations which have been brought before them
by an aggrieved and angry Black community.
If there are no corrections and adjustments
forthcom ing the im plications w ill be
farreaching and can result in prolonged
widespread discomfort. The planning and
discussions centered around parental in ­
volvement and participation in staff selection
and retention in those schools where Black
children are enrolled the plurality have all the
odious appearances of being time buying
efforts. The Black United Front is justified in
viewing these maneuvers as subtle devices to
keep things the same.
Parent advisory committees as set forth by
the Black United Front are to function
specifically to ensure meaningful changes in
the treatment and education of Black children.
The demand is that power over the lives of
Black children and the right to influence the
kind of education they receive will not be just a
promise but a guarantee.
It is redundant to mention that there is
bitter dissatisfaction w ith the established
system of education. There is a widespread
commitment now to make sure that never
again will the education of Black children be
controlled by others. Others are going to con­
tribute to this education but they are not going
to dominate. The racist opposition is expected
to meet blockades and create new difficulties
but in spite of these there will be more positive
activity from the Black population generating
better ideas to make real the educational at­
mosphere that has been customarily denied
Black children.
Black children are human and educable.
Their plight in the public schools of this city is
the result of being the targets and victims of
unrestrained white racism. The Black parents
of this era are no longer to be counted as
willing to cooperate in those old line school
board and administration techniques that have
as their objective the destruction of Black
people. The parental involvement program is
just one of the many overdue developments in
the re tooling of a vicious, degenerate racist
system of education. For Black people it is
essential because it is one of the necessary
steps that must be taken to remove oppression
and abuse of Black children.
Letters to the Editor
The other side of the coin
Dear Editor:
Let’s tell the other side of the so-
called police brutality accusation.
For two summers the residents east
o f Alberta Park between K illing-
worth and Ainsworth on 22nd and
23rd and on NE Jarrett between
22nd and 23rd, have been harassed
by 100®'o Black people, who have
told home owners, "T his is now a
Black area and we are going to run
you honkies and others out o f the
neighborhood .” (1 moved, not
because of the threat, but because I
needed a larger home if 1 would
have stayed, I would have continued
io confront all comers, for no one is
going to run me away front my
home, especially some inexperien­
ced Black youth).
There is continuous due games
and selling o f dope in the park.
There has been several arrests for
selling dope in the area. Children
have found hypodermic needles in
the park and on the street. There is
daily litte r on the street and on
everyone’ s lawn. The resident's
lawns have been trampled and have
been threatened by the Blacks if
they are asked not to walk or sit on
the residents lawns.
Streets are blocked by cars whose
drivers happpen to stop to talk to
passing acquaintances. These blacks
are not there to use the park. They
must be quite affluent, because em-
pty beer and pop containers are
frequently left on the street and in
the park.
I am proud o f who I am. I
disclaim
any
so
called
" b ro th e rh o o d " to Blacks whose
primary purpose is to destroy what
many o f us, white and Black have
worked for to gain what little rights
this society has to offer and let a few
so call "brothers" negate all and lay
down without a fight.
To all those who aspire to follow
Malcom X. First listen to his
records and read his books and
speeches before you ruin all that he s
stood for in his name.
Walter F. M orris J r
The other side of the park
Dear Editor.
In response to Com m issioner
Joidan's article last week regarding
Alberta Park, I too am concerned
about illegal activities taking place
in and around the park and
harassment o f neighbors.
I have personally witnessed police
harassment. I believe policing o f the
park could be done in less
brutalizing manner.
The police and park employees
should work together to solve the
problems. B rutality only leads to
resentment and more problems.
The Commissioner needs to take
a long hard look at his police.
John B. Preston
Banzar not part of recall effort
Letter to the Editor:
This letter is to c la rify my
position on the present Portland
school board issue. I am not part of
the school board recall efforts. I
have not and w ill not sign a recall
petition.
The recall procedure should be
used to safeguard the community
from elected officials who abuse
their office with illegal actions or
are unable to perform their duties.
It should not be used to express
policy differences.
If anything good can come of this
emotional issue, it is that the 92^o of
registered voters who did not vote in
the last school board election w ill
realize the important responsibility
they have to vote.
C a re fu lly reviewing each can­
didate’ s philosophy and taking the
time to vote next spring is the way to
express satisfaction or dissatisfac­
tion with the policies o f the existing
school board.
Sincerely,
Cindy Banzer
For the past five years this has
been the most serious column o f any
paper in the Northwest. Few would
argue this and so the columnist feels
it is time for a change. After all,
there is a crazy world out there.
There is a psychiatrist in
M ilw aukie, W isconsin, who was
convicted o f b ilk in g $13,285.00
from M edicaid. Dr. A lice Dean
simply submitted fictitious claims
and collected. Her sentence upon
conviction made legal history: she
was ordered to go and spend three
years serving the needy children of
southern India! However, being a
convicted felon, India promptly in­
dicated she would be denied entry
into India.
In the Indianapolis courtroom of
Judge Hazel Shripinsky, the good
judge is dispensing justice.
Judge
S h rip in s k y :
M r.
Willoughby-Timkins, your record is
really shocking: attempted theft, at­
tempted burglary, attempted arson,
attempted rape, attempted murder.
What do you have to say for your­
self?
W illo u g h b y - T im k in s : W e ll,
Your Honor, one can't always be
successful.
The erudite professor had had
one too many and it was some pretty
potent stuff to boot. Brought before
the judge, he was s till rather
inebriated. With all due solemnity,
the judge asked the professor, why
he was lying in the “ No Vagrants"
area of the park.
The professor lurched to his feet
and began:
" I was perambulating
Down the declavity
O f the marcadamized terraffin
When I suddenly lost
The centre of gravity
And found myself precipitated
In a glass o f beer!”
The judge had no idea what the
professor was talking and, since he
haled to admit his ignorance, he
simply dropped all charges against
the good professor.
President Bernard Albert Bongo
o f the oil-rich A frican nation of
Benin bought a $3 million in West
Los Angeles for his two daughters
powerful liberating force that these
three people generated among Black
people?”
C o m m is s io n e r ’ s L in d b e r g
suggestion o f how the Black com­
munity should proceed on street and
name selection was equally
questioned by Jackson. " I t may
have been w ell intended, but it
shows the lack o f sensitivity and
respect for Black people, especially
when it comes to their being actively
involved in shaping their culture.
We are displeased with such an at­
titude on Lindberg’ s part, because it
implies Black people are incapable
of doing anything correct."
When asked about the business
oppostion Jackson noted: "T here
would be no sense whatsoever to re­
name a residential street with very
Naturally, when she disembarked
the plane, newspeople swarmed
after her to see what was so urgent
about her mission. She went into a
Paris perfume shop, bought one
bottle of perfume, returned to the
airport and flew back to Zaire!
The war between Morocco and
the Polisario Front over Morocco's
claims to the Western Sahara had
put the U.S. Dpeartment in a rather
uncomfortable position. Nominally,
the U.S. objected to M orocco’ s
colonial claims and supported the
Polisario’ s quest fo r self-rule for
Western Sahara.
Under King Hassan II, however,
M orocco has become one o f
America's most reliable puppets in
Africa. To wage his nasty little war,
Hassan needs American arms. For a
while, the voices o f reason within
the C arter A d m in is tra tio n had
managed to block this sale o f arms.
Before too long, however, the
“ Hawks” came up with one of the
most amazing pieces o f “ logic” in
modern times to justify selling arms
to Hassan. The " lo g ic ” went
something like this: If we sell arms
to Morocco, Hassan will be more
inclined to negotiate w ith the
Polisario!
That’ s just like somebody who
finds two people fighting in an alley
and offers them guns so they will
feel more inclined to talk instead ol
fighting!
Shortly after the elections in Zim­
babwe, Abel Muzorewa was seen
tryin g to hitch a ride back to
Salisbury. It now comes out that
after his humilation at the polls, the
South Africans who had bankrolled
to the tune o f almost $30 m illion
took back everything: the money,:
the cars, the helicopters, the
telephones, everything.
They even took the car that he
had given by the Methodist Church
of which he is the bishop! Talk a
bout losing one’s back teeth!
For a long time to come, Julio
w ill think twice before taking
another trip. He lives in New York
and had gone down to Puerto rico
to visit some compadres. Upon his
return to New York, he was prompt­
ly arrested by IRS agents who in­
sisted he was not an American but a
Nicaraguan.
In spite of all his protests, he was
deported
to
Nicaragua!
In
Nicaragua he was promptly arrested
and shipped o ff to jail. He was in
the country w ithout any travel
documents and they refused to
believe his story that he had been
deported to Nicaragua. He spent a
week in the Nicaraguan jail while his
relatives brought affidavit after af­
fidavit to the INS to convince them
that Julio was actually American.
The INS relented in the end and
Julio came back to New York.
Now Julio is suing the INS for
false arrest, false deportation, men­
tal anguish and a few other charges.
Meantime, his uncle had died in
Puerto Rico but, after all his misad­
ventures, he could not bring himself
to take another trip to Puerto Rico.
Finally, there was the ever serious
political commentator who decided
on a change o f pace, but, that’s
another story.
Notes from City Hall
By Charles Jordan
Commissioner o f Public Safety
The unanimous decision by the
Portland Civil Service Board at its
A pril 4th meeting which approved
our proposed A ffirm a tive Action
C ertification Plan was overturned
recently by a Multnomah County
Circuit Court Judge
The plan, which was designed to
assist in hiring qualified minorities
and women to achieve affirmative
action goals and objectives in the
City, faced much opposition from
the P ortland Police Associaiton
who sought a permanent injunction
against the Board. Their lawsuit
contended that the Affirm ative Ac­
tion Certification Plan was uncon­
stitutional, that it violated the City
Charter by certifying persons for
employment other than the top
three applicants on the initial test
and that it would result in a decline
in the quality o f Portland Police o f­
ficers.
Judge C lifford Olsen, on Friday,
August 8, 1980 ruled in favor of the
Police Bureau. According to Olsen,
it was not the soundness of the rule
but the authority o f the Board to
adopt and im plem ent it. "T h e
Board cannot formulate legislative
policy regarding c e rtific a tio n o f
candidates fo r C ity service,” he
said. "N e ith e r is the Board em­
powered to ajudicate the legality of
the City's employment practices, at
least in the absence o f legislative
mandates and legislatively deter­
mined criteria.”
The rule was never implemented
due to a temporary restraining order
signed when the lawsuit was filed,
but 1 am still hopeful. The rule is a
good one and perhaps both, the
C ivil Service Board’ s authority to
adopt such a policy as well as the
constitutionality of the rule o f three
should be reviewed by a higher
court whose experience lends itself
to a ffirm a tiv e action and the
problems inherent in implementing
quasi-government constitutional
practices.
An August 19th meeting is
scheduled w ith the C iv il Service
Board to seek approval to appeal
Judge Olsen's decision to the
Oregon Court o f Appeals. A change
is necessary if we are to accomplish
or even come near the C ity ’ s
established goals and objectives.
The most significant steps along
the road begin with only one. For
those who dare to take such a step,
to pioneer and pave the way for
others to follow, we know that the
loss of a few yards does not mean
that we can’ t go the distance. We
must not be inclined to give up.
Our gain is also the City’s.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
BUF pushes street name changes
(Continued from Page I Col 3)
w ithout w hinning like im m ature
children regardless o f the issue.”
Jackson feels that Portland is no ex­
ception.
The proposed name changes for
W illiam s, Vancouver and Union
Avenue were as follows: Mrs. Rosa
Parks, Malcom X and M artin L.
K ing, J r., Avenue. The survey
results o f the city indicated that
residents did not like the names
which were selected by the Black
community.
According to Jackson, "th e name
selection process was based on
Black renowed personalities known
both on the national and in te r­
national level. In a d d itio n , the
Front questions the opposition of
the name selection. "W ould such a
point be raised out o f fear due to the
who are enrolled at U C LA . The
reason was so that when he comes to
the U.S. to visit, he won’ t have to
stay in a hotel! That, however, was
only a drop in the bucket for the ec­
centric little Napoleon. A few years
back when Benin hosted the OAU,
he had a $65 m illio n revolving
palace built for himself. A palace is
ostentatious enough but a revolving
palace!
A ir Zaire has two large planes: a
jumbo jet and a D-C 10. Some time
ago Mobutu Sese Seko, dictator of
Zaire, decided to take a trip to
France. Now, get this: his entourage
took the one jumbo jet and his wife
and her own entourage took the DC
10 leaving the country without its
only two large planes! What about
the passengers? They just had to
wait until the Mobutus decided to
come back!
That was bad, yes, but early this
year Mrs. Mobutu may have topped
that. She took the jumbo jet, went
to Paris and insisted on landing at
Paris O rly A irp o rt (landing fees
there are prohibitively expensive).
few businesses. Major throughfares
in our community is o f utmost im­
portance, and it is a known fact,
cities which have had name changes
have not selected lightly travelled
streets.
"G iven the nature o f this city, it
appears as though everyone would
be tickled pink if we selected some
alley here in the Black com ­
m unity.” When asked about L in ­
dberg's support o f the Black com­
m unity, Jackson responded, "w e
are very disappointed that Lindberg
came for our support prior to his
election and got it, we came for his
support, and he turns his back on us
by using a survey, insulting our
community and simply dismissing
our request. Furthermore we w ill
continue to pursue the name
changes in the Black community.”
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283 2486
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