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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1980)
Pag« 2 Portland Obaarvar Novambar 9.1990 EDITORIAL/OPINION A little of this and a little of that... By Fungai Kumbuta It can be done! Purpose and Service The election results can be analyzed and interpreted in many ways. Black people would do well to regard the changes that loom before us as just one more of previous episodes produced by the political maneuvers of the forces of power. This nation has been, for a number of years, incuring social deficits in excess of all others. Now the issue for all humanity is whether humanism will be strengthened or totally obliterated. The concerns of the Black and other non dominant ethnic populations in America have been to reduce the deleterious effects upon themselves caused by punitive and abusive facets of white racism. The recent politcal contests reveal quite clearly that this is still the all pervasive issue affecting institutions and social functioning thorughout this nation. Now is the time for the less-chance peoples of the United States to become engaged in plans, programs and actions that w ill counteract the negative and degrading thrust characteristic of the policies of all previous political administrations. Those of us who are the targets and victims of chronic, systematic discrimination and disregard must be involved in acute organized and consistent efforts to insure that habitual patterns of governmental disrespect and rejection will no longer prevail. The PPS Monitoring and Advisory Commit tee's usefulness can and should be measured by the extent that devisiveness, confusion, conflict and frustration are reduced in the school district. A leadership role in the Black community should be filled by the schools but only if the schools are given legitimacy by Black parents. Achievment and social adustment of children are yardsticks for measuring whether these schools are legitimate. Parent and com m unity organizational participation will help schools provide uplifting sources to Black children. Teachers are the mainstay in providing academic instruction to children. The Monitoring and Advisory Committee must be careful to recognize those teachers who are devoted to children and dedicated to their profession. Teachers of broad socialization and experience should be encouraged and assisted in helping other colleagues with less under standing and experience. Every effort must be exerted to prevent principals from having to feel they must work under unwarranted pressures. The Committee should avoid contributing to feelings of hostility on the part of anyone. These protections are important and should not be compromised. In a comparable manner, the same level of consideratipn must be extended to parents and concerned community groups. Letters to the Editor County executive considers minority appointments To the Editor: I was very pleased to read in your October I6 edition that my efforts to increase minority representation on M ultnom ah C o u n ty’ s citizen boards and commissions have not gone unnoticed by the P ortland Observer. I am very proud o f the progress we have made, and I plan to continue to increase the number o f minority members on our citizen boards. You might be interested to know that 16 per cent o f the members of the County's boards are m inority citizens. This group includes Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians. Of those 59 people, 3 serve on two boards; and two o f those three were appointed specifically to represent one board on another board. I would like to describe the appointment process in my office for the benefit o f your readers who may be interested in serving. On a quarterly basis, we sent a list o f vacancies to the press and to in terested citizens and organizations. My staff accepts applications and recommendations for appointments and may also solicit them from the community. After conferring with the staff and members o f the citizen board, and interviewing candidates i f necessary, I make the appoint ments. That appointment is then sent to the Board o f C ounty C om missioners for their confirm ation. In m aking appointm ents, I especially consider the need to m aintain representation of m inorities and women in all geographic areas o f the County. Anybody may call or write my o ffic e to discuss boards and commissions and apply fo r consideration for appointment. I encourage all interested citizens to do so. Thank you again fo r your recognition and support. South Africa: As puppets go, one David Thebehali must rank right alongside the Muzorewas and Gatsha Buthelezis. Thebehali is the “ mayor” o f Soweto, the sprawling ghetto just outside Johannesburg. He looks Black and, like Buthelezi and the other puppets before, he was appointed by the racist South African regime to the mayoral post in an effort to diffuse Black intent. Two weeks ago, in a shameless display o f how low he has sunk to get the “ massa's” pat on the back, Thebehali invited Piet Koornhof, the white “ Minister o f Cooperation and Development,” to Soweto to receive the Freedom o f the C ity award! Commented one disgusted protestor, " I t ’ s a pity Koornhof has been granted citizenship by a man who happens to have none; so both o f them are insane.” In spite o f the very stringent security measures, the AN C (liberation movements), in a well planned and perfectly timed action, blew up the main ra il line that carries the bulk o f Soweto’ s comm uters to w ork. The blast occured just before Koornhof was to arrive, m aking sure that the hundreds o f stranded commuters w ould be on hand to protest. Though K o o rn h o f managed to sneak in by helicopter (to avoid the protestors), they still managed to disrupt the award giving cermonies time and time again. Both Koornhof and Thebehali were subjected to the full force o f the protestors’ anger. The language hurled at Thebehali would be too strong for a paper this respectable. No self-respecting individual would dare follow in his shameful footsteps. N a m ib ia : A newspaper editor from Namibia who recently fled to neighboring Angola has provided fresh details about the extend o f the struggle in that other troubled nation. Ambrosius W. Amutenja, e d itor o f O M U K W E T U , an Ovambo language newspaper, had recently published a “ H it L is t” giving the names o f prom inent Namibians who had been targeted fo r assassination by a squad o f Supports police, schools program Portland Observer he, too, had been added to the list o f condemned persons. The death squad is code named “ K oevet,” A fricaans fo r “ One W ay" and Amutenja fled after he had been alerted that a Col. Johann van der Merwe, head o f the “ Security Police” was after him. The Windhoek (Namibia) observer carried the account o f the Am utenja’s escape and the details surrounding his departure. M r. Am utenja’ s account o f his escape blows a huge hole in South A frica’s contention that it controls all o f Namibia because, after fleeing Windhoek, he stayed for ten weeks w ith SW APO guerrillas inside Namibia while they waited for the opportunity to flee. This was the same tim e that South A fric a n terrorists were in southern Angola bombing civilians while claiming to be killing so many SWAPO cadres. In a trip that took almost two weeks and during which Am utenja was escorted by as many as 200 SWAPO freedom fighters, he says they did not encounter one South A frican terrorist! Two o f the people on the “ H it L is t” died sh o rtly after the p u blicatio n o f the list. David .Sheehama and Matheus Elago were killed w ithin days o f each other under some s till unexplained circumstances. The list also includes some prom inent business, professional and church personalities. A p p a re n tly, their vociferousity has begun to hurt the apartheid regime where it lives. That “ you can k ill a revolutionary but you cannot kill a revolution” is a lesson South A fric a stubbornly refuses to learn even with the Smith example still so fresh. Kenya: This year Kenya celebrated 17 years of independence. I f she were a person, the parents w ould really be beginning to worry. However, for all o f her years o f "independence,” she seems worse o f f now than before 1963, at least in some respects. The latest incident to rouse the ire o f every self-respecting A fric a n concerns the case o f American sailor Frank Sundstorm o f Coventry, Rhode, Island. He was accused o f and subsequently, confessed to , the m urder o f M onicah N je ri, an alleged prostitute. They were supposed to have an argument over how much Frank was to pay for her services. In the ensuing dispue, he stabbed her to death. Brought before white high court judge L.G.E. Harris, Sundström, also white, was released on paying a $70.00 fine! $70.00 for the life o f someone? $70.00??? Under Kenyan law, he could have been sentenced to death. Reaction to this gross miscarriage of justice was strong as shown by the number of letters to the editors o f local newspapers. Most readers questioned how the judge could ever again sentence anybody else to death in light o f this. One writer queried: “ Had this man been a Kenyan living in the U.S. would he have received such “ justice.?” South Africa: Louisa Theron married husband number one in 1978. She must have liked the experience because in 1980, she m arried husband number two. Unfortunately, the law caught up with her and she had to do some explaining, (she was charged with bigam y). Though she pleaded guilty, she asked for leniency be cause o f extenuating circumstances. She said when she asked fo r a divorce from husband number one, he beat her mercilessly and threatened to k ill her i f she ever brought up the subject again. When asked husband number two for a divorce, he had a heart attack. He suffered a second and a third coronary when she asked him again. Pleaded the defendant, “ It was simply impossible to get a divorce from either husband. One would have killed me and the other would have killed himself.” The judge agreed to take the case under advertisement. Thoughts on Black, Hispanic Commissions (Continued from Page I Col 4) to recommend to him the structure fo r such a C om m ission. The committee was given ninety days to complete the report. Observer: H uw did the commit tee To the Editor: gather its data and information? step into that revolving door.” Now Deputy Chief Brouillette showed a Crime is on the increase, prison Toran: The committee decided to it seems that the Portland Police sincerity I personally have not populations throughout the country conduct Town H all meetings Department has hit on a possible witnessed before in any justice have risen to overflowing. County througho ut the state and to solution to this problem. Being a system branch o f County, State or jails and juvenile detention homes d istrib u te questionnaires to convict at OSP I must say 1 was a Federal government. We were asked have passed maximum capacity. participants in the meetings, as well skeptic, so I took the opportunity to to help in any way possible. We as Most o f the country faces the same as to other concerned individuals. hear Deputy Chief Brouillette and convicts can produce good results in dilemma - what is the solution to Each committee member served as a Commissioner Jordan address the the community. We have children crime? It is common knowledge or c o o rd in a to r/p la n n e r o f a Town problem and their possible solution too. So Com m issioner Jordan, should be that our society has Hall meeting in the area where he/ to the Legal Processes Class here. Deputy Chief Brouillette you have always dealt with crime after the she resides. The CJO (Com m unity Juvenile my support and 1 hope the fact and not before the fact which Observer: What were the results? O ffice r program) seems to place communities in and around Port makes it a little late for both law Toran: O verw helm ingly, the importance on relationships and land support you as well. breakers and victim . And justice participants in the meetings and the proper understanding o f authority My hat o ff to you. I'd suggest Systems have a revolving door respondents to the questionnaires in law enforcement and at the same anyone wanting information on this which once entered into is extremely desired two separate Commissions tim e develop a good attitude o f program contact Chief Brouillette. difficult to exit from. to address the common and unique oneself toward the various It’ s your children he is thinking of. Until now, very few have offered concerns o f the two groups. programs of the C.J.O. For the first W'hy else would they put in a new 85 any possible solutions to the Observer: What has been the time I see a public service law million dollar prison 10 years from problem "how to prevent crime and Governor's response? enforcement agency getting now? at the same time save a potential law Toran: The Governor responded involved in the social problems. Flick Mervrovick breaker from making that one fatal by establishing tw o separate Both Commissioner Jordan and H42527 OSP Commissions by Executive Order. Since only the legislature can 1st Place appropriate funds to state agencies, Community Service ONPA 1973 the tw o Commissions w ill begin The Portland Observer IUSPS 959 680) is published every Thurs functioning w ithout an operating day by Erne Publishing Company. Inc., 220, North Killingsworth, Is , Place budget. There are no funds Portland. Oregon 972,7. Post OHice Box 3137, Portland, Oregon Best Ad Result 97208 Second class postage paid a, Portland, Oregon cu rre n tly to support the ONPA 1973 Commissions. However, there will Subscriptions: 8,0.00 per year in Tri-County area P ostm aster 5th Place be a budget request submitted to the Send address changes to the Portland Observer. P O. Box 3,37, Best Editorial Portland. Oregon 97208 '81 legislative assembly to fund the ONPA 1973 two Commissions. The Advisory The Portland Observer was founded in October of 1970 by Honorable Mention Alfred Lee Henderson Committee recommended biennial Herrick Editorial Award The Portland Observer is a champion of justice, equality and budgetsof $131,458 for each. NNA ,973 liberation, an alert guard against social evils; a thorough analyst Observer: What is the purpose o f and critic of discriminatory practices and policies, a sentinal to 2nd Place the Commissions? warn of impenoing and existing racist trends and practices; and a Best Editorial Toran: The Commissions initially defender against persecution and oppression 3rd Place wil be responsible for lobbying and Bruce Broussard The real problems of the Black population will be viewed and Community Leedership presented from the perspective of their causality: unrestrained and ONPA 1975 m o n ito rin g legislation that w ill Editor/Publisher chronoically entrenched racism N ational and in ternation al continue each Com m ission by 3rd Place arrangements that prolong and increase the oppression of Third Community Leadership statute, w ith the appropriate World peoples shall bo considered in the context of their ex ONPA ,978 funding. — - 'M Q u - q o n H ptoitation and manipulation by the colonial nations, including the On an on-going basis, the g it n >- a ii>*” H 3rd Place United States, and their relationship to this nation s historical ■ C Publishers iH In depth coverage Commissions will be responsible for treatment of its Black population ■ ■ r «rlAssociation ONPA ,979 conducting research on problems 283 2486 , o - I "I «VI*. brought to the attention o f the N ational A dvertising R epresentative z Com m issions, m o n ito rin g state A m a lg a m ated Publishers. Inc N e w York service and program delivery to the population groups and advocacy at the executive and legislative levels. beeetiuuen - A Observer; How many people will serve on each Commission? Donald E. Clark County Executive organized or supported by the South African regime. Since publication o f the list,.Amutenja had learned that Toran: The Executive Order states that each Commission will be comprised o f nine members. The Commissions w ill reflect statewide representation. Observer: W ill the two Commissions work together? Toran: I believe that the Commissions w ill see the need to form coalitions to address some of the problems that each share in common. Observer: W ould a M in o rity Commission be a belter approach? Toran: When special C om missions are formed, it is of extreme importance that the Commissions have some credibility. I believe that, in itia lly anyway, the way to establish this credibility is to have Commissions that address the special interests and needs o f each group and to be seen as credible by the groups that are being served. Presently I believe that women, Indians, Hispanics and.Blacks feel that separate Commissions w ill more lik e ly achieve the desired results rather than a jo in t Commission serving all o f their interests. Ideally, this society w ill respond to the plight o f minorities in such a way that fu ll equality is achieved. When that occurs, then special Commissions w ill not be necessary. Observer: When w ill the Governor appoint the Commission members? Toran: Probably before the end o f the m onth. S ta ff work is cu rre n tly being done on those in d ivid u a ls who applied fo r appointments. 1 must say that I have been really impressed w ith the individuals who have expressed an interest and applied. The Commissions w ill require a tremendous time commitment, and these individuals have said, “ We are willing to do it.” 1 see these Commissions as an o p p o rtu n ity fo r Blacks and Hispanics to influence those decisions that affect our lives. To me, this is important and necessary as we move into a period of time in this country where race relations w ill be affected by the social and economic conditions o f the times. It w ill be im portant that groups support the Commissions and be available to serve on Task Forces to help carry out the charge o f the Executive Orders. We have the o p p o rtu n ity and com m unity resources to help make the Commissions successful. Subscribe now and receive your Observer by mail $10 per year Name Address _ .City. -2iP-
