Page 2 Portland Observar January 1, 1981
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Watch the Oregon Legislature
w ill again be an issue.
One of the m ost discouraging issues that
will be discussed again this year is day care -
day care subsidies have been c u t, fo rc in g
m o th e rs back on w e lfa re at a tim e w hen
welfare funds are also decreasing. A lthough
day care has been a topic of national debate
for tw enty years or more, the U.S. remains
one of the few developed nations that does
n o t p ro v id e it as a m a tte r o f r ig h t, and
Oregon's day care is in worse shape than it
was ten years ago.
The session w ill bear w atching. Those who
oppose people o rie n te d pro g ra m s w ill be
heard. Those w h o care about the e ffe ct of
budget and program on the public will only be
heard if they are vocal and persistant.
The Oregon Legislature will meet next week
.to begin work on hundreds of bills, some of
which will become law.
Am ong the im p o rta n t issues that w ill be
decided are the state budget and the funding
of programs of special importance to people-
education, welfare, corrections, etc. Une ot
the most hotly debated issues w ill be reappor­
tionm ent of the Legislature - w ill Albina be
split eight ways again, or will the com munity
be a llo w e d som e so rt o f in te g rity ? The
Legislature w ill consider co n tin u a tio n and
fu n d in g o f the Black and H ispanic C o m ­
missions established by the Governor.
R a tific a tio n o f the W a s h in g to n , D .C .,
amendment to the U S. Constitution, passed
by the 1979 Senate but rejected by the House
What's behind Mexico visit?
co n sid e re d C e n tra l A m e ric a v ita l to our
national interests because of its position near
the Panama Canal and the Caribbean shipping
ro u te s . M e x ic o s u p p o rts the lib e ra tio n
m ovem ents in C entral A m erica, p ro v id in g
assistan ce to the new g o v e rn m e n t of
Nicaragua, telling the U.S. to stay out of El
Salvador, and guaranteeing the sovereignty of
Cuba from U.S. m ilitary attack. Not only is this
position contrary to U.S. interests, but the
State Departm ent now has a new "d o m in o
th e o ry."
If the U .S . su p p o rte d g o ve rn m e n t in El
Salvador falls and a revolutionary government
takes power, can Guatemala and Hondures be
far behind? A nd then M exico? If the U .S.
takes its usual position of rejection of an op-
postion to revolutionary governm ents - and
there is no reason to expect any change - will
we soon share a long and exposed border w ith
an unfriendly nation?
The v is it of R onald Reagan to M e x ic o
should not be seen as a change of attitude
toward Mexico and its people; it does not for-
tell any change in racist attitudes tow ard a d if­
ferent people. It is only the first step in an e f­
fo rt to being M exico in to our sphere of in ­
flu e n c e and to iso la te it fro m its C e n tra l
American neighbors.
President-elect Reagan's visit w ith President
Jose Lopez Portillo of Mexico is evidence of
the M exican's increasing im portance to the
U.S. Instead of reserving his first foreign visit
to our tra d itio n a l European allies, Reagan
chose Mexico - long ignored as a second class,
culturally backward neighbor.
The U .S .'s re la tio n s w ith M e xico have
alw ays been m arred by the typ ica l N o rth
A m e rica 's a ttitu d e of su p e rio rity over any
nation that is racially and culturally different.
And not only are Mexican nationals used and
abused in this c o u n try , but A m erican s of
Mexican decent are subject to discrimination
and in su lt. A lth o u g h im m ig ra tio n o ffic a ls
ignore the thousands of illegal Canadians
living among us, Spanish speaking illegals are
dilligently hunted and exported.
W hy is Mexico suddenly so important? Oil
and g e o g ra p h y. M e xico has oil and gas
resources that could end U.S. dependence on
middle eastern oil. A ccording to a recently
released autobiography of M exico's form er
president, the U.S. could have that oil now
but Kissinger rejected this offer in favor of
Iran. Recent events suddenly make Mexican
oil seem more valuable.
Mexico sits between the U.S. and Central
America, and the U.S. government has always
Letters to the Editor
Children's works inspire
To the Editor:
Those o f us who work for and/
or with young children thoroughly
enjoyed the special insert ' ‘Christ­
mas 1980, Through the Eyes o f
Children. “ We commend you for
your attention to the special holiday
world o f the young.
The writings and drawings o f the
children reflect their development,
understanding and emotions. The
honest, direct requests and
illustrations clearly portray the ex­
citement children feel during this
holiday season. We thank you for
sharing that wonderful portfolio.
Sincerely,
D Dooley Clarkson
Community Services Coordinator
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Letters are welcome, but only
those bearing Signatures, current
addresses, and telephone numbers
where the writers may be reached
during the day will be considered
for publication. If the Observer
cannot verify authorship, the let­
ters will not be published. Letters
are subject to editing and become
the property o f The Portland Ob­
server. W rite rs’ names may be
withheld should unusual circum­
stances dictate anonymity. Letters
should be addressed: Letters to
the Editor, P.O. Box 31.17, Port­
land, Oregon 97208.
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-
"o
NA’ N
A , W
Oh! What a year!
Bv Eungai Kumbula
Z im b a b w e : The most exciting
news o f the year have to be the
events that took place in Zimbabwe.
A fter a decade o f an often most
brutal civil war, an agreement was
reached in London calling for elec­
tions to choose the nation's govern­
ment. As so many similar tries had
failed before, the world was skep­
tical whether this latest venture
would be any different. Let us trace
events as Zimbabwe evolves from
“ Rhodesia” :
January 28: The deadline for all
guerrillas to be in the assembly
camps as per the Lancaster agree­
ment passes. It is reported that al­
most 8Or o o f the estimated 30,000
freedom fighters had turned them­
selves in by this date. However,
they refuse to give up their arms.
February 1-8: Tenuous cease­
fire continues to hold much to the
amazement of the world and to the
delight and re lie f o f war-weary
Zimbabweans.
Election
dates
drawn up and constituencies and
candidates announced.
February 14: White voters go to
the polls and, as expected, retain
Ian Smith's Rhodesia Front Party
which won almost all the 20 parlia­
mentary seats set aside fo r the
whites. This marked the return o f
Smith to Parliament as an ordinary
member rather than prime minister
as he had been since 1964
February 27-29: The Africans go
to the polls to choose from a list of
candidates from 9 separate parties.
In the last days o f the campaign,
Abel Muzorewa, the Rhodesian
whites and South A fric a had
dramatically increased their attacks
on Robert Mugabe and his party,
the Zimbabwe A fric a n N ational
Union, ZAN U . ZAN U and ZAPU
(Zimbabwe African Peoples Union)
led by Joshua Nkomo had originally
been allied in a loose military coali­
tion called the Patriotic Front but,
fo r the elections, had decided to
run separately.
March 4: The results are announ­
ced and i t ’ s a runaway! Robert
Mugabe and Z A N U had won 57
or the 80 seats or 7 1,25^o o f the
popular vote. His partner and ally.
Joshua Nkom o and ZAPU had
won 20 seats or 25r o o f the popular
vote. So, between them, Z A N U
and ZAPU had won 77 o f the 80
scats and 96.25^o o f the total
Black vote. Muzorewa who had
spent almost $30 m illion supplied
to him by South A frica and other
white conservatives had managed
to win no more than 3 o f the
80 seats and only ^.15^0 o f the vote.
The world is ‘ ‘stunned.’ ’
M arch 4-A pril 18: Comrade
Mugabe, now declared Prime
M inister o f the new nation o f
Zimbabwe sets about the task o f
forming a government and assuring
every Zimbabwean o f the govern­
ment’ s commitment to reconcilia­
tion and rehabilitation. The white
exodus that had been threatened
should the “ M arxists’ ’ come to
power fails to materialize.
A p ril
18
Independence!
Rusununguko! Inkululeko! Uhuru!
For the first time since the miserable
day o f September 12, 1890 when our
country was stolen. Blacks are once
again in charge o f their own destiny.
Dignitaries and representatives from
100 countries around the world
grace the festivities and witness
the lowering of the British flag and
the hoisting o f the new Zimbabwe's
prbud Red, Black, Gold and Green.
Zimbabwe has finally arrived!
A p ril-M a y-Ju n e -Ju ly: Zimbab­
we joins the Orgaization o f African
U n ity, O AU , the UN, the Lome
Convention o f the European
Economic C om m unity, opens an
embassy in Washington, becomes a
F ront-Line
state,
joins
the
Economic Community of Southern
African States, wins a Gold Medcal
at the summer Olympics in Moscow,
Prime Minister Mugabe visits the
US and addresses the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee,
“ My people in Harlem ," meets with
and floors the media.
July 80 January 81: Zimbabwe
continues to make progress in the
rebuilding o f the war shattered
economy and rehabilitation o f her
people. A major recruitment cam­
paign to replace the Smith-
Muzorewa hold overs in the civil
service is still under way. A ll
indications are that 198I w ill very
well be the best year Zimbabwe has
had since 1889.
U fland a: A fte r several false
starts, Ugandans fin a lly went to
the polls to choose their first
freefy elected government sice
1962. The elections took place
December 10 and former President
Apollo M ilton Obote was returned
to power after being ousted by Idi
Amin in 1971.
Guinea Bissau: November 22
Luis Cabral, brother o f A m ilcar
Cabral, one of the founders of ihe
PAIGC liberation movement, was
toppled by Nino Viera. Cabral was
the President o f Guinea Bissau and
Viera was the Prime Minister.
Upper Volta: President Sangoule
Lamizana is overthrown by Colonel
Saya Zerbo on November 27. A ll
in all 1980 was a year o f great
changes all over the A frican con­
tinent and 1981 looks like it w ill
bring more of the same.
Gun buying ground swell
By Rasa Customs
The rekindled debate over gun
control, set o ff by the death o f John
Lennon, comes at a tim e when
record numbers o f Americans are
buying hand guns for self-defense.
According to U.S. Treasury
Department, 2.1 million guns were
produced in the United States in the
last fiscal year, compared to 1.8
m illio n the previous year. The
N ational R ifle A ssociation, the
principal anti-gun control lobby
group, reports an “ incredible” in­
crease o f membership from 1.2
million to 1.8 million.
The gun co n tro l debate has
sharpened lately w ith the rise in
crime, especially the apparent in­
crease in random or senseless
killings o f the sort that took the life
o f the niece o f form er Senator
Abraham R ibicoff in Los Angeles
and the brother o f author David
Halberstam in Washington, D.C. It
has also escalated w ith an an­
ticipation o f civil disturbances in a
declining economy.
“ I f they start cu ttin g social
programs you might have a buildup
o f frustration and hatred. There are
40 million more guns out there than
there were in the late 1960s. It will
be w orse,” predicted Charles
Orasin, executive vice president of.
Hand Gun Control, Inc., an 80,000-
member group started by handgun
victims and based in W ashinton,
D.C.
Gun control advocates maintain
that no country in the world is so
permissive with handguns as is the
U.S. Pro-gun people point to that
same situation with pride, seeing it
as evidence that this is a free coun­
try.
Alm ost anyone can buy a gun,
legally, over the counter or by mail.
There is almost no official record­
keeping or control over how many
are sold, to whom, by whom and
under what circumstances. “ We
don’t track sales, the law does not
give us authority to do so," said a
spokesman fo r the Bureau o f
A lc o h o l, Tobacco and Firearms
Control in the Treasury. Reports are
received from manufacturers on a
voluntary basis.
M ail order sales are technically
restricted, under the Federal
Firearms C ontrol Act o f 1968, to
gun dealers But to become a dealer,
“ the prim ary q u a lific a tio n is to
have $10 to pay for the license,” the
Bureau's spokesman said. Among
170,000 licensed dealers are many
private individuals.
To buy a gun over the counter,
federal law requires only the filling
in o f a form stating that one is not a
felon, not mentally ill, does not use
dangerous drugs, is o f legal age and
resides in the state where he is
making the purchase. These forms
are not passed on to any o ffic ia l
agency fo r v e rific a tio n but are
merely filed with the dealer.
A study conducted by the
Treasury Department in 16 cities,
tracing guns used in crimes, found a
flow o f firearms from states with
weak laws to states w ith strong
ones. A major source for guns used
in New York, which has one of the
tougher laws, was South Carolina.
That state has since tightened its gun
laws. But now Florida is a major
source. It has lenient laws and is
also the entry point for Saturday
night specials, cheap guns which are
brought into the country in parts
and assembled in Florida shops.
Every 50 m inutes, by one
estimate, someone in this country is
kille d w ith a handgun. Between
1963 and 1973, when 46,121
Americans died in Vietnam, nearly
twice that many - 84,644 — were
killed at home with firearms.
A recent Lou Harris poll conduc­
ted fo r A B C -T V showed that 67
percent o f respondents want some
gun regulation. Gun control ad­
vocates have pressed for a federal
law that would at least apply to
handguns the kinds o f controls now
applied to cars: a license to show
competence to use, registration and
records that would allow tracing
from manufacturer to seller.
The anti-gun co n tro l groups,
however, have been such effective
lobbyists that no legislation o f sub­
stance has managed to get through
Congress, or through most state
legislatures. This explains an
anomoly in California: A handgun
can be bought after simply out a
form and waiting 15 days. But to
buy nonlethal teargas requires a
permit and the passing o f a course
o f instruction. Only certain kinds of
gas are permissible, and possession
o f illegal teargas is a felony, as is its
use fo r anything other than self
defense.
"O u r basic belief is that firearms
laws do not reduce crime, do not
have any effect on the criminal and
only serve to restrict or disarm law-
abiding c itiz e n s ," said John
Adkins, spokesman for the NRA.
“ You give government power and
’ some way or other that power will
be abused.”
Anti-control groups have gone to
great lengths on occasion. An Ohio
gun group once distributed a poster
of
Abner
M ikva ,
then
a
Congressman from Illinois, with a
bullseye superimposed over his face
fo r apparent use at rifle ranges.
M ikva had authored some o f the
strongest gun control legislation and
was a highly active anti-handgun
spokesman.
W ith chances now strong that
even such laws that exist may be
weakened fu rth e r in Congress,
citizens are in the position o f having
to decide for themselves whether a
handgun intended for self-defense is
a safeguard or a hazard.
“ We do not condone the pur­
chase o f handguns. In many cases
it's a mistake," says Sgt. Bernard
Shaw o f the crime prevention unit in
San Francisco police department.
To be useful in case of attack, a
gun has to be readily available and
its owner must be skilled in its use.
Otherwise it can easily be turned
against him.
Guns bought by law -abiding
citizens with self-protection in mind
often find their way into the hands
o f criminals. Up to half the guns
used in crimes are stolen.
In San Francisco, said Sgt. Shaw,
there are up to 1500 burglaries a
month, and guns are among the first
items to be stolen. I f h a lf the
burglarized homes contained guns,
that could mean around 700 new
weapons out in the streets each
month, he estimated.
Guns in the home are seldom used
for self-defense and far more often
become instruments o f tragedy, ac­
cording to Orasin. “ A woman
might buy it for riding through the
city in a car. But then she might
have to fight with her husband and
instead o f throw ing something at
him she might shoot him ."
However, w ith fa ith in in ­
stitutions that provide for public
safety crumbling, many are deciding
they need firearms.
“ Police protection is getting less -
- things are going to get worse and
people should know how to defend
themselves," said Vcrn Truesdale, a
Canadian who has w ritten and
published a book, “ How to Choose
A Survival Weapon for the Coming
Bad Years," which he sells through
the mail.
“ I firm ly believe there is an
economic collapse coming and 1
wrote the book with that in m ind,"
he said. More people would likely to
crack under the s tra in ,” said
Truesdale, “ and if they have a gun
you better have one, too. The only
defense against a gun is a gun."
(Please turn to Page 3 Col 1)