Paga 2 Portland Observer February 12.1961 EDITORIAL/OPINION Past promises foil solutions It m ight seem strange to some to see w hite parents at the school board meeting clamoring for busing. It only points out that - as so many Black spokesmen have said - the problem is not busing but who rides the bus. We agree w ith the school board's decision to rescind an earlier policy that w ould provide bus transportation only for children living one and a half or m ore m iles fro m s c h o o l. The c u rre n t p o lic y p ro vid e s tra n s p o rta tio n fo r children who live a mile or more from school. This p roblem p o in ts o u t som e o f the d é fic ie n c e s in the p re vio u s sch o o l a d ­ m in is tra tio n . In e ffo rts to coerse n e ig h ­ borh o o d s in to a cce p tin g the m id d le -sch o o l reorganization, the previous a d m in istra tio n made a lot of prom ises - in clud ing providing tran sportatio n forever. N ow , only tw o years later, the new adm inistration is faced w ith a t­ tem pting to keep those promises and also cut budget. A n oth er good exam ple of the previous ad­ m inistration's lack of direction and planning is W a sh in g to n /M o n ro e High School. To spend m illio n s to c o n s o lid a te W a s h in g to n and M o n ro e , in c lu d in g b u ild in g re n o v a tio n and planning and a d m in istra tive costs, and then three years later to talk about closing it is in ­ c o n c e iv a b le . The sam e fa c to rs - d e c lin in g enrollm ents and d e ficie n t budgets - were as prevalent when the decision to spend m illions on W ashington/M onroe was made as they are n o w . There have been no g re a t u n fo rse e n changes. Those w ho say the previous adm inistration was expert on finance must be kidding. It's all a matter of race For decades efforts have been made to give the U .S . c itiz e n s w h o live in W a s h in g o n , D .C ., a basic rig h t - re p re s e n ta tio n in Congress. D.C., now has one Congressman, who cannot vote, and no Senators. For decades e ffo rts w ere b lo cke d by S outherners w ho co n tro lle d the c o m m itte e c h a irm a n sh ip s in C ongress. E ffo rts w e re blocked because the majority of the citizens in D C., are Black. N ow there is an a m e n d m e n t to the U .S . C o n s titu tio n th a t w o u ld a llow D.C its tw o Senators and Congressman, w ith the right to vote. W ashington D.C. collects more taxes and has a larger population than many states, yet has no representation in government. A little know n fact is that the young men of D.C. lost their lives in the V ietnam w ar at a higher percentage than all but one state, or as Representative G ratton Kerans of Salem told the O reg on S e nate C o m m itte e on H um an R esources T uesday, the re sid e n ts o f D .C ., "gave the blood o f their children at a higher rate, yet have no vote and no rig h t in d e te r­ m ining national p o lic y .” T w o years ago the O regon L e g is la tu re refused to ratify the D C., am endm ent. W ill it ratify this session? It is all a question of race. Steve Kafoury - City Council Next Tuesday, February 17th, is e le c tio n day. Portland residents w ill be asked to select a City Commissioner to fill the vacancy left by Frank Ivancie when he assumed the o ffice of Mayor. The three fro n t runners are believed to be form er State Senator Steve Kafoury, County C o m m issioner Earl B lum enau er, and c o m ­ m unity activist Margaret Strachan. The three front runners have similar political philosophies, making the selection more d if­ fic u lt K a fo u ry and B lum enauer, w h o bo th served in the O regon legislature, had sim ilar vo tin g records. M s. Strachan has long been involved in neighborhood w o rk, serving for a tim e as d ire c to r o f the N o rth w e s t N e ig h ­ borhood office. Steve Kafoury is our our choice. W e respect the fact that he has had the courage to provide le a d e rsh ip on u n p o p u la r issues. He has w o rk e d and live d in th is c o m m u n ity ; he is available to the citizens of this com m unity. W e urge y o u r vo te fo r S teve K a fo u ry fo r City Council. Come to breakfast The first Legislative Breakfast, sponsored by the Observer, was held at Bourbon Street last S aturday. Guests were Senator Bill M cC oy and Representatives Jim Chrest and Howard C h erry. The o cca sio n p ro v id e d a liv e ly d iscu ssio n and the d is s e m in a tio n of m any facts. These breakfasts will continue - every other Saturday - and many of the Legislators w ill be asked to participate. This is an opp ortun ity to m eet n o t only our local representatives but those from across the State. Too o fte n w e are q u ie t u n til th e deed is done. This is an opp ortun ity to get your w ord in early. W atch the Observer for details of the b re a k fa s t s ch e d u le d fo r S a tu rd a y 21st. Of course, suggestions are welcome. Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: We would like to take this oppor­ tunity to express our most heartfelt thanks fo r publishing our Year- End Appeal ad in your newspaper last m onth. We can certainly at­ tribute our success in this effort to your most gracious support which helped us deliver a vital message to the Black community. As you well know any financial contribution, no matter how small, w ill boost our leverage and capability to fight for the cause o f civil rights regardless o f the political powers who maintain direct control over the social and economic con­ ditions in our society. The N A A C P , as the nation's largest and oldest c iv il rights organization, has always relied on the support of the Black community for its survival. Our task becomes an even greater challenge in light o f the new conservative climate in this country. We are prepared to meet that challenge but only with the con- tinued and increased support o f the constituency we serve. You have demonstrated your support fo r our mission in many wavs aside from this Year-End Ap­ peal ad and we hope that we can continue to count on your help in at­ tacking the racial injustices inherent within our society. Portland Observer <1 •» ■ • M IM K « I Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association I MEMBER NÊWA peb 4j.ioci«r> pidtation and manipulation by the colonial nations including the United States and then relationship to this nation s historical treatment of its Black population 283 2486 N ational A d vertisin g R ep res en tativ e A m a lg a m a te d Publishers Inc N e w York Honorable Mention Hernck Editorial Award NNA 1973 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1976 3rd Place Community Leedenihip ONPA 1978 3rd Place In deptn coverage ONPA 1979 «a H W ATlCW Al M • 3 A ' J. ~ * Africa Update Bv P uhkui Kumbula This week we continue with the events that have taken place on the African continent over the past year by looking at East A fric a and the Horn. J a n u a ry 6-10: The EPLF (Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front) engages Ethiopian troops in fierce fighting, a harbinger o f what is to come the rest of the year. Fabruary 21-2: Somalia charges Ethiopian air raids have hit Somali towns and reports more sim ilar raids in June, July, August and Sep­ tember. Ethiopia each time denies crossing the border. Fabruary 28: Some 6,000 demon­ strators march on the U.S. and Egyptian embassies in Khartoum , Sudan, to protest the exchanging of ambassadors between Egypt and Israel. Sudanese support for Egypt is m arkedly moderated shortly thereafter. M a rc h 4: Uganda’ s President Godfrey Binaisa appeals to the in­ ternational community for aid for the 20,000 persons facing starvation in the Karamoja district o f eastern Uganda. N eighboring Kenya and lan/ania also seek emergency food assistance in late March. M a rc h 15: Tanzania begins to pull out some o f its 10,000 troops in Uganda. A p ril 22: Rwanda's President Juvenal Habyarimana foils a coup attempt and dismisses all but two o f the m ilitary officers in his govern­ ment thus moving Rwanda closer to civilian rule. A p ril 24 E thiopia reveals that over 5 million people are affected by drought. The refugees fleeing both the drought and war are now put at over 2 million. May 10: Uganda's ruling M ilitary Gommission oust President Binaisa fo llo w in g his firin g o f pro-Obote (current President but then in exile in Tanzania) Brig. General Oyite Ojok. M ay 14: S udan and E thiopia issue a joint communique promising im proved bilateral relations and Sudan promises to seal her borders to Eritrean guerillas. Relations be­ tween the two neighbors had been strained due to Sudan’ s support for the guerillas who have been fighting Ethiopia since I962 to establish an independent Eritrea. J u ly 8: M auritius (another African island in the Sea o f Shaka) Prime M inister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam demands that Britain return the island o f Diego Garcia preparatory to making the Sea o f Shaka a zone o f peace. B ritian refuses saying the island will only be returned when it is no longer needed as a militarv base. Ju ly 26: The UN halts relief sup­ plies to the Karam oja region o f Uganda follow ing harassment and the killing o f two UN personnel by bands o f armed gangs. J u ly 27: The US announces the signing o f an agreement with Kenya for access to Kenya’ s naval and air fa cilitie s. A sim ilar agreement is signed w ith Somalia in August. Most A fric a n countries oppose these agreements for fear this would draw Africa into the perennial East- West conflict. A ugust 27: The C IA reports Somali troop support fo r Ogaden guerillas s tirrin g up fu rth e r op­ position to C arter's ad­ ministration’ s plans for inclusion of Somalia in the Rapid Deployment Force strategy. A ugust 28: The three year-old alliance between the EPLF and ELF (Erirtrean Peoples Liberation Front and Eritrean Liberation Front, two o f the movements battling to wrest Eritrea from E th io p ia ’ s co n tro l) comes to an abrupt end as the two engage in bloody clashes. By November, the EPLF has established clear dominance. Septem ber 19: The UN Food and A griculture Organization declares a food crisis in 2S o f A fric a 's $0 countries including Zimbabwe. Septem ber 29: The white US sailor who adm itted k illin g an alleged Kenyan prostitute is acquit ted by a senile white judge and released on a $70.00 good behavioi bond! The sorry judge is subsequen tly retired. October 6: Idi Amin loyalist slij into Uganda from Zaire and capture several towns killin g a number ot civilians. The Ugandan army even tually routs the invaders and drive- them back across the broder. Nt word from Amin who, reportedly, i still hiding in Saudi Arabia. O ctober 26: Tanzania' President Julius Nyerere is returnei to o ffice fo r the fifth tim e bu. dissatisfaction with their handling o f the economy causes half o f the incumbents to be dumped from of­ fice. Zanzibar, the island partner in the Tanzanian federation elects its first ever government. Novem ber 18: Sudanese President Jaafar N um eiry visits E thiopia dealing another blow to Eritrean guerillas who have always enjoyed his support in th e ir war against Ethiopia. Decem ber 1: E thiopia and Kenya issue a jo in t communique pledging m utual support against "Somali agression.” December 10: Uganda holds her first elections since 1962 and former president M ilton Obote, ousted by Amin in I9 7 l, emerges the victor. December 15: Kenya’ s President Daniel arap Moi pays a state visit to the Sudan. A very, very busy year 1980 was. Next, we shall visit Southern Africa. Sexuality and the law - Southern style By Dr. Wanning Marable Let me begin my rem inding my readers ihat by taste and temper- ment, I am a Southerner. My fond­ ness for the sunny South grows as the tem perature in and around Ithaca. New York drops. When the Black Student U nion o f F lorida State University invited me to speak recently on the anniversary o f M ar­ tin I uther King, Jr., 1 readily ac­ cepted. Surely the Sunbelt has more to offer than the chilling climate of fear that recently pervades Buffalo, and New York City. Arriving in Florida, it became ob­ vious that other N orthern Blacks had been returning to the region in record numbers. Since 1971, the historic pattern o f Black o u t­ migration from the South has been reversed The regional metropoles o f Atlanta. Houston, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville. Memphis and Miami have become the new islands o f “ economic opportun ity.” Right to work laws and a philosophy of end­ less corporate expansion reinforce a kind o f p rim itiv e in d ivid u a lism , moralism and evangelicalism, both in the public and private sectors. Stating all this, I was s till sur­ prised when I read in the morning newspaper that the F lorida Legislature could possibly k ill a state-funded program which rehabilitates convicted rapists. Over a 13 year period the M entally Dis­ ordered Sexual Offender Rehabili­ tation Program had treated about 12,000 convicted rapists w ith re­ markably successful results. remarkably successful results. Critics argue that the program is too costly. About $20,000 per year is spent to rehabilitate rapists over a three year period. This is twice the cost o f sim ply putting the rapist behind bars. But as in many things, the benefits outweigh the costs. Only 10 percent o f those who under­ go the sex therapy program ever rape again. This contrasts with 75 percent o f all rapists who finish their prison sentences, go into the public, and rape again. However, these statistics may not satisfy budget-conscious legislators, who may in the end decide that, women's saftey is not worth the extra fiscal expense. ‘ ‘ A successfully treated person goes out and does not recommit crimes against women and c h ild re n ,” stated John W right, forensic programs supervisor for the Mental Health Program O ffice o f the Florida Department o f Health and Rehabilitative Services. Sexual offenders who are simply locked up can and - usually do - commit more rapes once released. " W h a t’ s the m oral o b lig a tio n ? ” W right asks, "H o w do you spend your money? W hat price are you going to put on a rape? E videntally, $20,000 for some legislators may be too high a price. A second instance o f the bizzare and inexplicable relationship between sexuality and the Florida criminal justice system was reported in the Florida Flambeau, the student newspaper at Florida State Univer- sity. One inmate at the Union Correctional Institute at Raiford, Florida, was serving a th irty year sentence for sexual assault. The in­ mate subm itted to extensive psychological counselling. A staff psychologist met with the man in 39 sessions and eventually concluded that "th e subject has a fa irly high chance o f success in the free society.” The im prisoned m an’ s appeal before the F lorida Parole and Probation Board was denied several weeks ago. The reason: "ch ro n ic masturbation.” The Parole Board declared that the man “ evidenced a pattern of ongoing crim inal behavior eviden­ cing need fo r mental treatm ent.” Behind bars for over six years, the masturbating inmate was ordered to remain in prison for an additional 33 months. David M ack, spokes­ person fo r the F lordia C learing­ house fo r C rim in a l Justice, in ­ formed the F lordia Flambeau that this was the first instance o f extend­ ing the date o f prison parole because of “ chronic masturbation.” Sexuality and the law does not seem to mix well in the new South. Or perhaps the ancient patterns of sexism and legal apathy toward progressive social reform have transcended their origins in the An­ tebellum era. In either case, these recent incidents reveal a failure of the legal system to protect the victim s o f sexual crimes and to promote the rehabilitation o f sexual offenders. Reagan: No more free lunches (Continued from Page 1 Col 6) more on ownership o f our businesses -- if you look at it, Blacks are basically consumers. Again, if we plan to become com petitive in the American economic structure, we had better become producers." W hat is your a ttitu d e toward Ronald Reagan and his incom ing administration? “ Reagan is the new symbol o f the system .” said Kennedy, who was offered an executive position with the Department o f Housing and U r­ ban Development in W ashington, D C., recently but declined because he did not want to live back East. "Reagan was elected because the people in the system all agreed that the government was spending too much money and not getting a return on A m erica’ s m oney,” he said. "L ik e I mentioned earlier, the free lunch is over. Ronald Reagan is going to separate the lambs from the wolves.” Although Kennedy declined the position with HUD, he says that he would consider the regional direct- torship o f the department. Kennedy will appear on “ Dialogue,” a KPTV -12 Public A ffa irs program on February 14th (7A M ) and 15th (10AM). He will also appear on the show February 21st (7A M ) and 22nd (10PM). Police Union/BUF (Continued from Page 1 Col 3) Bureau statistics from July to Sep­ tember, failing to state whether this crime index included youth crime. Crime categorically increases due to the summer school break. Peters breaks o ff his assault on the Black United Front by summerizing that the Black United Front represents a m inority within a m inority, somehow deleating from his per­ spective that this same small group called a one-day boycott from classes just nine months ago in which over 5.000 student stayed home.