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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1981)
lack churches join war protest POSTAL EMPLOYEES GIVE EXTRA HELP TO EASTER SEALS - W ith Easter Seals being m ailed th ro u g h o u t the state d u rin g the a n nual Easter Seal A ppeal M a rc h 1 - A p ril 19, three P o rtla n d p o s ta l unions are in v o lv e d on and o ff the jo b in helping O regonian s w ith physical disabilities. Robert H. D illard, president of Local #315 of the M ail H andlers, m et 1981 Oregon Easter Seal child Ryan H eesacker am id the mail sacks and got a big Easter Seal lapel bu tto n recently at the new Easter Seal C enter in P ortland. D illard said the Easter Seal program has been adopted by his union as a national project, th a t the local w ill also be w o rkin g on the Telethon M arch 28-29, and w ill also help w ith the c irc u la tio n o f " B u ry the C ru tc h " cubes and in o th e r fund raising projects. The African Methodist Episcopal C hurch, the C h ristian M ethodist Episcopal C hurch and the Z ion A fric a n M ethodist Episcopal Church have joined a growing num ber o f Am erican Protestant organizations opposing US in te r vention in El Salvador. “ We must stand together on the crucial s itu a tio n ,” said Reverend W illiam Howard, president o f the N ational C ouncil o f Churches, which include the m ajor protestant and Eastern O rth o d o x denom inations. The N ational C ouncil o f Bishops o f the Roman Catholic Church has long opposed U.S. military intervention. The three Black M ethodist denom inations, along w ith the predom inately w hite U nited M ethodist Church, pledged “ our oneness with the National C ouncil o f C atholic Bishops” in opposing U.S. intervention in El Salvador. The churches adding th e ir o p position include the U nited Presbyterian C hurch, the Presbyterian C hurch U .S ., the Reformed Church in America, the Church o f the Brethren, the Am erican Baptist Churches, the C hristian C hurch (D isciples o f C hrist), the U nited C hurch o f C h rist, the Lutheran C hurch in American, the Morarian Church Of Am erica, and the N ational C on ference o f C om m unity Churches have been critical o f the government o f El Salvador and its terrorism against its citizens. The renunciation o f U.S. m ilitary aid come on the eve o f the anniver sary o f the assassination o f A rc h bishop Oscar Romero, who was shot while saying mass because he continuously spoke out against the oppression, torture and murder o f Salvadorans and supported their struggle for liberation. In P ortland the life o f A rc h bishop Romero and the cause he represented was remembered with three days o f fasting and prayer vigils at St. Andrew C atholic Church and an ecumenical service at First United M ethodist Church on Wednesday evening. Rodney Page, acting director o f the Ecumenical M inisters o f Oregon, said o f the A rchbishop, “ May his death serve as a tragic rem inder that the evil faces o f poverty, injustice and oppression that caused his death are still ram part in El Salvador.” Diane Hess, Chairman o f the Portland Central American Solidarity Committee ad ded, “ The voice o f A rchbishop Romero was not silenced. It grows louder and stronger every day as more and more o f us take up the pledge to stop U.S. intervention in El Salvador.” The C atholic C hurch o f El Salvador announced this week that 6,196 citizens have been killed by their government this year. This is in addition to 12,075 verified killings during 1980. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has voted to in vestigate the “ K illin g s , 1 idnap- pings, violence and torture’ b., El Salvador government and to sur port the right o f the people to di on the government they desire. The Forabundi M arti Liberation F ront has called a 24 hour m oratorium on fighting in respect for Archbishop Romero. Contributions for the people o f El Salvador can be sent to the PCASC or Box 6443, Portland 97228 (235- 9388). Newhall - A track record of community support: • Fought for Harriet Tubman Middle School • Consistently supports strong basic skills for students • Voted for increased parent involvement in neighborhood schools • Will fight for balance in school closures Newhall - An independent voice for the whole community. Vote for Sarah Newhall for School Board - Position #1 Gretchen Kafoury Neil Kelly Armando La Guardia Vesta Loving Bob Nelson Supporters include. Nick Barnett Herb Cawthorne Rev. John Garlington Lillian Herzog Leon T. Johnson Committee to retain Sarah Newhall for School Board, Edna Robertson Ruth Spencer Raul Soto-Seelig Betty Walker Commissioner Charles Jordan Jay Delman, Treasurer. 419 NE Hazel Fern Place, Portland 97232 Divestment essential to SA (Continued from Page 1 Col 3) from being inconsequential lo the struggle lor South Africa scrapping the act would be totally meaningless because, should such a couple marry they could not live anywhere in South A fric a because it is s till “ ille g a l” for people o f d iffe re n t racial backgrounds to live under the same roof. Should they have a child, that child would have to go and live in yet a third neighborhood since, being of mixed parentage, the child would be classified in yet a th ird racial category, different than that of either mother or father! Ite m : We need South A fric a ’ s minerals and other resources most o f which are c ritic a l fo r our in dustries and defense system. Response: These minerals and other resources are an endowment of the country not the government. A change o f government in South Africa would not necessarily mean a cut-off o f these resources - after all, the new government w ill still need foreign exchange just as the current me does. Secondly, v irtu a lly all o f the ninerals the U.S. currently imports rom South A frica she can just as asily get from such free A frican ountries as Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zaire and Zambia. Item : If we withdraw from South Africa, the Africans will be hurt the most since they are the ones who w ill lose their jobs first. By slaying on in South Africa, we provide them jobs they otherwise would not have. Response: Do you remember the arguments against slaves in the South escaping to the North? The one that went something like this: The slaves are better o ff staying on at the plantation because at least they have food and shelter. Same argument here: the Africans should continue to accept this slavery because at least they have jobs! One curious thing is that the American companies that seem so overly concerned about the plight of the Africans. Tor the past 25 years. Black leaders in South A frica who know the situation better than anyone else have been calling on foreign companies to get out o f South Africa. Would they cut their own throat or that o f the people for whom they are fighting? Ite m : The U.S. share o f the South A frican trade is only 17% and, if we leave, some other foreign company is just going to step into our shoes. Response: True, the U.S. share o f this illicit trade is only 17% but that 17% is worth more than $2.2 Be concerned! Be informed!! know the facts!!! SUBSCRIBETODAY! ONLY $10 PER YEAR Name................................................................................. Address............................................................................ City......................State............Zip.......... Portland Observer Box 3137 Portland, OR 97208 b illio n and th a t’ s a huge chunk o f money. Moreover, U.S. companies provide 40% o f South A fr ic a ’ s autom obiles, 20-30% of the com puters, 60% o f the trucks, 40% o f the gasoline, 100% o f the technology for its coal-to-oil con version industry to m ention just five examples. As fo r some other western or Japanese company moving in to fill the void U.S. companies would leave, all one can say is: That sort o f logic is analogous to a burglar who sets out to burglarize a house, gets conscience-stricken and hesitates. Then he rationalizes that “ if I don’ t break in to this house, somebody else w ill. So I m ight as well go ahead and break in .” Very smart. Ite m : I f the A fricans take over South A fric a , then the U.S. and other western countries w ill lose a valuable ally in their on-going struggle against communism. The Russians w ill get to control the sea lanes around the Cape through which 70% o f the West’s oil passes. R esponse: Equating A fric a n nationalism w ith communism has been the f avorite argument o f South Af rican propaganda. A quick look al the A fric a n continent today, however, quickly exposes the bank ruptcy of this ploy: There are 51 in dependent countries on the African continent but not one o f them can be called a com m unist country. Before Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Robert Mugabe came to power, these same arguments were used; that a victory for Mugabe would be tantamount to delivering Zimbabwe into the arms o f Moscow. Zimbab we is almost a year old now and she is further from the Russian embrace than at any tim e in her colonial history. The Africans are highly insulted when their continent is used as a battleground for the perennial East- West conflict. African nationalism owes allegiance neither to East nor to West. In closing, the Africans feel that it is bad enough for Western countries to collaborate with the enemy, but it is downright disgraceful when they attempt to camouflage this collusion under the guise o f w orking in the best interests of the Africans. It is a crying shame when they try to fool the American public about their real motives fo r investing in a system that flouts everything the American Republic was supposed to have been founded on. EXODUS d S u c a fa ru t/a ru / '/ t s ¿/msw/1 6 e n /rt 1639 N E . Alberta PORTLAND. OREGON 9 7 2 1 1 284 7997 From the Front Door By Torn Boothe From the Front Door, I witnessed a most interesting situation Monday night March 9, 1981, at the Hansen Building Auditorium 12240 NE Gilsan. The meeting was billed as a "Public work session on the County budget." The meeting and discussion centered around a potential (6) million dollar cut in revenue to provide services in Multnomah County. The meeting was well publicized by the County, but the strange thing was that most Agen- cies. Businesses and citizens located in the Black communty who will be greatly affected by the Potential Budget cuts were not present at the meeting. As compared to the agencies. Businesses and Citizens who are less dependent directly upon County funds were present in full force. The Black community was represented by the House of Exodus (Staff and Clients), and by a larger number of members from the Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church, including their pastor. Point blank, I will be happy to see the day when our Black citizens find the time to participate "on tim e" in Socio-political processes, as opposed to showing up "Late after the fact' complaining and critizing the results of a political excercise. Many Blacks will be affected by Federal, State, County and City Budget Cuts, many are already affected by Welfare cuts. Now is the time to plan and find productive alternatives to our community’s economics, much of which will depend upon whether we function on time in to Socio political processes Horses races, dog races, booze and dope has a negative effect on the Black community and the results of such indulgence benefit the Bureaucratic system far more than it does Black employment or the Black community in general. Yet, there are Black citizens spending just about all of their extra dqllars on horse races, dog races, booze and street dope Black citizens will show up in numbers and on time at the races, in line at the booze store, some even use taxi cabs for transportation, and will be on time for the dope man We as Black’ citizens need to learn w hat is FIRST and w hat is NEXT. This is called prioritizing. 1. (Priority number one) should be the security and welfare of your immediate family 2. (Priority number two) should be the condition of our community, the livability of our neighborhood. 3. (Priority number three) can be our personalized sports and pleasures. Let me say again, you can't spend your time or money for a better purpose; join with the Exodus Youth Mental Health Offensive, building our community into a better and safer place to live and raise our children Join with me and make our family and community, priority (NUMBER ONE). Brought to you as a public service by House of Exodus
