Paga 2 Portland Obaarvar April 23. 1981
Zimbabwe Anniversary
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Influence In unity
One thing that came out of Tuesday evening
fo ru m on legislative reapportionm ent is that
a lth o u g h th e re has been discussion of this
issue for ten years there is still much confusion
and hesitation about the issue involved.
The question is whether citizens living in the
old Model Cities area, the area now included in
the N o rthea st C o a litio n of N eighborhoods,
and c o n ta in in g the m ajor part of the Black
citizens, should be placed w ith in a legislative
district. The other option is to place portions
o f the area w ith in th e ir separate d is tric ts -
d is tric ts that do not necessarily have much
in common w ith this area.
Having a legislator elected by and respon
sible to this co m m u n ity w o u ld enhance the
feeling of com m unity forged by the years the
n e ig h b o rh o o d s have w o rk e d to g e th e r in
M odel Cities and the N ortheast C oalition of
Neighborhoods. Perhaps many of those who
have given up on the electoral process would
want to become involved.
The theory behind dividing the area is that it
would provide an opportunity - if not to elect -
at least to in flu e n c e thre e le g is la to rs . The
c o m m u n ity co u ld be a d e cid in g fa c to r in a
close e le c tio n and those le g is la to rs , even
th o u g h their m ajor supp ort was outside the
area, w o u ld have to respond to co m m u nity
issues. This is basically the plan that has been
followed for the past ten years.
If the com m unity were divided in the m an
ner now proposed by the le gislature , there
would be little opportunity for the election of a
Black. They w o u ld fin d them selves running
against Howard Cherry, W ally Priestley, Jane
Cease or possibly Jim Chrest. In recent years
Carol Bryant and Harold W illiams ran against
C herry w ith o u t a g h o s t of a chance; Evie
Crowell did well in Black precincts but utterly
failed in the eastern end of the district.
On the other hand, many recent candidates
- Nick Barnett, Herb Cawthorne, Carol Bryant,
Jim Loving, Robert Phillips - would have done
well and probably could have won in a district
e n co m p a ssin g the area w here those w ith
common goals and concerns live.
-A second advantage of the forum is that it
brtMjght the reapportionm ent issue out of the
closet and into the open. Unlike the people of
Bend w ho learned their City is to be divided in
to tw o d is tric ts a t a le g is la tiv e hearing in
Salem, the people of the com m unity have an
o p p o rtu n ity to discu ss and respon d to the
proposals.
Representative Glen W hallon, Chairman of
the Elections and R eapportionm ent C o m m it
tee, w ill hold a form al legislative hearing on
A p ril 30th, 7:00 p .m ., at the King N e igh bor
hood Facility to receive public testim ony. The
le g is la to rs w h o w ill m ake th e d e cisio n are
each trying to protect their own territory, but
the co m m u n ity does have an o p p o rtu n ity to
influence their decision.
Support Jordan
W e com m end C om m issioner Charles J o r
dan fo r his a c tio n in firin g th e tw o p o lice
o ffice rs involved in the "p o s s u m in c id e n t."
This action is unprecedented in this City and
will have its political repercussions.
Jordan also has said that he will "shake-up"
the police department in response to admitted
c rim in a l a c tiv ity and lack o f adh erence to
proper procedures by police officers. He said
he w ill rid the Bureau of officers w ho are not
d o in g th e ir job and o f "b a d in flu e n c e s ."
Although the people of Portland w ant a good
police force, this is a highly em otional issue
and major changes w ill bring protest.
We call on Commissioner Jordan to release
all available inform aton on both investigations
- the n a rco tics squad and the "p o s s u m in
c id e n t." O nly by re ve a lin g all the fa c ts -
nam es, d ates, places - w ill the c itiz e n s be
allow ed to regain tru s t in th e ir police fo rce .
Until the names are revealed, all police officers
are suspect. U n til the names are revealed,
those arrested or convicted on the testim ony
of officers whose word and judgm ent cannot
be trusted are in jeopardy.
As m uch as is possible, citize n s m ust be
b ro u g h t in to the process - they m ust be in
volved in setting policies, m onitoring activities
and re v ie w in g c o m p la in ts . O th e rw ise the
police Bureau will continue to be a law unto it
self.
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
Brother A sm ar’ s A p ril I6,
"Cell Talk " prompted me to write.
Asmar, your words were touching
ones, deserving o f an award tor
graphic description o f a very real
situ a tio n , and though your
hungered need cannot be satisfied,
sedated or appeased by words, l, an
ex-offender, presented the following
to the Oregon legislature in behalf
o f the representatives of "C ell
Talk."
“ Today, I would like to address
House Bill 2998 and encourage the
passage o f it.
Conjugal visits (fa m ily visits
rights) can, and will be, a giant step
in lowering the state’ s recidivism
rate; its in s titu tio n a lly made
criminals; and, one of its mandated
purposes, rehabilitation. Contrary
to in fo rm a tio n which is to be
released the latter part of this year,
conjugal visits are wholesome, ef
fective and a deterrent to recidivism.
Psychologically such visits would
establish stronger fam ily ties, re
establish self-worth, which w ill ac
complish one of the major priBlems
a number of confined persons have.
We, the taxpayers, you and I, and
the rest o f Oregon's citizens, are in-
directly and directly affected by
what transpires within the state’ s in
stitutions. It affects our pocket
books through taxes, levies and
bond issues; it affects us financially
on a personal level through higher
insurance premiums resulting from
thefts, vandalism and other criminal
acts, and, it affects our emotional
and physical s ta b ility through
worry, apprehension and fear. Yet,
we qre continously using antiquated
ideas and methods to deal w ith
problems arising out o f the most
advanced civilization the world has
ever known.
I he cost of building sites for con
jugal visits (fam ily rights) is under
attack by some o f the state’ s o f
ficials, yet, those same officials are
advocating the construction o f a
new prison that w ill eventually and
ultimately run in the neighborhood
of SI50 million, claiming that in the
long run it will prove cheaper; which
proves beyond a reasonable doubt
that the interests o f the people are
not their paramount concern.
You, ladies and gentlemen, sit at
the crossroads. You have it w ithin
your power to accept the respon
sibility of the state in its clear con
cise specturm, and either move this
slate out o f the dark ages (the same
as Washington recently did), or con
tinue to subject Oregon citizens to
problems without seeking adequate
solutions.
I respectfully ask for the approval
and passage o f House B ill 2998,
and, more importantly, I ask that it
be viewed as a component o f the
program
needed
to
reduce
recidivism , in s titu tio n a lly made
crim inals, lack o f self-w orth, the
inability to function in an open and
free society, and the need to forever
think in terms o f new prisons.
In closing, l propose conjugal
visits,
w orthw hile
industrial
programs that will generate revenue
fo r inmates and state alike, and
other programs that will eventually
relieve the taxpayers as care-takers
and make all o f the state’ s in
stitutions, viabl, self-sustaining and
worthwhile programs.
Brother Asmar, there are those
who care, and I jo in you and en
courage all o f Oregon’ s concerned
citizens, to speak out against
inhumane and degrading con
ditions.
Nathaniel Scott
(Jhuru Cultural Club and North-
West Ex-offender Association
1st Place
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ONPA 1973
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The Portland Observer is a champion of lustice. equality and
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and critic of discriminatory practices and policies a sentinel to
warn of impending and existing racist trends and practices, and a
defender against persecution and oppression
The real problems o, the minority population will be viewed and
presented from the perspective of their causality unrestrained ano
chronoically entrenched racism N ational and in ternational
arrangements that prolong and increase the oppression of Third
World peoples shall be considered in the contest of their ew
ploitation and manipulation by the colonial nations, including the
United States, and their relationship to this nation s historical
treatment of its Blach population
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Attociabon - Fostndod 1995
Î
t
By Eungai Kumbula
As part o f our Get Acquainted
W ith ATrica M onth, the Portland
Observer's A frican A ffa irs Editor
has this week com plied and pre
pared this special alphabet to
fa m ilia rize the reader w ith this
fascinating continent. Since not all
lettrs o f the American alphabet are
represented in the African alphabet,
it has been necessary to include the
names o f a few cities to complete the
text. This is the key we shall use to
unlock some o f the mysteries o f the
motherland:
S (South); N (North); E (East); W
(West); NE (N orth-E ast); NW
(N orth-W est); C (C entral); I
(Island); C (City).
A: A lgeria (N ); Angola (SW );
Anzania
B: Benin (W ); Botswana (S)
Burundi (E).
C: Cameroun (C ); Cape Verde
(I); Central A frican Republic (C);
Chad (C); Comoros (I); Congo (C).
D: Djibouti (NE)
E: Egypt (N); Equatorial Guinea
(C); Ethiopia (NE); (Eritrea NE)
F: Francistown (C ); second
largest city in Botswana
G: Ghana (W ); Gambia (W );
Guinea Bissau (W); Guinea (W)
I: Ivory Coast (W')
J: Jos (C) in northern Nigeria
H: Hasase - City in Zimbabwe
I: Ivory Coast (W)
J: Jos (C) in Northern Nigeria
K: Kenya (E)
L: Lesotho (S); L iberia (W );
Libya (N)
M: Malagasy (I); M alaw i (SC);
Mali (W); Mauretania (W); Moroc
co (N W ); M ozam bique (SE)
Mauritius (I)
N: N am ibia (SW ); Niger (W );
Nigeria (w)
O: Ougadougou (C) - capital o f
Upper Volta
P: Pemba (I)
Q: Que Que (C) - in central Zim
babwe
R: Rio Muni (w); Rwanda (E)
S: Sahara Démocratique Republic
(N W ); Senegal (W ); Sierra l.eone
(W ); Somalia (N E ); Sudan (N);
Swaziland (S)
T: Tanzania (E); Togo (W );
Tunisia (N)
U: Uganda (E); Upper Volta (W)
V: V u lindhle la (C) in central
Azania (South Africa)
W: Wedza (C) in southern Z im
babwe
X: Xai Xai (C) in central Mozam
bique
y: Yaonrde (C) capital o f
Maurelqrio
Z: Zaire (C ); Zam bia (S); Zan
zibar (I); Zimbabwe (S)
W ith a total land mass o f some
11 Vi m illion square miles, Africa is
the w o rld ’ s second largest con
tinent, second only to Asia. It is
more than 3!4 times larger than the
entire U nited States o f America.
T otal current p o p ula tion is
estimated at just over 650 m illio n
which is smaller than C hina’ s and
just ahead o f In d ia ’ s. Looked at
another way, you could fit three and
one half USA’s into Africa and still
have room to r Mexico. You could
also fit N orth and South America
and a sizable portion o f Europe into
Africa! Africa also has the w orld’ s
longest river, the Nile which is over
4,000 miles long; the world’ s second
highest mountain, Mt. Kilim anjaro
at over 19,032 feet straddling the
Kenya-Tanzania border. One o f the
w orld’ s highest and certainly most
majestic falls is Masi-oa-tunya (Vic
toria Falls) on the Zambezi River
which divides Zam bia fro m Z im
babwe. The w orld’ s largest desert,
the Sahara, over five million square
miles crosses north Africa from west
to east.
From the Cape, at the southern
tip to Cairo at the northern tip, it is
roughly 6,000 miles or twice the
distance from P ortland to New
York. From Banjul, Gambia on the
west coast to Mombasa, Kenya, on
the east coat, it is 5,000 miles. No
wonder there are an estimated 5,000
languages spoken in A frica alone!
In Lake Tanganyika which is in
Tanzania, A fric a also boasts the
w orld’ s deepest lake at more than
4,000 feet deep. A fric a is tru ly
an amazing continent, and we are
only scratching the surface!
The growth of facism
By Dr. Manning Marable
The victories o f the New Right in
the election o f 1980, combined with
the revival o f the Cold War abroad
and racial prejudice at home, re
presents a new phase o f American
politics.
There is a grow ing concern
among the w orld’ s progressive and
Third W orld countries, and among
the oppressed peoples of this nation,
that there is something seriously
wrong in the United States. A mood
o f racial bigotry and social in
tolerance which generated the
ncoconservative political thrust in
the 1970s is m aturing in to an
ominous and startling p o litic a l
movement fo r white power.
Without exaggeration, many critics
of the political scene are describing
the new mood in one simple yet
devasting word - fascism.
Many o f us told ourselves that
fascism was just around the corner
during the 1960s. We saw the John
son Administration’ s genocidal war
in Southeast Asia, and we de
nounced it as fascist. We learned
about “ T ricky D ic k ” N ix o n ’ s
W atergate burglaries, his illegal war
into Cam bodia, and the develop
ment o f the C O IN T E LP R O to
destroy the Black movement, and
we declared that he was fascist. We
read about Gerald F o rd ’ s stum b
ling, bumbling pardon o f Nixon, his
cutbacks in a ffirm a tiv e action
programs and environmental con
trols, and some o f us called him a
fascist. W'e endured four years o f
peanut-brained
schemes and
dreams, the revival o f the Cold
War, and the murder o f hundreds o f
Black women, men and children in
the streets o f this nation, under
James Earl C arter. Some o f us
called him fascist. The term fascist
was used so often that many people
no longer listened. As in the fable of
the “ boy who cried w o lf,” many
working and poor people were ill-
prepared when the real thing began
to materialized.
What we must understand is that
American fascism w ill not look like
anything the world has seen to date.
Under a fascist regime, no wall por
traits o f the crim inal A d o lf H itler
will be in view. Mussolini and Juan
Peron w ill not re-emerge. In fact,
the form al in stitu tio n s o f U.S.
democracy — the Congress, the
Presidency and the Supreme Court -
- may still exist, although radically
transformed. Elections w ill still oc
cur, commercial television and the
media will be broadcasting the same
old garbage; the rhetoric o f the New
Right w ill be trum pted from the
heights o f governmental power and
within cultural institutions, but the
“ appearance” o f normancy will still
prevail.
Facism is not necessarily acoup d'
elat, or the overthrow o f a formally
elected government by the armed
forces, as in Chile in 1973. Under
U.S. facism, in all probability, not a
single soldier will leave the barracks.
Facism, then, must be understood
in the U.S. as a covert, rather than
overt, transferral o f authority into
the hands of a very small fraction of
racist and capitalist elites. It is the
fin a l, desperate attem pt o f those
social forces to maintain their con
tro l over the economic and social
order, at the expense o f con
stitutional democracy.
The first, and for our purposes,
the foremost element in the drive
toward U.S. facism, is the steady
p ro life ra tio n o f racial violence
aimed against every Black person in
Am erica, regardless o f income,
education, or religious beliefs. This
is not to minimize or to ignore the
level o f racist attacks aimed against
our people throughout history, since
we arrived in chains in 1619. Racist
violence is a baseball, hot dogs, and
apple pie. Only last year, the leader
o f the KKK declared that the
Republican Party platform could
“ have been w ritten by a (Clans
m an.” O nly last year, Ronald
Reagan delivered an infamous
speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi,
the site o f the vicious murder o f
three civil rights workers, that he
favored a return to “ states” rights -
a favorite code word fo r white
supremacy.
What is new during the last
eighteen months or more is the
massive p ro life ra tio n and th in ly
veiled legal toleration o f white racist
attacks against us at every level o f
society.
Districts
(Continued from page 1 col. 3)
strength.”
Calvin O.L. Henry also presented
a plan that divides the community
into three districts with 35 per cent,
8 per cent and 11 per cent Black
residents. Henry explained this
would “ maximize” influence by in
fluencing three district legislators.
Public response was mixed. Linda
Johnson said Blacks have been
unable to select representatives and
this has helped prevent a sense o f
ownership and involvem ent. Dr.
Darrell Milner said the current split
into four districts has not worked,
that placing the com m unity in one
district should be tried.
Viesa Loving said she never sees
her legislator in the com m unity,
working on community problems,
and would like to be able to replace
him.
Reverend Garlington said there is
a need for the area to pull together
and bring pressure; he wasn’ t sure
how this could best be done. Bob
Boyer suggested that i f the com
munity were united in one legislative
district and have hope o f electing a
representative, voter participation
would increase.
Others expressed a reticence to
make a decision without an oppor
tu n ity to study the plans and the
issues. Evelyn Crews asked i f the
community could have more time.
The final plan must be adopted by
July 1st.
Rep. W hallon said he w ould be
w illin g to bring his com m ittee to
Portland fo r a hearing. Other
representatives
present
were
Representatives Howard C herry,
Jane Cease, Vera Katz, W ally
Priestley, Dick Springer and
Senator Jan Wyers.
Be concerned!
Be informed!!
know the facts!!!
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