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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1981)
Page 2 Portland Observer August fi. 1961 My best friend EDITORIAL/OPINION By Eungai Kumbula Reporting fro m Inglewood, CA If you don't like cops . . . And Linda, dear, if you don't like cops, next tim e you need help w h y d o n 't you try calling Alan O ta ." These are the words of Jeff Barker, editor of "The Rap Sheet", printed on the first page of the August issue "T h e Rap Sheet” is the official publication of the Port land Police Association and the Oregon Coun cil of Police Associations. In the m id st o f a tira d e against the O re g o n io n ’s recent series on alleged police abuses -- especially those directed at the Black com m unity -- Barker selected Linda Williams, reporter for the Oregonian, for his special ire. He appears to threaten Ms. Williams that she, as a citize n and tax payer, w ill be refused protection of the Portland Police Bureau. In fact, the entire issue of "The Rap Sheet" seems directed at Blacks. A lth ough the top sto ry is a plug by Chief Ron S till for better public relations, the front page also carries a reprint of an old Oregon Journa l article con ta in in g Police A s s o c ia tio n president Stan Peters' charges that Blacks are com m itting a disproportionate share of crimes and his rebut of "Black United Front lies". The issue also contains letters from City At to rn e y Chris T hom as regarding O regonian reporter Alan Ota. The editor remarks, "O ta has earned the reputation of being a real jerk in his dealings w ith the Detective Division over the past years." Thomas reveals that he has asked all a tto r neys and law clerks in his office not to provide Ota w ith in fo rm a tio n u n til he apologizes to several officers named in his article, "O fficers choose not to respon d” . In the article, Ota said that the officers had refused coi;im> nt on citizen charges against them. Even more disappointing were the lemarks Cries o f ••F o u l" have o f late been directed at the Reagan ad- ministratioin from both the African of Dick Bogle, former police officer and now a continent as well as our other con K A TU new sm a n. Bogle said a b o u t th e s titu e n t in this country. What has Oregonian articles, " It makes me w ant to puke prompred this outcry, among other things o f course, is the increasing and you can quote me. I almost literally threw coziness between Washington and up when I read those things. It was very poor Pretoria, South Africa. tim in g w hen th e d e p a rtm e n t w as try in g to The num ber o f tete a ’ tete’ s right itself and reestablish cre dib ility." W hat is between the tw o, both overt and the right time to expose the abuses o f citizens covert, has escalated dram atically by th e ir p u b lic em ployees? W e realize th a t in the last few months and Reagan’ s Bogle is loyal to his old friend, Chief Still, and own obsession w ith "s to p p in g that he probably is sincere in his efforts to aid communism” even at the expense of human rights considerations has th e B ureau, b u t are these th e w o rd s o f a just added fuel to an already volatile newsman? situation. It appears th a t "T h e Rap S h e e t” has e m Lately attention has been diverted barked on an all out crusade against it critics of by the rio ts sprouting up all over England, at last count in 33 cities the Police Bureau, many o f w hich are black. throughout England as well as Or is this attack on Blacks just a way of paving Wales and Northern Ireland. Those the way for the return of Officers fired over the riots are o f particular interest to all "Possum Incident” - destroy the credibility of o f us here on the continent as well as the victim to excuse the attack? to those agencies charged with “ law While Chief Still is asking the public to give enfo rce m e n t" th rougho ut the him time to make constructive changes and is country. To us they are o f interest making an e ffo rt to com m unicate w ith Black because apart fiom the fact that it citizens, the union seems to have gone into an is our people once again " i n the thick o f things” co to speak, it is a tta c k p o s itio n . There rem ains a lo t o f not inconcievable to see the whole question a io u t who runs the Police Bureau - scene repeated here across the the Chief or the union president. Will the union Atlantic. The issues, the anger, the support constructive change? This issue of the fru s tra tio n that brought those Rap sheet" indicates otherwise. "T he Rap Sheet" does the Bureau and the union members a diservice. The police officers need to learn to function properly in a m u lti racial c ity ; th e y do n o t need th e same old rhe to ric. W e suggest th a t the s ta ff of "T h e Rap Sheet" be the first candidates for training in hum an re la tio n s . W e also believe the dem ea ning and ra cist rem arks a b o u t Ms. W illia m s require a fo rm a l a p o lo g y fro m the Police Association. For money and power W h ile a n n o u n cin g its new im m ig ra tio n p o lic y , the US g o v e rn m e n t is p repa ring to return several thousand people to El Salvador to face certain death. Citizens of El Salvador are in the c o u n try ille g a lly , fleeing the prosecution and brutality of their own govern m ent. These people do not fit into the U S immigration plan. US immigration policy serves tw o purposes - economic and political. Since the elimination o f slavery, im m ig ra tio n has been used to p rovid e cheap la b o r. The Irish, Eastern Europeans, the Chinese and many others have been used. During and after the second World War the Bracero program brought millions of M exicans farm w o rke rs. A ll were e xploited while they contributed to the nation's wealth A second use fo r im m ig ra tio n is fo re ig n policy - a method of embarassing nations that are currently in disfavor. The tw enty years of inticem ent of Cubans to leave their co u n try illegally and the recent immigration welcomed "w ith open arms and open heart" are merely efforts to discredit the Cuban government At the same tim e, H aitians a tte m p tin g to flee brutality and starvation were turned away. The US refuses to accep t refugees fro m El S alvador and G uatem ala, w ho are fle e in g brutal dictatorships that murder thousands of their own people each year, because the US supports their government. The Reagan A d m in is tra tio n 's frie n d ly gesture to w a rd M exico w ill serve these tw o purposes w ell. The im p o rta tio n of 600,000 workers annually w ill insure cheap labor and break the backs of the unions while providing a temporary escape value for M exico's unem ploym ent problem. Politically it is designed to m end fences w ith M e xico . The M exican government has created some concern - it has called Cuba its "best frie n d " and insured sup port against US intrusion, and it supports the liberation movements in Central America. But more im portant.. Mexico has oil. The new im m igration policy while a tte m p t ing to curry the friendship of Mexico, bears an evil omen for refugees from other parts of the Am ericas. A recently leaked docum ent talks ab o u t keep ing u n d o c u m e n te d refu g e e s in detention camps, resettling Haitians in other countries, returning "Cuban m isfits" to Cuba, d iscouraging other co un trie s (M exico) from being a co nd uit thro ugh w h ich refugees can travel to the US and turning back boatloads of Haitians on the high seas. The A dm inistration has taken the first step to w a rd d e p o rtin g several th o u sa n d Salvor- doreans w h o have appealed fo r refu gee status. The State Department has sent letters to 1200 Salvadorean people n o tify in g them that they have failed to meet refugee require ments. A lthough the State Department m ain tains that those individuals who can prove that they will be persecuted if they return home can be given refugee status, the National Lawyers G uild re p o rts th a t so far, all o f th e ir clie n ts have been refused. One exam ple is Ricardo Ernandes, a trade union organizer, w ho says he was shot three tim es in El Salvador. W hen his cousin, who had been mistaken for him; was m urdered, a note was left on his chest saying that Ernandes w ould be next. His request for asylum in the United States has been denied. P o rtla n d O bserver • ' JSPS 959 600) is p u b lis h e d e very Thurs •inpany P o rtia ^ )/2 1 7 2201 North Killingsworth Po»’ O ffic e Bo« 3137. P o rtla n d . O re g o n p o M q e ; a id at P o rtla n d . O re g o n <' ty area P ostm aster p O Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 Tt» P o r t la n d ' e r v e r was founded »n October of 1970 by A'fred Lee Henderson P o /a n d i •f \e r is a c h a m p io n o f |u s tic e . e q u a lity and a I iq a m s t so cia l evils a th o ro u g h a na lyst • i ’ > if ito ry pra< tic e s a nd p o lic ie s a se n tin a l to *»»’ ; • ' j m d PMist.ng ra c is t tre n d s a nd p ra c tic e s , and a defer der a gainst p e rs e c u tio n and o p p re s s io n . firm e Broussard . t d i t o r / Publisher <1 A ■ 1 » MtMBf R Oregon Newspaper 1 Publishers « 1 Association I pr q ,»r d incre a se th e o p p re s s io n o f Third i t,e i >nsidered in th e c o n te x t o f th e ir ex : - a ’ • by th e r <>»<»■ »1 n a tio n s , in c lu d in g th e j (h*»>r re la tio n s h ip to th is n a tio n s h is to ric a l tre a tm e n t o f its Black population V MEMBER N M p A e « AttoeiHion ■ Founded 1 M Î J [v t « f th e m in o rity p o p u la tio n w ill be v ie w e d and ‘ f th«»ir c a u s a lity u n re s tra in e d ano i i y » - n iip r o d r,», N a t io n a l a n d in t e r n a t io n a l »'■ * )• ts th a t 'A/ »• ; p« h ' ** r ' ri- ■ • %•,♦<-.«. ,, 1st Place Community Service ONPA 1973 283 2486 N a tio n a l A d v a rtia m q R n p ra a a n ta tiv a A m a lg a m a te d P u b lis h e rs Inc N a w Y o rk 1st Place Best Ad Result ONPA ,973 5th Place Best Editorial ONPA 1973 Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award NNA ,973 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1975 ” M '*1». » o«*‘ M'irU i «s»«»» • kA. « ' m and simplistic. The battle for South Africa w ill have to be carried on at different level and, reacting to this setback p a rtic u la rly , the A N C (A fric a n N ational Congress) the lib e ra tio n movement fig h tin g to liberate South A frica , has stepped up its attacks - carefully choosing ecnonomic targets. In the past three m onths at least a dozen power plants in South A frica were blown up plunging sections o f Johannes burg and Pretoria into darkness and affecting hundreds o f businesses. More than 600,000 were left without power fo r several hours. As was proved in Zim babwe and every other place where it has been necessary to use force to bring about our deliverance, this unfortunately seems to be the one language they can never mistake. Should the diplom atic battle be given a bad job though? The answer is no. The battle for South A fric a ’ s and N am ibia’ s freedom must con tinue to be waged on as many d if ferent fro n ts as possible; it must continue to be multi-pronged attack as was the case w ith Zim babwe. The enemies o f A fric a ’ s liberation must be forced to negotiate. We, too, can play the "carrot-and-stick” game. We are on the move now and nothing but nothing can stop us. Collective protest a necessity By Luis Alvarez Executive Director, Committee o f Spanish Speaking People o f Oregon Federal cuts in social service programs are "m andated by the Am erican p e o p le ." This is the rationale we hear so often used by President Reagan to ju stify the ac tions o f his administration. It see,ns to this writer that the idea o f a man date is nothing but hogwash; I do have to admit, however, that when the adm inistration started cutting back programs such as those that allow migrant infants a decent meal, or those that give poor folks legal representEtion, we heard hardly a word from the people providing the services, and even less than that from people receiving the services. There was no uproar - such as when the social security program was threatened; there was no show o f indignation as was demonstrated by the "M o ra l M a jo rity ” when it was announced that a woman with neuiial views on abortion had been appointed to the Supreme Court. It is commonly assumed that poor people are not able to articulate their concerns or demonstrate their feelings that they are not w illing to organize a campaign which would show the injustices o f the cuts -- or, more im p o rta n tly, a campaign to demonstrate that people, both poor and not poor, can prevent this coun try from becoming one that has no heart. I believe that the assumption which says that poor people are powerless is only an excuse for those who are unable to act on their own in itia tiv e We must, as a united group, show the ad m in istra tio n that the cuts are not in the best in terest of our country, and that we are in profound disagreement with Reagan’ s policies. We must also be candid w ith the people who are receiving the services and tell them that it w ill be too late to complain after we have all closed our doors -- that without their help, we w ill not be able to help anyone. Now is the time fo r community- based organizatioins to w ork together in a real demonstration o f unity - a collective voice in protest o f the Administration's policies and our country’ s indifference to their consequences. M eanw hile, we should learn how to use our alliances to prepare outselves for the eventuality o f massive cuts or decisions as to where cuts w ill be made. I am convinced that our communities in Oregon can meet the challenge we are presented with, and that we can work together to make this country a better place for all its people. The challenge is ours. So long PO Bv Caxton Muru Munne I say so long to you in a personal feel We haven't know each other For the past birth’ s the future. Dreams o f love reflections o f nature Mirrors of happy traits of emotions W onders o f nature truths o f life. Conferences deltas o f love Reunions bases of life Longings hopes o f future. Time flows streams ol water Floating downstream we surf on Tension o f achi two U U. fa ll storms seas o f high I say so long in a personal feel I say so long in a natural self I say so long in a belonging love. I ributaries paths o f straits Passages courses o f life. Ups and downs slopes of W aves hanging on by the natures pull Nature’ s guard on we move. I People we are things we see Life is but motional time People we meet, things we do I Sunshine changes seasonal rams l ight shines in comes the day Dark falls in come the night I I I I z Ô3 INTERESTING FACTS $ Brought To You Every Week I People we love joys o f life Talking, laughing, happily smiling Beautiful together, blossoms ol nature Sweet smelling flowers of Rose Images colours o f universe Beauty love rewards o f nature. Bushes o f hair nails o f fingers Loves o f life each we live Sweets o f life seeds o f tomorrow. i 8 A t the h ighest w a te rfa ll in th e w o rld , the A ngel Falls in Venezuela, w ater drops over 3200 feet -- or alm o st 6 tim e s th e h e ig h t o f th e W a s h in g to n M onum ent. I \ / Notice The Portland Observer thanks Patricia Butler for her artw o rk for the July 30. 1961 Issue z A M E R IC A N STATE BANK N ine U S. P re sid e n ts neve r w e n t to co lle g e - George W a sh in g to n , A n d re w Jackson, M artin Van Buren, Zachary T aylor, M illa rd Fillm ore, Abraham L in co ln , A n d re w J o h n s o n , G rover C leveland and Harry Truman. Cute faces smooths o f skins Dark eyes flashes o f teeth Soft spoken hearts o f love. 3rd Piece Community Leadership ONPA ,978 3rd Place In deoth coverage ONPA 1979 residents o f B rixton; Black, white and Asian (and in the 32 other cities) are the very same bread-and-butter issues that we have had to pick up the gun to liberate Zim babwe, Mozambique, Angola: the list goes on. Your "law enforcem enr’ agen cies watched the British riots very closely to see how the “ dignified” British would deal with them. They are fu lly aware that they too might very soon have to deal with a similar crisis. The reluctance o f the Reagan ad m in istra tio n to deal w ith South A fric a , therefore, is no surprise. Reagan has more in common with B rita in ’ s Margaret Thatcher who, like South A fr ic a ’ s Pieter Botha, refuses to see the connection between the riots and the ever wide ning gap between rich and poor; refuses to believe that the riots are a result o f her economic policies that have throw n more people out o f work than ever before. As in South Africa, because the m ajority o f the victim s o f this economic mis management are Black, when they take to the streets, the police move in with a heavy hand (and bootl) as usual. To expect the Reagan ad m in istra tio n to heed the human rights cry as regards South A frica therefore, would be naive, myopic s / z z z z z I I I The 5 largest countries in the w orld in area are, in order, Russia, Canada, China, the U.S. and Brazil. American State Bank AN INDEPENDENT BANK Head Office 2737 N. E. Union Portland, Oregon 97212 J
