Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1981)
P>8* 2 Portland Observar. August 13. I M I EDITORIAL/OPINION Questions not answered The decision o f th e A rb itra to r has been made; his decision is final. But the conclusion was reached based on w hat appears to be in com plete in fo rm atio n . M any questions still remain to be answered. The key to the "possum incident" is racism. If the incident was racist, either in intent or in content, then it clearly was a serious infraction and the officers should have been terminated. If it were not racist, then there might be some question as to the harshness of the discipline. The Arbitrator's decision that "there is not a scintilla of evidence in the record to suggest that the greivants' (W ard and Gallaway) con duct was racially m o tiv a te d " was based on testim ony by Com m issioner Charles Jordan and the officers. Because Jordan has never believed the incident to have been racist, no evidence was offered to tie the behavior of the officers to racial attitudes. There also is n o th in g in the A rb itra to r's report to indicate that the long history of racist brutality and harassment by police officers and the prevailing attitude of conflict between the police and the community was shared with the Arbitrator. There is no indication that the con tinuous series o f harassm ent against the Burger Barn Resturaunt alleged by its owner was shared with the Arbitrator. W hether this information was not provided or whether, as is o ften the case, th e testim ony o f Black w it nesses w as discarded, w e have no w ay o f knowing at this time. In order to elim inate the aspect of racism, "B u rg e r B a rn " w as redefined as the area surrounding, not as the business establish m e n t. There is no exp lan ation w h y the opossum s w ere placed in fro n t o f the restaurant or to whom the "g ift" was intend ed. A p p aren tly spokesm en from the Black com m unity were not asked to testify in sup port of the City's contention that the officers can not regain credibility in the com m unity. The Arbitrator relied on the testimony of police officers, and especially on the testimony of a Black officer. Having discounted the racial aspects, the City's case was based on "public trust, public a c c o u n tab ility and c o m m u n ity re la tio n s ". Although clearly Commissioner Jordan was correct that the Police Bureau must preserve public trust, and that the officers actions had undermined that trust, his earlier statements th a t co m m u n ity m em bers w ho dem an ded termination were "opportunitists" came back to haunt him . T es tim o n y th a t th e C o m m issioner reacted to public pressure a p 1 Regional director defends NAACP record To the editor: D r. M anning M arble has written an article entitled, "Reagan and the N A A C P .” In this article, D r. M a r ble tries to set forth his version o f the “ two tendencies” o f N A A C P : W h e re does this leave the Black c o m m unity? Still under atta ck; still w ith o u t re course; still without justice. ñLL H £ K £ f z DO LUF C A R E .' Z Support strike To,h««u,„ The air controllers have a ttem pted to negotiate for months for better conditions and wages and have gotten nowhere w ith the fe d e ra l government management over issues that are perfectly reasonable. The seriousness o f the issues is obvious if air controllers are willing to risk th e ir jobs and perm anent blacklisting from federal jobs. They were forced into the strike by the very dangerous pressures o f their jobs and the refusal o f management Portland Observer »10 00 per A . Decisive Leadership B. C ritic is m o f the C o rp o rate Economic Establishment Upwards o f 5 ,000 Black youths have com peted at the local level. M ore than $100,000 in cash prizes have been awarded. Letters to the Editor Reagan’s treatment o f the air con tro llers on strike is absolutely outrageous. I f ever there was an example o f Reagan's contempt for human lives, this is it. DO U F C f lR C / S u b jcn p u o n , scholastic and cultural achievement, that we give our heroes in the world o f sports. parently was not offset by com m unity m em bers who could have identified the quality of C . Bold and Uncompromising A t that community reaction. " . . .the record con Decisive N A A C P leadership fight “ 1. M ilita n t re fo rm and tacks on Reaganism and W h ite tains no definite measures of the public reac local school d istricts who would democracy within A m erica’s social Racism tion." deny Blacks an equal education op and political system. D . V ision o f Black S elf D eter The refusal of Commissioner Jordan to in portunity. mination that Transcends Politics o f 2. B elief in the inherent justice terview the officers or their supervisors clearly Cooperation and Co-option Decisive N A A C P leadership help and fairness o f this country's white hurt the case. Although the time was clearly a people who are harassed by rousts at economic leadership and power H e closes his article by stating, difficult one for Jordan and he was under fire their jobs. elite.” “ It is now obvious that such leader from all directions, proper personnel proced Decisive N A A C P leadership is in ship is not com ing fro m the He identifies W .E .B . DuBois with volved in trying to reduce Violence N A A C P Board o f D irecto rs, nor ures w ould d irect th a t th e em ployees be the first " te n d e n c y ” and W a lte r of Policem en against Black fro m o lder c ivil rights-style given the courtesy and right of an interview. It White and Roy Wilkins with the lat C itizens. This fig h t is going on ‘misleaders.* " is hard to understand why this important step ter "tendency.” He attributes con despite the fact that in at least ten Dr. Marble failed to articulate the flict to the differences. was overlooked when the potential for an ap cities, N A A C P has been sued by in needs as he perceived them in clear, peal was obvious. d iv id u al policem en a n d /o r As he rambles on, it seems he is specific term s. The style is one M ayo r Ivan cie also did his b it, rem oving Associations o f Police Officers. castigating the N A A C P because its which usually provokes a " ro u n d Jordan during the hearing and providing a D r. M a rb le needs N A A C P to leadership follows axourse which is and ro u n d " superficial discussion criticize the C o rp o rate Econom ic based on struggle within the system. and little forward movement. clear signal to th e A rb itra to r th a t Jordan's Establish, Attack Reagan and White credibility and judgem ent were in question, at It is important that an account o f It is indeed ironic, but so often- Racism. It seems D r. M arble wants some o f N A A C P ’s current activities least to him. This move could not have been true, that the D r. M arbles o f this N A A C P to try selling " w o lf which bear directly on needs be nation, who enjoy the right to speak timed better to sabotage the City's case. tickets." made. out, have lost sight o f the strength The police union has won its case; the o f You don’t make a record o f suc o f the system which protects that Decisive Leadership: Among the ficers will be back on the street; a new Chief cess in any struggle by "selling wolf right. H opefully, when D r. M arble various officers o f N A A C P at the has been nam ed; Jordan has been removed tickets.” You do succeed by moving takes the tim e to read some con N ational, Regional, State, Area dn from a basis o f know ledge, s k ill, from the Bureau. W hat has been gained? Local levels, decisive leadership is stitutional law books, he will under determination. stand how much the N A A C P is a exercised each and every day. As The possum incident" provided an oppor part o f the growth and development various state legislatures, C ity and N A A C P in A p ril presented to tu n ity for Portland residents to learn about C o un ty governments are drawing o f constitutional law and the expan President Reagan its own proposal. racism — to understand how pervasive it is in sion o f individual liberties. reapportionment lines to determine “ N A A C P Speaks to the Reagan our society and how it effects the entire com revised districts, N A A C P decisive Adm inistration.” This is N A A C P ’s U nder a system d iffe re n t from m unity. It could have been used to d em on leadership is at w ork m o n ito rin g map and we are struggling to get ours, ignorance m ight well be strate institutional racism, the attitudes and that activity. This activity goes on as favorable response. declared a crime. Dr. Marble would a result o f the 1980 census. Where atmosphere that surrounds us, the insensibily no doubt be in serious d iffic u lty . N A A C P ’ s E conom ic D ev elo p N A A C P finds districts draw n to that plagues our everyday lives. "Reagan and the N A A C P ," is little ment program is an e ffe c tiv e and weaken Black political strength, it By saying the incident was not racist, the more than a patchwork o f untruths, objective criticism o f negative cor will move to take legal action. h a lf truths and irresponsible jo u r C ity and th e people w ere let o ff the hoo k. porate establishm ents. Its com Decisive N A A C P leadership has nalism . The article does have the petent Economic Development staff They did not have to deal with racism - only successfully organized 27 branches potential to do harm among those and the dedicated Committee o f the with two police officers who committed an act o f N A A C P inside the prison walls. who are not exposed in a N a tio n a l Board are w o rk in g , not that was "offensive and stupid". These units are run by inmates. m ean in g ful way to the d yn am ic, rapping. The Police Bureau lost an o p p o rtu n ity to curren t, e ffec tive p rogram o f Who does the N A A C P represent? Decisive N A A C P leadership has relate to the Black co m m unity in a positive N A A C P . initiated the A C T -S O program for We represent 500,000 dues-paying manner. M any officers were appauled by the Black high school youth. A C T-S O is members; at least 10,000.000 Blacks N A A C P is m indful that some o f behavior; many were upset over the image it a special N A A C P program designed its critics are sincerely tryin g to who really belong but forget to pay gave the Bureau. The opportunity to sensitize to discover, develop and rew ard their dues. We represent more than point up areas where we must im academic achievement among this these officers was lost. The opportunity to use members, we represent a concept o f prove. H ow ever, there are others nation's Black high school students. the worth and dignity o f humanity. who seek “ instant” recognition by the incident to demonstrate the need for better It is a program rooted in the firm kicking the N A A C P . A m ong the recruiting and hiring, for training, for m ore Ask the leaders o f the T h ird conviction that young people can latter group are many who believe Black o ffic e rs , fo r b e tter supervision, fo r W o rld , the wom en, the aged, and succeed in the classroom at the th a t’ s the way to get over to the the disabled whose strategies they changes in the union contract - all things the superior levels o f achievement con roust right wingers. A fte r all. they are using. They w ill answer: people of Portland could support if they un stantly displayed by Blacks in the reason the right wingers are in and N A A C P ’s. derstood -- was lost. the others are o ut. R ight wingers athletic arenas o f this nation. It is When two officers threw opossums in front hate N A A C P . Let me get on the the goal o f A C T -S O to a ffo rd the Virna M . Canson of the Burger Barn they threw an opportunity bandwagon. same respect and recognition for Director. Region I, N A A C P to take a small step forward in the laps of the City fathers - but they muffed it. Z/tf/Z ! THE Portland, Oregon 97217 P r» t D r. M a rb le stated in his article several needs as he perceived them. They are: a cm 1st Piece Community Service ONPA 1973 North Kilkngsworth Tn-County area to care. Reagan’s undemocratic and die ta to ria l mandates on the a ir con trollers smacks o f the McCarthy era when strikes were crushed with the same high-handed blacklisting retaliation measures used by Reagan but Reagan may be only practicing on the air controllers. The rest o f us with unlivable working conditions may be next. Diana l.obo Portland, Oregon To the editor: M ost A m ericans express great sym pathy fo r the Polish workers who defy their government for their w o rkin g rights. I, to o , applaud those who defend themselves even in the face o f " ille g a l" laws and government intimidation tactics. At home in the United States, it is Spring AT 8 A now tim e for all life-respecting people to rally around the air con trollers. Their courage and serious concerns are no less admirable than those o f the Polish w orkers. O u r governm ent has gone beyond anything dared by the Polish gover nm ent. Reagan has much more callously and crudely called out military scabs, and engaged in mass firings and b lacklistings from federal jobs. The anti-labor posture o f our government is shocking and intolerable. The w orld is watching to see if Americans have the same respect for their rights and needs as the people in other nations. The air controllers need support from the public and it is a challenge for us to respond a f firmatively. Adrienne Weller Portland, Oregon S um m er ATQA 1st Piece Best Ad Result O N P A 1973 P ~, &th Piece Best Edrtoriel ON PA 1973 S w S S sS sB sas = lS a = E S S = - Bruce Broussard Eduor/Publisher MiMMR Un,ted S ta te , Publishers i w W B Association treatment of n* , *on»- "'<-'ud.ng the Bl, ck *° * * n’ ”on ' ^»or.c.l ■' 283 2486 MEMBER A m a lg a m a te d p ub0#h<fB )nc PER Association Founded TM5 4 Honorable Mention Herrick Edrtonel A ward N N A 1973 2nd Place Beat Editorial 3rd Place Cornmumty Leaderah,p O N PA 1976 3rd Place Community Leader ship ON PA 1979 3rd Place In depth coverage O N P A 1979 A /' N e w Vork www«»«« / / a* RHrHT TO STRJKF AG-AINJT T H 6 IA - G-OVf RNM CNT! * AlR> c °MTR0U.fR3 WAVê No R.t&-HT TO ST RULE A6-R1N$T THE Ü .Í. 0-OUER.WMENT. THEY’a r all fiafd !