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
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PER
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3rd Place
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In depth coverage
O N P A 1979
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ST RULE A6-R1N$T THE
Ü .Í. 0-OUER.WMENT.
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