Portland Observer, November 5, 1981 Page 5
Congratulations, Mr. Prophet
by Ronnie Herndon, Co-Chairman. Black United Front
Po rtlan d has a Black public
schools’ superintendent. What does
it all mean? First, congratulations
are in order to Dr. Prophet— he was
by far the most qualified candidate
ol the three finalists. Before even
setting foot in office he is a tremen
dous source o f pride for many Black
people. We always feel good when
we see one o f us demonstrate that
when given a chance we can achieve
the highest o f heights. Another blow
struck against the racist myth o f the
lazy, stupid, incom petent d arky.
C erta in ly every Black person is
painfully aware o f the lonely battles
Prophet must have fought to arrive
at this point in our lives. We com
mend him on his courage and deter
mination.
Beyond our collective feeling o f
racial pride there loom some mighty
issues. Our new superintendent’s ul
tim ate test will be whether he can
make quality education a reality for
thousands o f poor Black children.
W ill he insist that an excellent edu
cation is available for all Black chil
dren at their neighborhood schools
and throughout Portland? W ill he
insist that disciplinary practices are
just and remove the despicable at
mosphere which allows the expul
sion end suspension o f dispropor
tionate numbers o f Black children?
W ill he insist that the curriculum ac
curately reflects Black history and
culture? W ill he insist that the hiring
process bring in more Black teachers
and administrators? W ill he insist
that parents be involved in all as
pects o f public education? His abil
ity to move on these issues will be
far more im portant than the color
o f his skin.
U nfortunately we have seen too
many Black people get prestigious
positions, then all o f a sudden for
get they are Black. All too often we
feel called upon to utter nonsense
lik e , ’ ’ D o n ’ t view me as a Black
school board member, just look at
me as a board m em ber.” “ D o n ’ t
view me as a Black Senator, look at
me just as a S en ato r.” L o rd have
mercy! No other ethnic group finds
it necessary to deny their ethnicity.
Goldschmidt never said don’t view
.'Tie as a Jewish m ayo r, Ivancie
hasn’t felt compelled to ask not to
be viewed as a Catholic mayor. A ti-
yeh certainly hasn’t said don’t view
me as the Syrian governor. We
don’t need Black officials apologiz
ing or denying their Blackness.
H o pefully Prophet will avoid that
self-effacing trick-hag.
sabotage every positive move P ro
phet attempts. The very board that
selected him has a majority o f mem
bers who make and break promises
to the Black com m unity w ith re
markable ease. Their understanding
o f what is needed to enable Black
children to learn is negligible at best.
Prophet is confronted with a host o f
problems that beset the entire dis
tric t. L astly, he w ill be in a city
whose power structure will certainly
use him as an example o f its liberal
ness and livability while preserving
and sustaining one o f the most vi
cious climates o f racism no rth o f
Johannesburg, South A fric a . The
local squirearchy gives less than a
continental about Black children or
adults.
In spite o f the hidden agendas and
booby traps, D r. Prophet we sin
cerely hope you w ill help bring
about a brighter day for our chil
dren.
D r. Prophet will find most people
in the Black community anxious to
help him help our children. His job
will be difficult: there are people on
Dixon Street who have maintained a
strict ideological commitment to the
way “ Big Red did it’* and will try to
T h a Q ra c a C o llin s M e m o r ia l C o m m u n ity C s n ta r announces the
sponsorship o f the U S D A Child Care Food Program. Meals will be made
available to enrolled children at no separate charge without regard to race,
color, or national origin. Contact the Grace Collins Memorial Center, 128
■NE Russell, Portland OR 97212, (503) 281-6930.
PC C w o rk s h o p to n e w ly -s in g le : The one-credit workshop, Single
Again, teaches some survival skills to use during this crisis period. Satur
day, November 7, 8 am-5 pm, PC C Cascade Campus, 705 N. Killingsworth.
Call 283-2541 for more information.
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I
DICK BOGLE
Justice, "according to state law ,"
was certainly swift in the case o f 15-
year-old Theodore Johnson who
pleaded guilty to intentional murder
in the k illin g o f Radio cab driver
Sidney Billings.
Billings was the cab driver who
got a call to the area near North M a
son and Michigan and when he got
there two males were w aiting and
one o f them, Johnson, pumped sev
eral shots into the helpless cabbie.
Within a few days, police arrested
Johnson and he was incarcerated in
the Donald E. Long juvenile home.
Oregon law prohibits any juvenile
under the age o f 16 being tried as an
adult. I f Johnson had been 16, the
District A ttorney would probably
have requested a remand hearing be
fore a judge. The judge could have
then “ rem anded” Johnson to
adult court. In this particular case,
in all likelihood that’s what would
have happened.
News stories have quoted
Johnson as saying that he and his
accomplice had planned on robbing
and killing a cab driver. So, all indi
cations are that this particular mur
der was deliberate, intentional and
planned.
Also, Oregon law states no juven
ile can be held in custody past his
21st b irth d ay . This means that
Johnson w ill serve not quite six
years for deliberately killing another
human being. N ot only th a t, it is
possible that a fter spending some
tim e at the M ac L are n school for
boys in Woodburn, he can be placed
in foster care or perhaps even on pa
role. However, the sentencing judge
in his case has placed a stipulation
on M acLaren officials. I f a change
in custody for Johnson is contem
plated, he must be brought before
the sentencing judge before that
change can occur.
There arc two ways to look at this
law that allows some juveniles to es
cape full punishment for a heinous
crime. Naturally if he was my son, I
would be thankful for his not hav
ing to be imprisoned in an adult in
stitution where he could fall prey to
all sorts o f evil.
But on the other hand, is it fair
for anyone who intentionally kills
another to be deprived o f only less
than six years o f his freedom?
M aybe that law needs to be
changed. Perhaps the age o f juven
iles allowed to be remanded to adult
court should be dropped to an age
less than 16 for certain types o f
crime. Or instead, maybe the restric
tions which don’t allow the Juvenile
court to m a in ta in custody o f a
person a fter he or she reaches the
age o f 21 should be changed. In that
case Johnson could have received a
more realistic sentence for murder
and yet still would not be placed in
an adult institution to serve his time.
This o f course is not the first case
o f its type and it is a tragedy for all
concerned, the cab driver, his family
and friends, Theodore Johnson and
o f course his fam ily and friends.
L et’ s all hope and pray the young
man will get whatever help he ob
viously needs to let him take up a
constructive life when he does turn
21.
While on the subject o f juveniles
and the law, a new law wen, into ef
fect this past Sunday which eases de
tainment o f kids charged with prop
erty crimes.
Juvenile court officials had been
allowed to hold juveniles charged
w ith crim in al conduct up to 72
hours in pretrial detention.
Undei the new law, such a kid can
be held only if he is accused o f first
degree arson, or if the crime charged
resulted in serious physical injury or
if force or the threat o f a deadly or
dangerous weapon was used.
Hrs. Mon-Fri 9:30 am-9 pm Sat 9:30 am-5 pm Sun noon-5 pm
If you want
to stay
on top,
you have
to stay
in touch.
Ram has the signal that keeps you in constant touch.
Providing direct dial, tone alert, tone voice, and
mobile telephone service.
So, if a juvenile is caught in your
house for breaking in and two hours
later he is at home across the street,
don’t get mad at the police or the ju
venile court. The legislature is the
body responsible for his new w rin
kle.
“Scafivi ‘Pcofi&.f
713 S.W. 12th f>
we .. Portland. O R 9 7 2 0 5
*74e
226-1547
PORTLAND CLEANING
WORKS
From the Capitol
Dry Cleaner
by Rep. Ron Wyden
Alterations and repair
Q. This week the government re
leased a report which shows medical
costs have skyrocketed. What does
this mean fo r the average consumer
— and what, i f anything, can be
done to halt these rising costs?
A. The implications are very seri
ous. According to the report, medi
cal costs across the nation shot up to
$247 billion last year, the biggest
jum p in medical costs in 15 years.
That meant that during 1980, Amer
icans spend SI ou, o f every $10 on
medical care alone.
This is clearly more than many
people can a ffo rd to pay. And ye,
they really have no choice. Regard
less o f incom e, everyone gets
sick— and everyone needs medical
care.
The high cost o f medical care also
has serious im plications for other
programs. A couple o f weeks ago,
the Senate passed a bill which would
have allow ed the fin a n c ia lly
strapped O ld Age and S u rv iv o r’ s
fund o f Social Security to borrow
from M edicare and the D isab ility
Fund. Supporters hoped this mea
sure would be sufficient to keep the
system afloat at least until the end
o f the decade.
But with hospital costs up higher
than anticipated (to a total o f some
$99.6 billion in 1980), Social Secur
ity actuaries last week told Congress
that M ed icare would have little
money to lend to the Old Age fund.
I f their estimates prove o u t, (hat
means going back to the draw ing
board to come up w ith ways to
shore up Social Security.
There is no easy solution to halt
ing the rapid increase in health care
costs. Some im p o rtan t first steps
however, include encouraging pro
grams which emphasize rresentive
care rather than the more expensive
extra charge • Minor repair - N o charge
Knit blocking our speciaiitv
crisis care.
We can also help keep costs down
by developing new prospective reim
bursement programs for health care
providers. I hope to introduce a bill
next week which would do just that.
Development o f prospective reim
bursement program s means we
would stop issuing blank checks for
health care that providers just fill in.
Instead we would negotiate reason
able medical care packages in ad
vance.
The end result would be to
squeeze more from our health care
dollars— and still preserve quality
care.
Jksk about our naw budget service
Hour: M onday - Friday B-6 30
Saturday - 9-1:00 p.m .
24-hour Service
In today - Out tomorrow
3954 N. Williams
Portland, Oregon 97227
282-8361
An Open Letter
by Police C h ie f Ron Still
The nature o f police work calls
for an occasional use o f force. This
use o f force, or its potential use, is
both a local and national concern.
N atio n ally, one o f the most com
mon complaints against Portland
police o ffic e r is excessive use o f
force.
I must deal with this issue. I am
interested in protecting the citizen
and the O fficer. New orders on the
use o f physical force have been is-
sued that arc stricter than Oregon
State Law. The order defines gen
eral guidelines in which degrees of
force can be used.
Training and experience will pro
vide the officer with the skills neces
sary to make rapid decisions on the
use o f force to control any poten
tially violent situation.
Problems arise when citizens per
ceive an o ffic e r using either any
force or too much force. I under-
BUF support committee meets
The C om m ittee to Support the
Black United Front invites people
who are interested in fighting racism
to an open meeting on W ed., Nov,
18, 7:30 pm at M a llo ry Avenue
Church, 126 NE Alberta.
The purposes o f the com m ittee
arc to educate other white people
about racism and to support the de
mands o f the Black com m unity.
Areas o f involvem ent in the past
have included welfare cuts, police
b ru ta lity , school boycotts, and
other education-related issues.
The committee encourages people
to con trib u te their tim e, energy,
ideas and skills to the fight to make
Portland a livable city for all its peo
ple. There w ill be a presentation
about the background o f the group
and its past and current w ork, fo l
lowed by an in fo rm al discussion.
Refreshments will be served.
stand that people question the use o f
force and its application. 1 do not
condone the misuse o f force. H o w
ever, it’s beneficial to the communi
ty to recognize that an officer needs
to be in control o f the situation. Ex
perience has shown that the loss of
control can quickly escalate into a
more serious incident. By maintain
ing control, an Officer can often re
duce the risk o f potential injury to
himself and others.
A primary duty o f a police officer
is to protect all citizens. W e recog
nize it’s critical that the officer dem
onstratc good judgment on when to
use force and how much is necessary
to protect all parties.
As previously indicated, our new
guidelines have some changes that
result in rules that are stricter than
the Stale Law. Oregon Revised Sta
tutes allow a police o ffic er to use
deadly physical force in several situ
ations, e.g., to stop a person who is
running away, if that person has
committed a felony. The Portland
Police Bureau guidelines state that
deadly physical force can only be
used when necessary, to protect the
officer or another person.
O u r orders on physical force
(short o f deadly force) parallel
state law. Briefly, those laws say an
officer can use physical force when:
preventing a person from inflicting
an in ju ry on themselves; defend
himself or a third party; and to ac
complish some official purpose that
is authorized by law, by judicial de
cree, or is performed in the reason
able exercise o f the officer's official
powers, duties or functions.
The guidelines are m any, all
written with the intention Io protect
both the o ffic er’s and the citizen's
rights.
I f you have comments or ques
tions regarding the Portland Police
Bureau, either send them to the
editor o f the Observer or to the
P ortland Police Bureau’s Public
In fo rm atio n O ffic e , 222 SW Pine.
Portland, OR 97204
Where can an airplane fly 1,000 feet BELOW sea
level? Part of the border between Israel and Jordan is
about 1,300 feet below sea level, so a plane flying just
above the surface there would be flying about 1,000
feet below sea level.
•
The word ''diesel” comes from the German engin
eer Rudolf Diesel who developed the diesel engine.
a
Even though elephants have larger ears than any
other animal, they actually have poor hearing.
American State
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Portland, Oregon 97212