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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1982)
Page 2 Portland Observer, January 28, 1962 Sanctions aid peace movement by J orgen DragsdaM Pacific News Service COPENHAGEN. D EN M A R K — President Reagan's sanctions against the Soviet U nion and Poland might not help the Polish people— but they probably will help the campaign for European disar mament. The declaration o f martial law in Poland had been a serious blow to this movement. Until then, many o f its followers saw a link between the challenge against the A m erican hegemony in the West, and an ap parent retreat o f Soviet hegemony in the East. The British historian E.P. Thompson, who plays a leading role in (he campaign, has often argued that if the West would relax its mili tary and ideological pressure on the East, it would enlarge the space within which political reform might take place in its own way, and at its own pace, on the other side. Indeed, i f Eastern Europe is a l lowed room by the Soviet Union for democratic reforms, then it becomes harder to argue that the W arsaw Pact is a threat against which we in Western Europe must arm ourselves with American nuclear weapons. The repression in Poland had a sobering impact on these dreams, presenting the Western European public with a view o f East Bloc m ili tarism that grew harsher with each passing day. The movement itself, moreover, is drawn from circles where considerable sympathy for Solidarity has flourished since Aug ust, 1980. Seeing one’ s heroes in terned by the thousands could not encourage hopes for a positive East Block response to disarmament ap peals. Then Reagan came on the scene. He based his declaration on moral outrage, and many Europeans thought immediately o f the peasants in El Salvador and Guatemala. He condemned the Soviet hand behind military rule, and many here though o f U.S. support for the military dic tatorship in Turkev. He announced sanctions, expecting dllied support, and leading West European p o liti cians complained that he had not even consulted them beforehand. In sum, many o f us saw an American president acting quite cynically in a matter o f extreme concern-to Euro peans without any regard for Euro pean views. And that cynicism has again made n eu trality between the tw o super Russians. powers respectable. Attention which The British-led European Nuclear had once been to ta lly focused on Disarmament Organization, for ex Poland was diverted to the dispute ample. quickly expressed solidarity between Reagan and West German w ith the Polish workers a fte r the Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. military takeover, and asserted that Thus Reagan gave the European peace and democracy were in d iv i peace movement another chance by sible. It appealed for an end to mar putting himself into direct conflict tial law and the freeing o f political with the three sentiments from which prisoners. It demanded that the So it draws its strength: H is actions viet U nion respect the in teg rity o f fueled a widespread fear o f war and Poland, and called on all govern increased international tension. ments to refrain from exerting poli They ignored the giowing force o f tical and economic pressure on her. " E u r o p e a n iz a t io n " — people in There are many other indications both Eastern and Western Europe that ties between East and West are acknowledging their common heri growing in the process o f European tage and destiny. And fin ally, they ization . The Czech human rights overlooked the fact that many Euro group, Charter 77, had addressed a peans have simply stopped believing public statement to the Western more military power yields more se peace movement, linking the strug curity. gle for p o litical freedom w ith the This reaction to the Reagan sanc struggle against nuclear weapons. tions might surprise American sensi The Dutch In ter-C h u rch Peace bilities— the military in Poland dem Council, the most effective anti-war onstrates the use o f ruthless power, movement in Western Europe, has and Western Europe ends up c riti developed extensive relations with cizing its protector, the U nited the West German churches, which States. And while the claims o f out are becoming more critical and right anti-Americanism in Western peace-oriented. Reports from H u n Europe made by some media ob gary tell o f several thousand paci servers are exaggeratted, there is cer fists gathering in a December 14 tainly a problem o f trust. Lately, demonstration against both N A T O people in W ashington have devel and Warsaw Pact contributions to oped the habit o f talking quite cas the arms race. And in Rumania, sev ually about limited nuclear war. cre eral hundred thousand have partici ating a suspicion here that American pated in o ffic ia lly sponsored leaders might take risks that seem marches against nuclear weapons in limited to them, but are total for us. East and West. O pposition to this state o f a ffairs can be expressed in somewhat in A return to the Cold W ar o f the temperate form. sort implied by Reagan’s sanctions But a rejection o f the policies o f is at odds with the further develop the present adm inistration is not a ment o f these ties. Thanks to the o f rejection o f everything American. ficially proclaimed peace policy o f In fact, American critics o f the arms the Warsaw Pact countries. Western race have inspired a great number o f groups at least have a chance to European peace activists. communicate directly to the people The Reagan adm inistration has o f the East Bloc. Renewed cold war often declared that the movement would close the doors detente against nuclear weapons was direct opened, and only make the repres ed by the Soviet U n io n . Among sion o f an effective European peace other things, that view ignores the movement easier. history o f the European left over the A strategy premised instead on last couple o f decades, in which a development o f a popular political fundam ental change has taken base for disarmament in Europe has place. It is worth noting that the been called naive, and the events in strongest condemnation o f the Po Poland may reinforce such a charge. lish Communist Party and the So But hundreds o f thousands marched viet U nion has come from the this fall in Western Europe in the Italian Communist Party, the larg belief that more arms and more con est in Western Europe. In addition. frontation rhetoric would inevitably President Reagan's view overlooks lead to total war. M artial law in Po effo rts by the peace movement to land will end one day, and the ideas forge relations with dissident groups underlying a new Europe cannot be in Eastern Europe, e ffo rts that repressed so easily. could hardly be approved by the © Pacific News Service School tax-emption stirs debate by Catherine Siegner Few actions by the Reagan A d ministration have stirred up as much debate, and consequently, revealed the true direction o f Reaganomics, as the Jan. 8 move allowing tax-ex empt status to private schools which practice racial discrimination. The policy o f denying tax exemptions to such schools began in 1970, when then-President N ixon ordered their revocation in response to a Mississippi court case. Black parents had requested a temporary injunction to stop discriminating institutions from receiving federal tax breaks and won. The Internal Revenue Service sub sequently in itiated regulations amounting to "p u n is h in g " segre gated schools by w ithholding the special tax breaks. This situation prevailed until it came under the scrutiny o f the Reagan campaign, and the candidate promised to end what he saw as implementation o f social policy through administrative regulations. Before his nom ination, Reagan pledged to uphold the 1980 G O P p la tfo rm , which stated. " W e will halt the unconstitutional regulatory vendetta launched by M r. C arter’ s IR S com missioner against inde pendent schools.” Although it has yet to be decided whether the IR S ’ " v e n d e tta ” is indeed " u n c o n s titu tio n a l," both lower courts and the U .S . C irc u it C o u rt o f Appeals have ruled the government has the legal authority to deny tax exemptions to schools which discriminate. Analysis Two schools originally challenged the IR S p o sitio n — Bob Jones University in South C aro lin a, and G oldsboro C h ristian Schools in N o rth C a ro lin a . As revealed in a recent news show. Bob Jones U niversity, while accepting Black students (in certain quotas), does not allow in terrac ial dating on campus. Since the adm inistration’s recent reversal o f IR S p o licy, how ever, these schools would now be eligible for tax-exem pt status in spite o f their overtly racist policies. Due to the hue and cry emanating from all parts o f the c o u n try, Reagan and his " B ig T h re e ” aides— Edwin Meese, James Baker and M ichael D eaver— have been desperately trying to turn th e ir action into som ething that looks more palatable and less like outright adm inistration approval o f racial discrimination. It hasn’t been easy. Claim s that Reagan d id n ’t realize the effect o f his own rule d o n ’ t wash when the history o f his involvem ent in the issue is revealed. As he hurried to send legislation to C a p ito l H ill denying tax exemptions to blatantly discriminating schools. Reagan was caught once again backtracking to cover an embarrassing blunder. W h ite House spokesman D avid Gergen appeared on PBS’ MacNeil- Lehrer Report, abashedly vowing to do better next tim e by adequately communicating at the top levels in order to avoid such " m is u n d e r standings." Even i f the a d m in istra tio n manages to emerge unscathed from this particular quagmire, questions remain about its posture on racial e q u a lity , in the schools and elsewhere. G O P leaders fear the fallout could be long-lasting, even as long as N ovem ber 2, when, as their nightmares run. Black voters go to the polls in droves and separate R epublican incum bents from their offices. As syndicated columnist Richard Reeves put it recen tly, “ ...th e se clever people in momentary power are in the process o f doing everything they can to put Blacks in their place— and R onald Reagan seems to believe that place is about 1950.” Antigua gains freedom Joins UN Freedom came to Antigua, in the Caribbean, after 350 years o f British rule. W arfare was not needed to win A ntigua’s freedom. Independence was achieved through mutual agree ment. fcven though defense was not an issue tor independence. Prim e M in ister Lester Bird says the na tio n 's biggest challenge w ill be building up its armed forces. Since the aborted invasion o f Dom inica last year, security has become a pri mary concern o f most Caribbean is lands. Tourism is A n tig u a 's m ajo r source o f income. Last year tourism brought in more than SI 14 m illion in foreign exchange earnings and about $14 million in wages. 40 per cent o f that total was brought in by American tourists. Is the 157th member o f the United Nations ready for all the responsi bilities o f independence? Prim e Minister Bird asserts, " , . .after 350 years, if we're not ready to look a f ter our own destiny and self-de termination, then we never will be." Reagan budget harms poor by Harris Lavon McRae U .S . Congressman M erv yn M . D ym ally (D -C a l.) was in Portland recently to address a campaign rally for W alter Backstrom, state legisla tive candidate for District 18. Congressman Dym ally, with over sixteen years p o litic al experience, has served as C a lifo rn ia State Assemblyman. State Senator, Lieu tenant Governor, and is a member o f the Committees on Foreign A f fairs and Technology as a represen tative o f the 31st Congressional Dis trict. " T h e poor are faced w ith some very serious challenges and the fu ture doesn’ t look very bright. Be cause o f these adverse situations we need to rethink our entire agenda," Dymally said. D ym ally feels that C alifo rn ia n s are concerned w ith the issues that most U .S . citizens are concerned w ith , especially the economy and the way President Reagan's adm in istration is handling it. "Reagan has done tremendous damage budget- wise to the poor and the elderly. The legislature is attempting to balance the budget and repair the damage o f Reagan’s budget cuts.'* One o f D ym ally’s main concerns as a p o litician is w ith the H a itia n refugees. H e and the Rev. Jesse Jackson are working along with the Committees on Foreign A ffairs and Science and Technology to focus at ten tio n on the problem s o f the Haitians. " T h e Haitians should be treated as an international problem — not just as a Black problem. They are view d as econom ic refugees while Vietnam ese, C am bodians— everyone except the H aitians— are viewed as political refugees. There is no difference and they should not be made to stay in concentration camps." When asked if he had any p o liti cal " H e r o e s ," Congressman Dymally singled out John Kennedy, Hubert Hum phrey, Adam Clayton Po w ell and Congressman Gus H aw kins from C alifo rn ia. "E sp e c ia lly H u m p h rey , he had a lot o f w arm th and sim patico for fellow human beings." It takes a lot o f hard w ork and commitment to succeed in politics. " T h e r e is no substitute fo r hard w o rk , and that can be tough at times. Politics is a family disorgan- izer— especially for those who live on the West C oast. Politicians on the East Coast can more or less ’live’ in Washington." Dymally said that Ronald Reagan REP. M . D Y M A L L Y is a " v e ry able p o litic ia n , but he treats the economy in too simplistic gan is doing to (he civil rights move terms. There is a danger in Reagan’s ment and his excessive emphasis on dependency on the private sector to the m ilitary, politics is now the cut turn the economy around. We are ting edge in the civil rights m ove riding a selfish mood as far as the ment. There was a lime when Blacks middle class is concerned." couldn’ t get into politics— now we Along with electing M ayor Tom can. Those who can afford time and Bradley o f Los Angeles, Governor money should contribute as much as o f the state o f C alifornia and Jerry they can. You can’t influence an in Brown U .S. Senator, Dymally is al stitution by staying away from it." so very interested in seeing Blacks Congressman Dymally originally go into party politics. " N o t many came to (his country from Trinidad, young Blacks move into politics. West Indies, as a nineteen-year-old Politics don’t reward their talents student. A m ong o th er jo b s , he sufficien tly so they move into the worked as a union organizer and a private sector for high salaries and teacher o f exceptional children be foreign cars. The South is still the fore entering politics. His w ife m ain part o f the nation showing Alice, is a former teacher. He is the Blacks with a deep political commit father o f two children, M ark and ment. Given the damage that Rca- Lynn. County seeks representatives M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty Executive Don C la rk today announced that vacancies exist on the following citi zen boards and commissions: Adult and Family Services Review Board; Building Code Board o f A p peals; C h ild C are C o o rd in atin g C ouncil; C o m m u n ity Corrections Advisory Com m ittee; C om m unity Health Council; Economic Develop ment Advisory Com m ittee; Em er gency M ed ical Services A dvisory Committee; Employees Retirement Board; M erit System Civic Service Council; Parks Commission. Citizens are encouraged to apply or to recommend appointments to the C ounty Executive. Interested persons should write or call Maggie Pendleton, Office o f the County Ex ecutive, ,021 SW 4th Avenue, Port land. OR 97204, 248-3308. 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