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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