Portland Observer, May 13,1982 Page 7
The Black United Front urges you to vote for our choice
On the change in decision
Loving
Vests
by Herb Cawlhorne
I am continually asked, "A re you
happy about the Board’s reversal on
the Tubm an issue?** I have mixed
em otions. I am pleased that the
community has regained .what it had
already won in April o f mSO, after a
long process.
'
On the other hand, I am disap
pointed that we had to go through
so much pain and heartache to
achieve it. Someday soon, black
people will be able to deal w ith is
sues in a "norm al** process where
from the beginning there is respect
enough to encourage dialogue. Then
we won’t have to disrupt meetings,
boycott, hold mass gatherings in the
churches, and spend so much valu
able energy on simply getting recog
nized.
When the Board made the initial
Boise decision, all we got was indif
ference. Then the Board got an
angry reaction. Then there was dia
logue. W hen the Board has dealt
w ith the white com m unity— and I
have seen this first hand again and
again— there is never indifference
anywhere in the process. The whites
seldom have to get so angry. D i
alogue is the first place they begin,
not the last resort. The difference
boils down to the degree o f respect.
Basically, this whole struggle has
been as much to gain respect as it
has been to regain the placement of
the Middle School as promised.
Some members o f the Board and
the com m unity point to Jackson
H ig h School and say, “ See, we
made those people mad to o , and
they are white."
But the Jackson decision was also
wrong. It was as wrong as closing
Adams in the summer months. Yet,
the insensitivity shown the Jackson
community was a fluke, the excep
tion rather than the rule. U sually,
the white communities rarely face
such insensitivity. The black com
m u n ity has endured it year a fte r
year.
On the prospects
The struggle over the Tubman is
sue is another step in the "g re e n
ing” o f the black com m unity. For
the last five years, we have been ma
turing. The process o f cooperative
e ffo rt is not com plete. But i t ’ s
moving along well.
The beauty o f the struggle this
time was that so many different ele
ments o f the com m unity made a
contribution. Tactics varied. Timing
was sometimes d ifferent. Ways fo
stating the issues were not the same.
But the basic understanding was
shared by all. In the heat of the bat
tle, there was more tolerance o f the
m inor differences. We did not get
caught in our own self-defeatin g
crossfire, shooting at one another
over small details which, ultimately,
make no difference. The prospects
for fu rth e r change are great. W e
need to keep building.
On Ron Herndon
1 think Ron Herndon is rem ark
able. He has courage and vision. I
was told by one person that Ron
must be the biggest egotist in town
because he continually refers to the
leadership o f M artin Luther K ing,
Jr. They act as though Ron is trying
to say he is M artin Luther King, Jr.
But M artin Luther King belongs to
all people, and especially to black
people. He is our example. A ll Ron
attempts to do is remind us that the
same criticism s our struggle gets
today are no different than the criti
cisms aimed a, Dr. King.
The tactics King used taught us.
A n d , like all good students who
honor the m aster, we have taken
what we have learned and gone out
in to the w orld to practice. Ron
Herndon knows this psychological
trap that some people try to put on
him.
H e re ’ s what happens: A great
black leader is built up so high that
we everyday black folk put his pic
ture on the m antle and read his
words and praise him on his
birthday. But when we take the les
sons of greatness and apply them to
our struggle, we are accused o f tak
ing a sacred image and dragging it
through the mud.
As I said, Ron H ern d o n is re
m arkable. He knows that our his
tory and our leaders belong to us,
firs, and foremost.
On M a tt Prophet
I want everyone to know that the
Tubman issue could never have been
solved without the skill and patience
and negotiating ability o f M att Pro
phet.
So all you people who started
pecking at him with petty criticisms
before he could unpack his bags, I
hope you have the integrity to admit
tha, the criticisms were premature
and unwarranted. He did the very
best jo b possible in a very d ifficu lt
situation tha, was not o f his m ak
ing.
Washington Hot Line
by Congressman Ron Wyden
Q. This weekend. P resident
Ronald Reagan announced a two-
p a rt proposal f o r nuclear arms re
ductions. What do you think o f this
proposal?
A. I am pleased that the President
has gone on record in support o f re
ducing nuclear arms. Any reduction
in present levels o f ballistic missile
warheads, as proposed in phase one
o f the President’s plan, is certainly
welcome. Phase two, which calls for
a ceiling on all strategic nuclear
forces, including sharp reductions
in missile throw -w eight, is equally
welcome.
The problem with the President’s
proposal is that It does not go fa r
enough. Wha, Americans and many
people around the world are clam
oring for is a halt to the insane nu
clear arms race— a freeze on devel
opm ent o f new nuclear weapons.
Under the President’s proposal, new
weapons and nuclear lemons such as
the M X missile and the B-l Bomber
could still be developed.
Harold
W illiams
The Person,
Community
Worker,
Candidate
‘' Your Best Choice *1
Paul and Geneva Knaule endorse Harold Williams for
State Representative for District 18.
Geneva and I are supporting Harold in this race for State
Representative no, only because we have the greatest respect for Harold
as product o f this community, but mainly because he is qualified to do
the job in the legislature to represent this district.
All too often, we have a person up for a position o f leadership or a
political office who does no, have enough experience or is lacking an
adequate educational training. This is not the case with Harold Williams.
Harold has his B.S. and M .S. degree and has done additional studies in
International Relations.
Harold has served under three consecutive Governors. First, under
Governor Tom McCall as Equal Opportunity Coordinator, Governor
Robert Straub, as the State’s A ffirm ative Action Director. And pre
sently, as Labor Manager under Governor Atiyeh.
Harold has 14 years of governmental administrative experience.
Harold is energetic, bright, articulate, and dedicated to improving the
image of District 18. Harold will work to attract new business to the
district while providing funds to expand existing business. This would
pu, the residents in this area back to work. Also, Harold will encourage
business to locate in our economically depressed area. In other words,
Harold would like to see every vacant business structure on Union
Avenue fill with a thriving business, as a start in improving (his district.
Harold is interested in streamlining business regulatory requirements for
state and local government. Harold Williams as Stale Representative will
explore urban growth strategies to increase labor incentives in industrial
development; ensure the continued availability and improved utilization
o f natural resources; maintain a level of Human Services that will
provide a safety net for all Oregonians in need. He will work to develop a
comprehensive state wide health care delivery system. In order to
provide stable funding for basic school support and higher education,
Harold will explore educational revenue sources so that taxes will not
have Io be increased.
In 1975, Harold was selected as the Portland laycecs “ Man of the
Year" which says a lot about the services that he has rendered to this
community. His community activities include: member of Portland
( hainber ol Commerce, National Council o f Christians & Jews, and
served as Chairman of Portland Model Cities Education committee.
VOTE MAY 18th, 1982 FOR YOUR BEST CHOICE,
t'did I ik by Hw L o rn m ill«* in H»i I Harold Williams. G uiqw Sharp. Treasmar, 249 8360
• P 0 Bo« 12/6, Portland, OR 9 /2 0 /
The President is right to make
proposals that, if adopted, will help
us step back from the brink o f nu
clear self-destru ctio n . But we
cannot be satisfied because we havi
defused a few warheads. W e w ill
still have the capacity— and the evil
tem p tatio n — to destroy the earth,
c iv iliz a tio n and m an kin d as we
know it.
Although I realize that the Presi
dent’s proposal is intended as a be
ginning negotiating position, 1 be
lieve he should also lay a freeze on
new nuclear weapons on the nego
tiating table— and tha, the full force
ol U .S. policy should be pu, behind
such a freeze. Only then can Am er
icans and the rest of the world begin
to breathe easier from the fearfu l
prospect o f nuclear holocaust.
Q. Last week, the Senate Budget
C om m ittee came out with an A d
ministration-blessed budget propos
a l f o r ¡983. W hat do you think o f
this proposal?
A. I am adamantly opposed to it
becuase, once again, it flunks the
fairness test. Once again, the de
fense budget and other sacred cows
are le, o ff w ith only m inor reduc
tions while dom estic programs
such as education, Medicare and So
cial Security are asked to shoulder
the brunt o f the proposed cuts. U n
der the Budget Committee proposal.
Social Security alone w ould be
asked to absorb $40 billio n in cuts
over the next three years.
Not only is this kind o f budgeting
unfair, it is unnecessary. I still be
lieve we can come up with a biparti
san budget that trim s the fat and
saves the lean. W e can achieve the
kind o f savings we need by eliminat
ing waste in the defense budget, roll
ing back the bloated tax cut rammed
through Congress last year, and
trim m ing the sails o f other sacred
cow programs.
We should n ot— and must n o ,—
ask senior citizens, children and the
needy to sacrifice still more.
Register
and
Vote
for State Representative
Democrat - District 18
★ Hardworking
★ Proven leader
★ Unbought
A Partial U a t o f Endorsem ents
Ron Herndon
Jerri Abrams
Ed Edmondson
Joan G ordon
James H ill
Jean Reese
H alim Rashaan
Shirley Vidal
Charles Myrick
Linda Johnson
Benjamin Priestley
Jackie Lynch
Kamal Sadiki
G loria Stewart
Joice Taylor
Alice Wysingle
"Vesiä has demonstrated heT leadership by fighting side-by-side with the
community to ge, the difficult tasks done. Now we can and should elect
Vesiä Loving to represent us in the Oregon Legislature!”
— Black United Front endorsement 4 /2 9 /8 2
Paid tor by the Committee to Elect Loving State Rep .,
Jeannette Allen, 4028 N. Michigan, Portland OR 97217
You are invited to Election Night Party, Billy Webb Elks.
8 N . Tillamook at Williams. 8:00p.m . u n til...
ELECT
Robert W.
Boyer in House 18
Newspaper
BOYER
Endorsements:
Oregonian
Oregonian Journal
Willamette Week
..
Robert W . Boyer, 42, a Water-
way Terminals worker and president o f
the A . P h ilip R andolph In s titu te ’ s
Portland chapter, is best qualified, in
terms o f past community involvement,
public service experience, tem p era
ment, commitment, and philosophy, to
be D istrict 18’ s representative in Sa
lem. H e is recommended to the vot
ers.”
— Oregonian, M a y I I , 1982
Organizational Endorsements
National Association of Social Workers,
Portland Chapter
Oregon Black Political Convention, OABA
Oregon Credit Union League
Oregon State Council of Carpenters
Amalgamated Clothing & Textile Workers
Association of Western Pulp & Paperworkers
Boilermakers, Local 72 (L.E.A.P. Committee)
Columbia District Council of ILW U (Longshoremen)
Electrical Workers No. 4 8 ,1.B.E.W.
Laborers, Local 296
Metal Trades Council of Portland & Vicinity
United Food & Commercial Workers, Local 143
United Steelworkers of America
Inland Boatmen’s Union of the Pacific
Boyer for House District 18, Gloria Johnson, Treasurer
10 N E Graham, Portland. OR 97212