Page 4 Portland Observer, May 20, 1962
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Extending the crime war
C o n g re ssm a n R o n W yd e n has jo in e d the
M a y o r ’ s " w a r o n c r im e " as he im p lo re d his
peers in Congress to help “ stop the wave o f
crim e that is cresting in P o rtla n d ."
W y d e n ’ s " A r m e d R o b b e ry and B u rg la ry
Prevention A c t o f 1982” w o uld establish Fed
eral ju r is d ic tio n over any in d iv id u a l charged
w ith a b u rg la ry o r ro b b e ry in v o lv in g use o f a
fire a rm i f the person has previously been con
victed o f tw o o r m ore robberies o r burglaries.
I f convicted the in d iv id u a l co u ld be sentenced
to 15 years in a fe d e ra l p e n ite n tia ry w ith no
po ssib ility o f parole.
O re g o n a lre a d y is the fo u r th state in p e r
centage o f its citizens incarcerated— in a nation
th a t im p riso n s a higher percentage o f its c it i
zens than any other in the W estern w o rld . A p
p a re n tly p ris o n does n o t p re v e n t c r im e — at
least not in O regon.
Even m ore dangerous than the “ m ore and
m ore ja ils " m e n ta lity is the a tte m p t to b rin g
the fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t in to the lo c a l c rim e
p ro b le m . T he re has lo n g been great care to
separate the p o lice powers o f the federal and
state governments.
O u r n a tio n has p rid e d its e lf th a t it has no
n a tio n a l police fo rc e — a b o d y th a t can easily
become co rru p te d o r be used to enforce a p o
lic e sta te . C o n tr o l o f such an o rg a n iz a tio n
could easily lead to facism and c o n tro l o f the
p o litic a l fun ctio n s o f the federal governm ent.
T his b ill co uld lead to a national police force.
T h is b i ll does n o t address th e causes o f
crim e; it o n ly addresses O regon’s shortages o f
ja il space. It w ould free ja il cells as prisoners are
shifted to federal prisons. It obviously is not an
answer to the crim e problem.
Oregon has a “ career c rim in a l" law that pro
vides s tiffe r sentences fo r persons w ith tw o o r
more previous felonies. The problem is not the
lack o f prison space fo r these people— the ones
who do require confinem ent.
The problem w ith O regon’s system is the lack
o f a lte rn a tiv e p rogram s fo r young o ffe n d e rs,
firs t offenders, and those g u ilty o f non-viole nt
property crimes. The problem is the lack o f pro
grams fo r tra ffic offenders and persons guilty o f
n o n -su pport w h o cro w d the ja ils and prisons.
H alfw ay houses, restitution programs, w ork-re
lease centers, drug and alcohol centers could free
prison space. C alling in the federal government,
s h iftin g the cro w d in g p ro b le m to federal p r i
sons, and g ivin g c o n tro l o f local c rim in a l law
and corrections to the federal governm ent w ill
create many more problems than it w ill solve.
We are especially offended to hear Ron W y
den, the Congressman w h o represents most o f
the state’s black people and a large percentage o f
its poor, come up w ith an idea like this. W hat
Congressm an W y d e n ’ s d is tric t needs is m ore
jo b s , better education and housing, not m ore
punitive laws and more harsh police control.
Blacklist threatens freedom
D u rin g the 1950s— the M cC a rth y era— U.S.
actors, w riters and artists were blackliste d be
cause o f th e ir p o litic a l beliefs, th e ir suspected
political beliefs, or their associations.
Blacklisting raises its ugly head again as CBS
drops one o f its better program s— L o u G ra n t,
starring Ed Asner.
Asner, president o f the Screen A cto rs G u ild
and tw o -tim e w in n e r o f the E m m y aw ards, is
under fire fo r his politica l beliefs and activities.
A sn er’ s problem s w ith CBS became serious
fo llo w in g his recent d e n u n c ia tio n o f Reagan
policies in E l S alvador and the announcem ent
that he would collect $1 m illio n dollars fo r m edi
cal aid fo r the E l Salvador rebels.
Shortly thereafter Kim berley-C lark, members
o f Kleenex and other products, announced that
it w ould no longer sponsor the L o u G rant show.
CBS claims that the cancellation is the result
o f the show’s slide fro m 11th to 15th in the rat
ings, but Asner believes it is a direct result o f his
p o litica l activities. He credits the decline in ra t
ings to M o n d a y night fo o tb a ll and th in ks that
CBS should have made an e ffo rt to reta in the
program i f o n ly to demonstrate its resistance to
politica l censorship: The CBS decision “ allows
the Jerry Falwells, the Kleenex people and the
Caucus o f C o n se rva tive C onsum ers to th in k
they can curb freedom o f speech at w ill.”
C B S ’s decision may w ell be a fo re ru n n e r o f
things to come, w ith federal legislation restrict
ing press access, e ffo rts at censorship by rig h t-
wing pseudo-religious groups, etc.
The functioning o f a “ democracy” is depend
ent on an educated, w e ll-in fo rm e d c itiz e n ry .
Censorship o f the press and o f the in d iv id u a l’s
right to see controversial programs or to read is
a direct attack on that dem ocracy. The restric
tion o f an in d ivid u a l’ s right to speak, o r his right
to w ork in his field, is also an attack on the free
dom o f all citizens.
It is ironic that the L o u G rant show deals, fo r
the most part, w ith the ethics and responsibilities
o f the press and its relationship to a free society.
The Ambassador o f N igeria, his
excellency C hief A . Y. Eke, arrived
on May 5th, 1982 for a two-day visit
to Portland. He was invited by the
World Affairs Council o f Oregon as
part o f his lecture series to speak to
this community.
We are aware that an Ambassa
dor is the highest government o ff i
cial representing a country and as
such the usual protocol is accorded
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
N È H p Â
that the Ambassador was exposed
to.
The treatment meted to the A m
bassador was a slight to the Nigerian
C om m unity and its well-wishers in
Portland.
W e hope that in fu tu re proper
consultations would be made to
avoid this type o f embarassment.
Joseph Onu Udeaja (President)
Bonny Onyeador (Secretary)
Nigerian Students Union
Portland Observer
The P o rtla n d O bserver (U S P S 959 6801 is published every
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worth, Portland, Oregon 97217, Post Office Bex 3137, Portland,
Oregon 97206 Second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon
IM I I M »
283 2486
Box 3137 • port,and' Oregon 97208
peu
AuocloMon - Founded tM S
A t McCitberry, Managing Editor
A t Williams, Advertising Manager
Williams waits for results
furniture that had to be returned.
“ You deal with the issues,” he
said, slipping into the third person
without realizing it, distancing him
self from the interminable waiting.
" A n d if it ’ s not the issues you are
asked to respond to, you stay out o f
personality.”
Questions about the campaign ap
peared only to badger him ; to try
and force him to com m it more o f
what he was thinking and feeling to
words. He appeared to take joy and
relief, it seemed, in the liftin g and
carrying of tables, chairs and desks.
He waded into the work although
there were more than enough men
for the job. The hard, physical work
was lik e som ething he seemed to
want and need right now.
" M a n y o f the people who voted
for m e ,” he said la te r, " a r e the
people who I worked for when I was
a little k id .” He talks in earnest
now. Early in life he had done the
work that became a black stereotype
created by white discrimination. But
Williams was looking for opportun
ity, to heck with the stereotype. And
he had found it.
To d ay he’s a w ell-placed black
a d m in is tra to r w ith the state o f
Oregon. He has hours in on a doc
toral program ; his d eterm ination
and am bition just recently allowed
his w ife enough tim e to devote to
completing a master's degree while
they raised tw o sm all boys in the
community he has lived in continu
ously fo r 23 years. The people
whose shoes he once shined so long
ago, he has turned to for support in
his campaign.
W illiams dared to believe in and
make the American dream work for
(Continued fro m page / col. 3)
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MEMBER
Los Angeles, A m e ric a ’s second
largest m etropolis, has always a t
tempted to project a m oderate-to-
liberal “ image” on many racial is
sues. In 1980, the Census Bureau re
ported that greater Los angeles con
tained 14,576 black-owned and op
erated businesses, w ith gross re
ceipts o f $550 m illio n . T he most
profitable black corporation in the
U.S. is Motown Industries o f H olly
wood, producers o f soul music rec
ords, film s and tapes, w ith 1979
gross receipts o f $64.8 million. G ol
den State M u tu a l L ife o f Los
Angeles, the second largest black-
owned insurance c o rp o ra tio n , re
corded $2.7 b illio n insurance p o l
icies in force in 1980. Los Angeles
M ayor Tom Bradley, a former po
liceman, has an excellent opportun
ity to become C a lifo r n ia ’ s first
black U .S . Senator. Despite the
Watts riot o f 1965 and the massive
struggles to desegregate the c ity ’ s
public school system, Los Angeles
still retained its image as a relatively
hospitable social and economic cli
mate for blacks.
Afro-Am ericans currently living
in Southern C a lifo rn ia know the
bitter truth behind this illusion. Los
Angeles has been a hot-bed o f neo-
fascist, racist and reactionary p o li
tics for over two generations. South-
stopped by L A P D officers on Feb
ruary 3. 1981. While handcuffed, he
was choked several times by o f f i
cers. M arshall had a massive heart
a tta c k , and died w ith o u t gaining
consciousness on March 17,1981.
C harles H . H ill. 40 and b la ck ,
was arrested a fte r an a lte rc a tio n
with police on M arch 14, 1981. HUI
was beaten with a baton and choked
by police. He flopped breathing in a
Hollywood division cell tank prior
to being booked, and was declared
dead. The co ro n e r’s o ffic e stated
that H ill died fro m a “ sickle cell
crisis!"
Arthur W . M cN eil, 30 and black,
was arrested as a suspected prowler.
Police choked M c N e il, who died
subsequently in a hospital on July
28, 1981. The coroner’s inquest de
termined that M c N e il died “ at the
hands o f another, other than by ac
cident,** in February, 1982, and a
$15 m illio n lawsuit has been filed
against the city by M c N e il’s widow
and daughter.
As in A tla n ta , the m urder o f
black people continues unchecked in
L .A . M a y o r B radley and many
black elected o ffic ia ls are silent
about these and m any other in
stances o f police brutality. The illu
sion o f black socioeconomic and po
litical success has descended into a
living nightmare for the poor, H is
panics and blacks.
ern California was the essential poli
tical base for the two most danger
ous politicians ever to occupy the
W h ite House— R ichard M . N ixon
and Ronald Reagan. Despite the ap
pointment o f a " re fo rm e r,” Daryl
F. Gates, as head o f the L .A . Police
D ep a rtm en t, the L A P D has ac
quired a reputation for brutality and
terrorism against blacks and C h i
canos that w ould m ake B irm in g
h am ’s infam ous “ B ull** C o nn o r
blush with envy.
Last month, the Los Angeles H er
a ld E xam in er documented fifteen
cases where men have been m u r
dered by L A P D o ffic ers using
chokeholds over the victims’ necks.
Ten o f the victims were black. Sev
eral examples include the following
cases:
David Randall A dkins, 39 years
old and black, became involved in
an altercation w ith L A P D officers
on July 24, 1978, a fte r police re
sponded to a family argument. The
officers choked Adkins, who subse
quently stopped breathing and died
in an ambulance.
R obert lan C am e ro n , 32 and
white, was stopped in a car by the
police on December 20, 1979. Police
claim that "Cameron attacked them
with a hairbrush.” Subdued with a
chokehold, Cameron died o f lack o f
oxygen in the brain.
Luel Marshall, 41 and black, was
him and his fa m ily . H e became a
part o f the system. A nd now he’ s
fighting to be elected to its legisla
tive body. He appears to be stuck
right now, caught up in the quag
mire o f other ambitious, hardwork
ing young men and women who be
lieve themselves fit to serve the peo
ple he has been serving all his life.
But he refused to ever raise the
possibility that they should be criti
cized for com plicating " h is ” jo b .
He realized that Ed Leek was the
one person he would have to beat in
order to win, he said. Just 10 votes
away. And 200 to count.
That the black vote had splintered
itself on the ambitions o f some indi
viduals who believed their time had
come did not bother or hurt him.
What did hurt were the comments
that questioned his commitment to
his roots, he said. H is position
throu g h o u t the cam paign, that
“ you c an ’ t alienate the business
community and have people w ork
ing” bothered some people, but he
understood government and how it
functioned, he said.
W ith 14 years o f government ser
vice, W illiam s said he understood
how the system worked. " M y cam
paign was more an education to the
public than anything else,” he said.
“ W e are not as know ledgeable
about how various elements o f gov
ernment affect what goes on in our
life right here, no matter what part
o f government it is.”
H e ’d been criticized for the way
he had placed his campaign signs in
yards during the campaign: that he
would put signs only in certain yards
o f certain friends and supporters
but not in others.
“ I have about 75 relatives
IhcreJ,” he responds. " P ro b a b ly
two o f them got law n signs,” he
said.
He adm its to raising a p p ro x i
mately $5,000. But that did not indi
cate his wealth or wealthy backers.
" M o s t o f that was in the $10 and
$25 donations," he said.
W illiam s admits there were alle
gations he was not relating to the
poor and have-nots. H e dismisses
those, too. It is not his position to
make public when he helps people,
he said. I f a business needs more
time to pay back taxes, and he can
help by picking up the telephone,
the he is not going to make it public,
he said. People he has helped in
their most difficult, trying situations
d o n ’ t need him to rem ind them
, through his bragging about what he
has done for his community.
" M y greatest (num ber of] votes
came from people that people said I
was alienated fr o m ,” he said. O f
that he is proud and says for for at
tribution. He said he has proved all
the "bad mouthing" allegations are
unfounded with the vote and confi
dence o f the people.
And what appears to others as the
tragedy o f the divided black candi
dates, he view differently. They ran
to win and so did he. He begrudges
then nothing, not one vote, he said.
Does this mean that he has proven
th a t, even i f he doesn’ t beat Ed
Leek, that he is the most viable and
best black candidate?
No, it doesn’t, he said.
"Th e only way I can see it is to sit
down and talk w ith everybody.
L ook at e ve ryth in g , the overall
background and appeal and let the
people decide,” he said.
Ivance seeks improved image
Nigerian Ambassador slighted
to such dignitaries when they visit a
place. It is a matter o f great regret
and consequent disappointment that
Chief A .Y . Eke was not given prop
er diplomatic protocol he is entitled
to. For example, there was no repre
sentative from the W o rld A ffa irs
Council at the A irp o rt when C hief
Eke arrived, the representative from
the M a y o r’ s office was rather in a
hurry, hence she left even before the
Am bassador got a generous ride
offer from a friend. These are but a
few of the embarassing experiences
by Manning Marable
(Continued fro m page I col. 5)
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
Police problems in Los Angeles
National Advertising Representative
Am algam ated Publishers. Inc.
N ew York
1
“ Linda W illia m s writes fo r The
Oregonian and she reflects the opin
ion o f that newspaper.” He added
that The Oregonian has never sup
ported him and he does not believe
he can get "good press” from it. He
knows the police bureau does not
have a file on Ms. W illiam s, and is
not intim idating her. He does feel
that she does not know the history
o f the m anagem ent o f the news
paper and has fallen into accepting
its position on h im . H e ack n o w
ledges that there is no love lost be
tween him and The Oregonian.
Ivancie has involved himself and
the city in the Jackson High School
closure issue. The School Board vot
ed last summer to close Jackson
H ig h School fo llo w in g the 1981-
1982 school year. They City was not
involved in the discussions and pub
lic hearings that led to the closure of
Adam s, W ash in g to n /M o n ro e and
Jackson. Ivancie now believes that a
continued study should be made to
satisfy the Jackson community. He
believes that the school should be
kept open because closure o f Jack-
son would destroy the economic life .
o f that com m unity. Students and
parents have come to him and asked
his help to see that the issue is re
solved to satisfy all parties.
Why did he not speak out on the
Tubman issue? No one came to ask
for his assistance so he kept out o f
it. He agreed that perhaps, as mayor
o f the city, he should have become
involved. However, he said, people
can come to him for assistance and
he will respond.
Econom ic developm ent on the
east side is o f great concern to the
m ayor. He has given the Portland
Development Commission top p ri
ority to bring new investments to the
area. He hopes the strong push with
the Japanese commerce department
will bring funds for the re vita liza
tion o f this area. He realizes that un
employment is the father o f crime,
prostitution and other social prob
lems and he intends to address the
employment issue.
Ivancie feels he is bringing leader
ship and direction to the C ity ; he
w ill w ork hard to ensure its con
tinued success as the c o u n try ’ s
"most liveable city.”
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