Page 4 Portland Observer, July 21, 1982
EDITORIAL/OPINION
NAACP decision vital victory
The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in
the NAACP economic boycott case is a victory
that brings the economic boycott out o f the legal
limbo and once again makes it a clear tool for
social change.
The suit came out o f an economic boycott and
demonstrations in Port Gibson, Mississippi.
Most o f the 12,000 Claiborne County residents
were black but the 1966 Voting Rights Act and
the 1964 C ivil Rights Act were largely ignored.
On A pril 1, 1966, the NAACP called a meeting
to hear a report that had been presented to pub
lic officials.
The demands included: school desegregation;
desegregation o f public facilities; street improve
ments; hiring o f black policemen, store clerks
and cashiers; an end to verbal abuse by police;
and that blacks be addressed as " M r .,” "M rs .”
or “ Miss” rather than “ boy,” "g irl,” “ uncle,”
“ shine” or other offensive terms.
Those attending the meeting unanimously de
cided to boycott white merchants until the de
mands were met. The merchants sued and the
state court awarded 12 merchants more than
$ 1.2 million. To appeal the decision the NAACP
had to post a $1.6 m illion cost bond, o f which
the A FL-C IO and the Auto Workers provided
$1 m illion. The Mississippi Supreme Court re
duced the bond but declared the action unlawful
and assigned damages.
The U.S. Supreme Court saw the case as one
o f free speech. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote
in his decision, “ Strong and effective extempo
raneous rhetoric cannot be nicely channeled in
purely dulcet terms. An advocate must be free to
stimulate his audience w ith spontaneous and
emotional appeals for unity and action in a com
mon cause.”
This decision is a welcome departure from the
nation’ s increasing restrictions o f free speech,
freedom of the press and freedom to dissent.
Protect democratic rights
The right ot referendum is a hard-won right
that the people o f Oregon have exercised since
1902. This right provides the voters the right to
refuse legislation passed by the Legislature.
Currently the Oregon Constitution requires
that the voters have the right to file a petition
against newly-passed legislation and bring that
legislation to a vote o f the people. The petition
can be submitted anytime between the time the
Governor signs the bill and 90 days following
the adjournment o f the Legislature.
Measure 2, which w ill be on the ballot in
Novem ber, w ould take away that rig h t. It
would make a b ill an Act when signed by the
President o f the Senate and the Speaker o f the
House. Thus, the presiding officers could de
lay signing until it is too late for the people to
organize a referendum.
The right to referendum can become a sore
point w ith legislators who see it as a method
fo r the people to undo the w ork they have
done. It is most com m only used to stop tax
measures. Other Legislators seem to believe
that the voters do not have the necessary good
sense to take a direct roll in lawmaking.
This measure is apparently an honest effort
to give the G overnor more time to consider
whether to sign or veto b ills fo llo w in g ad
journment but it is a serious threat to the peo
ple’s right to control their own government.
Adopt strict radiation limit
The Multnomah County Board o f Commis
sioners has backed away from its intention to
adopt the nation’s toughest regulations for radi
ation emissions from radio and television broad
casting. Residents of an area of Northwest Port
land, (which already has numerous radio tow
ers), have requested that the County m onitor
current radiations before more are added.
The C o u n ty’ s new proposal, which would
limit emissions to 200 microwatts rather than the
earlier proposed 50, has met opposition from
hams and broadcasters who base their case on
“ excessive regulations” that would be difficu lt
« T Q W S W .J
to enforce.
In light o f research that suggests health haz
ards and high frequency o f disorders that result
from excessive radiation, the health and safety
of the residents o f the area should receive first
priority.
Little is known o f the long-range effects o f
broadcast emissions, microwaves and various
other types of radiation in the human body and
on the genetic process. It pays to be careful, lest
we be like the man falling from the top o f the
Empire State Building, who said as he passed
each floor, “ So far, so good.”
/DoYoeFAVoR
.
'SÄÄT ARE
(LAflcRLAW R e F o RM^
F c tU g C j OMTHC
D em o crats
One step forward, two backward
by Dr. Manning Marable
The only people smiling through
this economic recession o f I982
have been the leaders o f the Demo
cratic Parly, (.’rises in Lebanon and
Central America illustrate the path
etic condition o f the U.S. State De
partment. Reagan’s policies toward
the Soviets have alienated European
allies A i home, interest rates are
still fluctuating at historically high
levels. Ten m illio n Americans arc
o ffic ia lly unemployed; m illions
more working part-time want fu ll
time jobs. A ll in all, a pretty dismal
picture for the GOP, as they face
the November, 1982 elections.
As things stand now, the Demo
crats stand to increase their margin
in the House o f Representatives by
at least 18 seats. The Republicans
w ill continue to dominate the Sen
ate, because 13 Republicans and 20
Democrats are up fo r reelection,
making the Democrats vulnerable.
At the slate level, the Democrats
have already gained in strength even
before the elections have taken
place. Five incumbent Republican
governors in the Midwest are re tir
ing. fearful o f the anti-GOP back
lash that is in the works for this No
vember. In Slate Legislatures across
the country, the Democrats should
receive a net gain o f at least 300-325
seats.
Less than one m onth ago, 897
Democratic delegates from 50 states
descended into Philadelphia to dis
cuss their immediate strategy
against Reagan. Billed as a m id
term party convention, it was ac-
tually more o f a beauty pageant for
potential presidential hopefuls. The
choices were diverse enough: Dtxic-
crat Sen. Ernest F. H ollings o f
South Carolina; a Carter-type, New
South governor, Reubin O. Askew
o f Florida; ex-astronaut Sen. John
Glenn; McGovern’s 1972 campaign
manager, Sen. Gary Hart o f Colo
rado; and Sen. Alan Cranston o f
California. The two leaders, former
Vice President Walter Mondale and
Sen. Ted Kennedy, delivered effect
ive polemics against the Reagun A d
ministration.
Everyone tried to be polite. The
convention endorsed the freeze
movement for nuclear weapons, on
the condition (hat “ overall p a rity "
with the Soviets existed. It fell back
on the economic policies o f the New
Deal and Great Society, calling for a
“ v igorous and comprehensive jobs
program to rebuild, renovate and
upgrade water and sewer services,
bridges and streets, mass transit and
other infrastructure facilities.” For
conservatives, the convention ap
proved a series o f tough crime-fight
ing resolutions. The “ party o f
peace” revealed its actual position
by supporting the Zionist invasion
o f Lebanon as a blow against
“ international terrorism.'*
But the Democratic “ Love-In”
could not last. Outside the convcn-
tionhall, black police officers in the
Guardian C ivic League threw up
picket lines to denounce “ liberal”
Democratic Mayor B ill J. Green’ s
position on a ffirm ative action. At
one point Pat Green, the irate wife
of the Mayor, got into a bitter argu
ment with the black tops. Three
blocks away, over 1.000 working
class and poor people in the Asso
ciation o f Com m unity Orguniza
lions for Reform (ACORN) held a
“ counter-convention” to protest
the Party’s " lip service to the needi
est.” Adding to the Democrats’
woes were inadequate facilities in
their hotel, which stranded hun
dreds o f delegates in the lobbies,
and faulty air conditioning.
What docs all the hubbub por
tend? Basically, uny Democrat—ex
cept a neanderthal like H ollings—
looks pretty good against Reagan
right now. But that “ plus" is negat
cd by two “ minuses.” The Demo
crats have turned (heir convention
into what one reporter termed “ a
strictly top-down a ffa ir.” Unlike in
1972, blacks, fem inists, progres
sives, and left-liberals were not in
positions o f authority. Second, the
Democrats have a lot o f rhetoric,
but no real united program that is a
clear alternative to Reagan. With
one step forward, and two back, our
best hope is to continue mobilizing
people outside the Democratic
Party, so long as Dixiccrats, neo-
conservatives and astronauts are at
the helm.
Dr. M a n n in g M a ra b le la D i
rector of the Race Relations In
s titu te . Fisk U n iv e rs ity . Nash
ville. TN.
Washington Hot Line
by Congressman Ron Wyden
Q. President Reagan vetoed re
cent attempts to provide a JJ billion
subsidy to boost the h a rd -h it
housing industry. Are there any al
ternatives in the making that w ill
help get the in d ustry back on its
feet?
A. Total recovery o f the housing
industry depends on lowering inter
est rates—and that w on’ t happen
until we lower the federal deficit.
But there arc some measures that
I believe w ill give housing a boost.
One o f these is to remove barriers
that discourage private pension
fund investments in residential
mortgages, as a bill 1 introduced last
week would do.
The beauty of my bill is that it will
not cost taxpayers anything. There
are no subsidies from anyone to
anyone. Instead, the b ill merely
gives private pension fund managers
the clear go-ahead to invest in mort
gages.
I f they do, the housing industry
stands to gain. Private pension
funds now total almost $300 billion.
elim inate a costly and inhumane
But because o f regulatory c o n fu
regulation that requires Medicare
sion, only a small percentage now
patients to spend three days in a
goes into real estate investments. By
hospital before being transferred to
clearing up this regulatory co n fu a nursing home—whether they need
sion, my bill should boost that per to or not.
centage significantly.
I introduced that bill alter learn
A nother positive aspect o f my
ing of a senior citizen who died from
b ill, is that it shows promise o f
transfer trauma incurred while be
meeting the approval o f the
ing moved from a hospital to a
Administration—and thus, avoiding
skilled nursing facility—as required
a veto. The legislation essentially
under the regulation.
implements a key policy recommen
I ’ m delighted to report that this
dation o f President Reagan’s Com
week the House Ways and Means
mission on Housing, a policy he has
( ornmittec adopted my provision as
said he supports.
part o f its Medicare package.
I believe my bill is the best—and
Although the language adopted
last—chance to do something this
by the Committee docs no, go as far
year in Congress to bolster the sag as I would like (it merely requires
ging housing industry.
the Secretary of Health and Human
As such, it may also be the best — Services to elim inate the require
and last—chance to keep Oregon
ment as soon as he determines a
and the entire P acific Northwest
cost-effective means for doing so), it
from plunging into a l930s-style de
is a giant step forward towards final
pression.
elimination o f this unfortunate re
quirement. As such, it is a victory
M edicare update
fo r taxpayers and senior citizens
A year ago, I introduced a bill to
alike.
f W í M S c F BWE
, COLLAR W orker
Letters to the Editor
( UNION SHOTS?
O F A LL WoWUNC
< PEOPLE.
J ust HOW A U
You IN F avor
of ALL WORKING
- fto P U ?
To the editor:
No one has asked us bu, we want
to speak up fo r Senate President
Fred Heard.
Oregon’ s p o litica l system is far
from perfect. It elects imperfect
people, puts us in imperfect roles
with imperfect resources, subjects
us to influences from other imper
fect people (lobbyists) and yet asks
us to make perfect decisions.
Not the leas, o f these imperfect
people is Fred Heard, who repre
sents State Senate District 27 (K la
math Falls), as witness his recent
FAVOR OF
ALL WORKING
/ P eople
B elieving
. . I ’M IN FAVOR
i \
°F ALL
problems.
Sen. Heard is a good person, sen
sitive to the needs o f his constituents
and the rest o f the state, with insight
and concern, serving as well (if no,
better) than the majority o f my col
leagues. Being Senate President is
“ no small potatoes,” to coin a
phrase, subject to many long hours
o f com m itm ent to the legislative
process.
Fred Heard has done wrong and
admitted as much. But he has more
than paid in personal disgrace for
this social gaff. Yet, there are those
who would seek to rub salt in this
open wound and use Sen. Heard’ s
m isfortune to their own p o litic a l
gain.
Personally, we arc going to write
to Fred to let him know he has our
personal and professional support
and we would hope others who arc
sensitive to the feelings o f his and
his family would do the same.
Representative Wally Priestley
Senator Bill McCoy
i \ W orking , ¡
! \ P eople ^
O re g o n
*
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