lack on black crime: Portland, Oregon
Ay L a n d a ZAtAa
O ra u ro o t N a a n . N . IF .— A m as
» la p s th e m o th e r o f h ia c h ild .
A n o t h e r p rie s o p e n th e b as e m en t
d o o r a a d takas the television, smpU-
fls r, receiver aa d a piggy b eak fro m
I t ’ s la d ie s n ig h t a t a d o w n to w n
nigh t d u b and you to t yossr p u n a un­
d e r n e a th th e ta b le t o d a n c e . A
w o m a n in th e a e i t b o o th spies o n
y o u r a c tiv ity a a d w h e n you re tu rn
y o u assum e y o u d a n c e d y o u r la s t
dance because you r purse along w ith
the m oney fo r you r ligh t b ill is miss­
ing. A m an dogs a young w om an in
his care, pushing her o u t as he drives
dow n the street. A few days later her
friends catch h im in the streets and
beat him to death
These examples o f crim e are both
fic titio u s a n d fa c tu a l. C o m m itte d
on those who can least a ffo rd it, w ho
■SR extremely vulnerable, and are large­
ly u n in s u re d , they a re exam ples o f
b la c k o n b la c k c rim e in P o rtla n d .
A n d unless we raise th e conscious­
ness o f the A fro -A m e ric a n com m u-
n its in P o rtla n d th is in s id io u s e le ­
ment contained and perpetuated like
a m alig nan t tum or w ill eat us fro m
the inside out.
Jasper O rm a n d , c lin ic a l psycho­
logist, says the econom ic and p o liti­
c a l o p p re s s io n s u ffe r e d by b la c k
p e o p le in A m e ric a is th e cause o f
black on black crim e. “ T his oppres­
sion h ea p e d u p o n b la c k p e o p le in
A m e r ic a is so lo n g -s ta n d in g th a t
black on b lack c rim e is a sym p to m
o f the social ills. U n til w e m ake an
im p a c t o n those s o c ia l ills w e w ill
p ro b a b ly c o n tin u e to see b la c k on
black crim e. W e s ho uld n't focus on
the sym ptom s w ith o u t focusing on
the causes."
W h en a brother o r sister is caught
w ro n g th e re is n o w a y fo r th e m to
r a t io n a liz e th e ir c r im e . O r m a n d
says. “ Q u ite often w e are looking at
i r r a t io n a l b e h a v io r . I t ' s n o t th a t
they are sitting around talkin g about
com m itting crimes. I t ’s an impulsive
irra tio n a l act. People are acting out
o f p u re im p u ls e a n d f r u s t r a t io n .
Y o u d o n ’ t th in k a b o u t g o in g to
S .W . P o rtla n d . Y o u lo o k around at
w h at is c o n v e n ie n t. A n o th e r fa c to r
is ta h t people are co n fin e d to a cer­
tain area in P o rtla n d . T h e y function
in a vacuum . T h e ir re a lity is focused
inside this space. I f you are a n g ry ,
fru strate d , helpless o r hopeless you
m a n ife s t th o s e n e g a tiv e fe e lin g s
right there w ith in the context o f that
v a c u u m .”
O rm a n d c o a d u d a th a t this beha­
v io r in M ac k people is not inherited.
“ R acism is system atically p ro jected
in e v e ry in s titu tio n in A m e ric a and
th is p ro du ces a sense o f s e lf-h a te .
A a d f r o m tim e to tim e it ta k e s its
to ll. A lo t o f anger and fru s tra tio n
w ill be ta k e n o u t o n th o s e p e o p le
w ith in y o u r v a c u u m . These people
are like you and you begin to believe
'• those messages com ing fro m institu­
tio n a l ra c is m . T h e p o w e r a n d con­
sistency o f that message w ill take its
to ll and one day w hen the econom ic
a n d p o litic a l o pp ression reaches a
c e rta in p o in t in o n e ’ s life b la c k on
M ack crim e w ill e ru p t.”
R o n n ie H e rn d o n , c o -c h a ir o f the
B la c k U n ite d F r o n t , c o rro b o ra te s
this v ie w p o in t. “ A n y tim e you force
a g ro u p o f people in to p overty and
you keep th e m in p o v e rty the w ay
A m e ric a has d o n e to b la c k p eo ple
they w ill tu r n to c rim in a l a c tiv ity .
T h is happens a ll o v e r the W e s te rn
w o rld . W h e n e v e r you fin d a lo t o f
person to person crim e you w ill find
th a t i t ’ s c o m m itte d by the poorest
p e o p le in th a t s o c ie ty. T h is is w hy
y o u fin d so m a n y b la c k p eo p le in ­
volved in crim e. W e ’ve been forced
in to a miserable p overty-ridden con­
d itio n .”
H e r n d o n says th e re a s o n fo r
b la c k o n b la c k c rim e is t h a t it 's
easy. “ M o s t crim es are c o m m itte d
closer to hom e. T his is the area they
arc fa m ilia r w ith . P o rtla n d is unique
because o f the high u n e m p lo y m e n t
ra te a m o n g b la c k te e n a g e rs a n d
adults. T h e w ho le history o f racism
in O re g o n has m ade it d iffic u lt fo r
b la c k p e o p le to get a n d h o ld o n to
jobs. Business has actively sought to
k e e p f r o m h ir in g b la c k p e o p le .
U n io n s h ave w o rk e d h a rd to keep
b la c k s o u t o f th e ir o r g a n iz a tio n .
A n d these actions were in times o f a
h e a lth y e c o n o m y . In tim e s o f d e ­
pression it is alm o st im p ossib le. I f
y o u d o n 't h av e m o n e y y o u d o n 't
h av e re s o u rc es . A n d i f y o u c a n ’ t
earn m oney people w ill have to take
It ."
O n an in t e r n a tio n a l le v e l, D r .
C h a n c e llo r W illia m s w ro te in TAe
D e ilr u c t lo n o f B la c k C iv iliz a t io n
th a t, “ O ffe n d e rs d o n ot k n o w they
are enlisted in the w hite m a n ’ s arm y
to slowly destroy the race. T h e W a r
t a k a m an y unsuspecting fo rm s , in ­
c lu d in g th e b ig a n d in c re a s in g ly
w id a p r e a d use o f narcotics am ong
b la c k s ___ Blacks w h o a re so ready
to m a k e c r im in a l a tta c k s o n th e ir
o w n p e o p le a re , u n c o n s c io u s ly ,
s trik in g o u t against the u nb earable
situation o f w h at appears to be p er­
m anent d isu n ity a n d . th e re fo re , the
u tte r helplessness o f a race w hose
lib e ra tio n fr o m opp ression ca n be
ach ie v e d o n ly b y u n ite d i n i t i a t i v a
o f its own.
" H e n c e , lik e caged a n im a ls, they
s trik e a t w h a t is nearest to th e m —
th e ir own people. T hey are actu ally
try in g to k ill a s itu a tio n they h ate ,
u n a w a re th a t even in this, they are
s e rv in g th e w h ite m a n w e ll. F o r
whites need not go all out fo r ’ geno­
c id e ’ s c h e m a , w ith w h ic h they are
o fte n c h a r g e d , w h e n b la c k s a re
k illin g themselves o f f d a ily on such
a larger scale."
D r . F r a n tz F a n o n c o m p le m e n ts
this theo ry in T h e W retc h e d o f rAe
E a rth . “ T he colonized m an w ill first
m an ife s t his a g g re s s iv e n a s , w hich
has been d e p o s ite d in his b o n e s ,
against his ow n p eo ple.”
Rev H erb ert D aug h try, president
o f the n atio n a l Black U n ite d F ro n t,
a p p l i a this th e o ry to A f r o - A m e r i­
cans in the 1980s “ Everyone seems
to know w e’ re in a w ar but us. T here
is n o w ay you can cut out a s e n t ia l
services lik e hospitals, schools and
social program s unless you intend to
d e s tro y the p e o p le . W h e n y o u a re
allow ed to put in and take out o f an
e n v iro n m e n t w h a t you p lease you
can predict the behavior o f the peo­
ple r a id in g th e re . It w ill e ith e r k ill
th e m o f f o r so a rra n g e th e ir b e h a ­
v io r they w ill k ill one a n o th e r."
" T h e re w u a tim e w hen it was a
ra rity to find a young person in ja il.
N o w you can go fro m the A tla n tic
to th e P a c ific a n d yo u w ill f in d
y o u n g b la c k s . L a tin o s a n d H is ­
panics are the inh abitants o f the p ri­
sons. D o n 't let a n y o n e ta lk to you
a b o u t b lack on b la c k c rim e . L e t ’ s
t a lk a b o u t w h it e o n e v e ry b o d y
c rim e . W e n e v e r s to le a n y g o ld
mines, oil wells, com m unities o r na­
tio n s. Because th e y c o n tro l th e in ­
f o r m a t io n , w h a t w e h av e in o u r
com m unity is penny-ante m a n ifa t a -
tio n s o f the b e h a v io r p a tte rn s the
society has predicted fo r u s.”
I read this passage to a sister w ho
declined to be id e n tifie d and her re­
sponse w as, “ I f I com e in to y o u r
house and take all your food out o f
y o u r cupboards, rem ove your m o n ­
ey and cut y o u r heat and lights o f f ,
d o n ’ t yo u th in k I can guess w h a t
you r next m ove w ill be. T h a t is what
Rev. D a u g h try is saying. Y o u c a n 't
m an helps us fo rm a p attern and we
h e lp k e e p i t . Just lik e in th e U n ­
ib a n k p ark area. W e are buckled-up
in th e re . I t ’ s ju s t lik e a c o n c e n tra ­
tion c a m p ."
R o o s e v e lt R o b in s o n , D c p t u ty
D .A . in M u ltn o m a h cou nty, d e f in a
b la c k o n b la c k c rim e in P o rtla n d :
" A n y o ffe n s e th a t in te rfe re s w ith
p ers o n a l p ro p e rty lik e v a n d a lis m ,
th e ft, and larceny. A ls o any c r im a
th a t fa ll under the person-to-person
types o f c rim e lik e assault a n d the
m o re serio us ty p e , h o m ic id e . In a
sense th e re it m o re b la c k on b lack
hom icide considering the am ount o f
black people in P o rtla n d ." (A c c o rd ­
ing to the P o rtla n d P o lic e A n n u a l
R eport in 1982 there were fo u r h o m ­
icides com m itted by youth under I I ,
three were com m itted by blacks. For
adults the to ta l w u 25 and 11 were
com m itted by blacks.)
R obinson addresses the suspicion
th a t th e c r im in a l ju s tic e system
shows m ore leniency to w a rd a black
u s a ila n t whose v ic tim is also black
th a n o n e w hose v ic tim w as w h ite .
“ I t 's im p o s s ib le to say th a t th e
c rim in a l justice system is lenient to ­
w ard black on black crim e. T here is
no o b jective way that can be d e te r­
m in e d W h e n y o u lo o k a t the sen­
tencing p ro ced ure, w hich includes a
p re -s e n te n c e in v e s t ig a t io n , these
p ro c e d u re s d e te rm in e h o w m u ch
tim e a defendent w ill receive and not
his ra c e , econ om ic o r social s ta n d ­
ing. T h e D .A . can recom m end a cer­
ta in tim e b eh ind bars but the c o u rt
is not b o u n d by th a t re c o m m e n d a ­
tio n ."
O n e case re c e n tly w h ic h was the
tip o f the iceberg o f leniency tow ard
black on black crim e w u the M o rris
Z C ro xto n a ffa ir where Ben C ro xto n
beat his live-in lady to death and left
her b o d y in the a p a rtm e n t fo r tw o
d a y s . “ I th o u g h th e w h o le c o m ­
m u n ity s h o u ld h ave tu rn e d o u t to
p ro test the system g iv in g th a t a n i­
m al a slap on the w r is t ," a w om an
said o f f the record. " T h is foo l had a
re p u ta tio n o f using his size to in t i­
m id a te w o m e n . T h e o ne item th a t
w as n e v e r b ro u g h t u p w as B e n ’ s
con nection w ith police intelligence.
Y o u have to have connections to do
such a cruel thing and be able to get
back on the streets in tw o years.”
(Continued next week)
Y o u n g m a n e s c a p e e w i t h t e le v is io n s a t b e lo n g in g t o h ia n a ig h b o r .
A ra a d y c u s to m e r w a its .
lo o k at a negative structure and e x ­
pect to get a p o s itiv e re a c tio n . W e
arc lik e rats in an e x p e rim e n t. T h e
Reagan promises military aid
(C o n tin u e d f r o m page I colum n d)
p erc e n t c u rre n c y d e v a lu a tio n was
fo rc e d b y th e In t e r n a tio n a l M o n ­
eta ry F u n d w hich pro vid ed loans to
prevent Costa Rica's d efau lt o f U .S .
b an k loans.
S o c ia l d e t e r io r a t io n is a lre a d y
MRS. C’s
show ing in C o tta R ic a ’ s e du catio n
systems, tra d itio n a lly one o f the na­
tio n 's m ost developed in s titu tio n s .
U n d e rn o u ris h m e n t m a k a it im pos­
sible fo r c h ild re n to a tte n d school
and re d u c tio n o f fa m ily incom e has
fo rce d you ng p eo ple to q u it school
W I6 ^ >
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MRS. C'a WIQS
707 N.R. Framont 281-6028
Osaad fcm. t «sa. OFRR Taas. R n la k 11iM AM is M O M l
to w ork.
W h en he was elected in F eb ru ary
o f 1982, L uis A lb e r to M o n g e said,
“ In the present situ atio n in C e n tra l
A m e ric a , we w o u ld lik e the U n ite d
S l a t a to take in to account not just
m ilita ry and security aspects, but a l­
so the econom ic and social problems
w h ic h u n d e rlie the w h o le crisis we
are going th ro u g h ."
Ils e c o n o m ic c ris is has a llo w e d
C o s ta R ic a ’ s fo r e ig n p o lic y to be
m a n ip u la te d b y th e U .S . a n d the
U .S .- c o n tr o lle d I M F . C o s ta R ica
hosted the recent regional m eeting—
f r o m w h ic h N ic a r a g u a , G re n a d a
a n d C u b a w ere b an n e d and w hich
M e x ic o a n d V e n e zu e la d ec lin ed to
a tte n d — th a t end ed in a re s o lu tio n
to p u t a d d e d m ilit a r y pressure on
Nicaragua.
Reagan chose C o sta R ica fo r his
statement that any nation “ destabil­
iz in g its n e ig h b o rs by p ro te c tin g
g u e rilla s a n d e x p o rtin g v io le n c e ”
cannot be a frien d o f the U .S .
R e a g a n c o n tin u e d th a t C e n tr a l
A m e ric a n “ s e lf-d e te r m in a tio n " is
challenged as “ agents o f unrest seek
to impose new form s o f imperialism
a n d ty r a n n y w e th re w o f f m a n y
years a g o ." R eagan seemed o b liv i­
ous to the fact th a t “ im p e ria lis m '*
m a y ju s tifia b ly be used to re fe r to
the U .S . a n d , to a lesser e x te n t, to
W estern E u ro p e and in L a tin A m e r­
ica "im p e ria lis m ” im m ediately calls
fo r th the im a g e o f U n c le S am and
’ ‘e l im p enalism o yanq ui. ’ ’
El S a lv a d o r
E l Salvado r is the smallest o f the
C e n tr a l A m e r ic a n a tio n s . R eagan
m et w ith A lv a ro M a g a n a , the in te r­
im president, a figurehead. T h e real
ruler is R o berto D 'A b u is s o n , leader
(«ease turn to page J column I )
P uwktt P ros
410 SW Morrison
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