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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 1983)
1984 election agenda: Addressing the pain, hurt by Joseph E. Lowery by a ll candidates who seek black The combined effect* o f high un em p lo ym en t, federal policies that constitute a vicious assault on right* to d early w o n , and em barrassing capitulation by Democratic opposi tion have created a crisis o f frig h t ening dim ensions fo r A fr o - Americana. While media interest has centered on a possible black p residential ca n d id a cy , we have been concen tra tin g on developing a “ peoples p la tfo r m " that must be addressed votes. T h is agenda — not a black agenda, but an agenda for America — w ill dem and bold measures to d eal w ith an econom y th at is strangling nearly 35 m illion A m eri cans whose earnings are so low they are trapped in dungeons of poverty. It w ill seek the involvem ent o f all instruments o f government and re sponsible elem ents o f the p riv a te sector to in itia te program s fo r change. T h e agenda recognizes th at the n a tio n 's econom ic health is not solely a black issue. It has happened to blacks and Hispanics first, but it is a precursor o f what will happen to millions o f white Americans as our economy shifts to respond to high techn o lo g y, fo re ig n c o m p e titio n and automation. W e must consider systemic changes, targeting re-train in g and initiatives to create new jo b *. The so-called jo b bills recently enacted w ith D em ocratic co operation w ill not cause the problems of structural unemployment to tremble, let alone d im in is h . T he “ re c o v e ry " some argue is in progress w ill not touch the chronically unemployed. Long before we look at any presi dential candidate seriously, we must loo k at how these issues are a d dressed. Perso n alities w ill be measured against issues. I f it can be clear th at the p la t fo rm is the p rio rity issue, then we come to the issue o f a black presi dential candidate. I feel that this is a viable option, and I do so with full awareness o f the risks in v o lv e d . Unless the announced candidates seriously embrace the “ peoples plat f o r m ,” m any o f us are w illin g to take the risks. I f the next Congress is no d iffe r ent from the Democratic House that has played "m e -to o -is m ” with the administration, then many o f us are willing to take the risks. I f the announced candidates d o n 't co m m it them selves in very certain terms to bold measures to address the issues in the “ peoples p la tfo r m ," we are w illin g to take the risks. Black A m erican s are sick and tired o f being used by Democrats to gain public office and then ignored or given token response to our con cerns. Black Americans are sick and tired o f being tak en fo r granted “ because they have nowhere else to g o ." A n d . a t the late M ississippi w arrio r Fannie Lou H a m e r put it: " W e are tick and tired o f being sick and tired ." W e want to know what measures w ill be taken to develop an urban policy that w ill save our cities from fu rth e r decay, w ill expan d mass- transit systems and assure that block grant* reach the most-needy areas. W e w ant to hear a b o u t the launching o f peace and arms-reduc- tion initiatives that w ill h a lf the rise in d eficits th at w reak havoc w ith economic stability. W e want to hear about moral leadership that calls all nations to reduction o f arms and to in te rn atio n al attacks on p overty, hunger and disease. N o w let me confess th a t I ap proach the prospect o f risking the defeat o f the " lib e r a l” candidate w ith co n siderable c a u tio n and agonizing. So I am praying that the announced candidates will hear our cry and embrace our platform. I f we obtain meaningful response, (and tokenism is meaningless), 1 will urge the support o f the candidate with the best chance o f winning a&J im p le m e n tin g the p la tfo r m . The black vote, from all indications, will be pivotal in 19M as it was in 1976 and I960 M r. Reagan arill probably use all the considerable powers o f his office to show signs o f improvement in the economy, and even in reducing the arms race before t)te election. Black voters m ay very w ell h old the balance o f power to determine elec tion or defeat. In exchange for that pow er, we must opt fo r an embracing o f the platform. W e applaud the eventual coming together o f n a tio n a l D e m o cratic leadership around Harold Washing to n ’ s successful mayoral campaign in C h icag o . It 's a good sign. W e applaud the “ m issionary" journey o f b ro th e r Bert Lance and his S o uth ern b a n d , p ro vid e d th at concern is translated in to support fo r v o te r-re g is tra tio n e ffo rts in Georgia and the elim ination o f any vestiges o f ra c ia l d is c rim in a tio n against voting rights. The nation needs leadership that is b old and sensitive. Dem ocrats have a unique opportunity to build a p o litic a l force consisting o f those w ho are co m m itte d to ju s tic e, peace, fu ll em plo ym en t and women's rights. I f the p a rty fails to seize the movement, and if there prove* to be little substantive difference in one party that shuns, and the other that shoves — one that ignores and the other that take* for granted — then as many o f us see it, we must look for radical options. A black presidential candidate is one o f the options. But, with all the excitement surrounding this issue, we w ill not lose sight o f the im por tance o f congressional and local elections. Black candidates can stim u late political activism and assure nation al discussion o f critical issues. The pain and h u rt in the black and H isp an ic com m un ities must be addressed. Dr. Joseph Lowery, president o f the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is also chairman o f the National Black Leadership Forum and the A d Hoc Committee on the 1984 Elections. PCC Optical Technology student Joe Loftgren et work in the optics lab at the Cascade Campus. He attends an International optical convention In Milan this month. Optic student attends International Fair Joe Loftgren will have the oppor tunity to learn first-hand how Euro peans make eyeglass frames, lenses and contact lenses during his visit to M ilan, Italy this week. A Forest G ro ve resident and a first year optical technology student at P o rtlan d C om m unity C ollege’ s Cascade C am p us, L o ftg re n is attending the annual International Fair for O ptom etry, Opticians and Opthomology in M ilan M ay 6-19. Because his fa th e r is an ae ro n au tic al engineer w ith the U .S . Departm ent o f the N avy, Loftgren has lived most of his life in Italy. He o rig in a lly intended to become an optometrist and enrolled in the pro gram at Pacific University. Illness forced h im to d ro p out o f school a fte r the firs t semester. W hen he resumed studies, it was in P C C 's Optical Technology program. “ P C C was recommended to me by an o p tician at P a c ific ,” says L o ftg re n . “ I feel this is the rig ht profession fo r me and I lik e the price at P C C ." When he completes the program, Loftgren intends to set up his own dispensary business in Ita ly . “ T h a i's why this conference is so important to m e ," he says. " I need to meet the people who cartel to the business, see the new products and equipm ent and make the contacts. E u ro pean m a n u fa c tu rin g styles differ from the United States. At the conference I can find out first-hand what they are." O f particu lar interest, L oftg ren w ill attend a contact lens sem inar put on by the Bureau Federale o f Dispensing O p tician s. W hen he returns to college in September he’ ll give slide and lecture presentations to first and second year optical stu dents at Cascade. Congress considers plant closure legislation The House L ab or-M an ag em en t S u b c o m m ittee , chaired by Rep. W illiam L. Clay (D -M o .) conducted hearings on a federal plant closure bill last week. The bill would require companies to give workers, unions, com m uni ties and the fed eral governm ent advance notice of intent to close or transfer operations. It authorizes the Secretary o f Labor to explore measures to avoid a shutdown. If the closure occurs, the employer would be liable fo r incom e m aintenance payments for up to a year, backed by the government. Workers would be e n title d to tra n s fer rights and training; communities could receive grants to compensate for the losses. N early every co u ntry in Europe restricts mass la y o ffs and plant closure In most European countries employers must give notice o f layoff from 1 months to workers with less than five years senio rity to 9 months for those with more than IS years. In Sweden, an employer must show reasonable cause fo r la y o ff and governm ent resources are available. Belgium and France have industrial development funds that provide low-interest loan* to com panies locating where plant closures have occured. Threat of plant closure as a weapon in collective bargaining it nearly unknown outside the U.S. A F L - C IO In d u s tria l U n io n D e p artm en t President H o w a rd D . Samuel called plant closures "a national crisis," pointing out that it is no longer a phenomenon o f older industrial cities. " M o re than half of all closings in the last decade occurred in the South and the W est," he said. Jack Scheinkman, Secretary-Treasurer o f the Clothing and Textile Workers said a study of 171 closures o f plants by major cor porations revealed a median age o f 15 years w ith o n e -th ird no more than 6 years you make your best Mt with u Make a grand slam in sales through newspaper advertising! W e ’re your best bet as far as readership (the bigger our circulation, the larger your audience!), economics (it’s the most economical way to promote business), and effectiveness (you’ll get results you can bank on!). Let's discuss your advertising future soonl PORTLAND OBSERVER OREGON'S AWARD WINNING BLACK NEWSPAPER 2 3-2486
