Page 2, Portland Observer, August 3,1963
EDITORIAL/OPINION
CIWIMAU
The FBI's 75th anniversary:
W ho's celebrating?
The end of July marked the 75th anniversary
of the FBI. It is ironic that the FBI is making a
big deal about 75 years o f “ operation” when it
is such a short time before the 20th anniversary
of M artin Luther King’s historic march in
Washington, D .C . on August 27, 1963. While
we cannot argue with the legitimate role the FBI
has in protecting citizens from crime, their acti­
vity has often overstepped legitimate bounds.
Their surveillance of King was unwarranted,
expensive, and sometimes reports were even
manufactured in order to discredit him.
Jack Anderson recently reported on a re­
searcher who discovered a 404-page inventory of
documents the FBI collected on King. Each
document in the inventory could refer to one
page or a thousand. The average length was two
hundred pages.
More than that, reports have come to light
recently that the FBI was quite aware o f the
danger to King and other activists in the civil
rights movement. Rather than using their infor­
mation to protect civil rights workers from
harm, they would sometimes give 15 minute
“ grace periods” to local authorities to deal with
the freedom riders in any way they chose. This
often included severe beatings.
Threats were made on King’s life some time
before he was actually assassinated, and the
FB I, it seems, did little to protect him. If they
had put as much effort into trying to preserve his
life as they did to discredit it, he would probably
be alive today.
The same type o f surveillance that went on
then is going on today. President Reagan has re­
cently charged that “ foreign agents” are direct­
ing the U.S. nuclear freeze movement. The FBI
is currently using this as an excuse to infiltrate
such sponsoring organizations as the Mobiliza­
tion for Survival and Physicians for Social
Responsibility. They are also investigating the
National Black United Front.
It seems that anyone who still advocates social
justice or the laying down o f arms is considered
an enemy of the American government.
Lay claim for lost years
Japanese people who were interned during
World War II are entitled to reparations — the
United States government took them from
their homes, locked them up and took their
property. There is no way to measure the losses
to them and their descendants, but the govern­
ment will eventually pay them a token amount.
Their total loss was computed at $2 billion.
Black people, Chicanos and Native Ameri­
cans also have a claim that should be pursued.
Minority people in this country die sooner than
whites — they are deprived of their lives by
government policies and by private policies and
practices condoned by the government.
Minority people die in greater percentages
throughout life — from miscarriage, infant
death and early death — because they are de­
prived of proper medical care, nutrition,
housing, and income.
Minority people could make a case for pay­
ment for those years they will be deprived of by
racism and neglect. Black men born in 1983 have
a life expectancy of 64 years, compared to the
white man’s life expectancy of 70.6 years.
Minority people also should have a claim
against the social security system. The black
man born this year will pay in approximately
—
$60,000 but will die before he is old enough to
draw retirement benefits. The white man born
this year will draw benefits for approximately
3.5 years. The new retirement age o f 67 years
will further deprive blacks and other minority
people.
Minorities suffer discrimination in the pay­
ment of benefits also. The average income of
black men ages 60 to 64 — the years used for de­
termination o f benefits — is only 52 cents for
every dollar the average white man earns. The
average income for black women over 59 is
below the government’s poverty line. Blacks are
only 3 percent of all families headed by persons
over 60 but are 30 percent of those below the
poverty line.
At least 25 percent of those persons receiving
minimum social security benefits o f $122 per
month are black women — many who had
worked in low paying occupations like domestic
workers and farm workers which were not cov­
ered by social security.
All Americans should have the right to an
adequate income in their old age — proper nutri­
tion, health care, housing and recreation — and
those who are deprived because of race should
have a legal claim to reparations.
gag— :
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The changing face of American politics
by D r. M anning M arable. ' 'From the Grassroots ‘ ’
W hat makes American politics so
backward? Ronald Reagan is argu­
ably the most reactionary political
leader in the Western world. The
Republican Party is controlled by a
group o f right-wing extremists —
Right to Lifers, Cold W arriors,
racists and the large corporations.
Sadly, most Democrats in Congress
have not offered fundamental alter­
natives to Reaganomics. As a result,
many Americans may not vote in
1984, thinking that there is no point
in participating in a system which
provides no meaningful options.
O ur first responsibility is to
defeat Reaganism as a political
movement o f the Right next year.
But to build beyond 1984, we have
to understand the changing face of
American party politics, and espe­
cially, the actual relationship be­
tween black people and the Demo­
cratic Party.
Most o f us forget that until the
Depression, most blacks were in the
Republican Party. A m ajority o f
blacks did not vote for a Democratic
presidential candidate until 1940.
M ore than 40 percent o f all black
voters
supported
Dwight
Eisenhower in 1936. Throughout
the experience o f Southern blacks,
the Democratic party officials and
office holders worked hand-in-hand
with white vigilantes when I was a
teenager
to
keep
my
fam ily
members
from
voting.
W hite
Democrats did nothing when my
From The Boardroom
by Gladys M cC oy
w ife’s cousin was lynched outside
Social Circle, Georgia, in late 1981.
W hite Mississippi Democrats did
virtually nothing to elect a black
state Senator, Robert C lark, to the
House of Representatives in Novem­
ber, 1982, despite blacks’ support
for their old archenemy, John
Stennis. Unquestionably, the Dem o­
cratic Party has the most racist, pro­
corporate and sexist politicians this
nation can produce. Yet, within this
same party, it has developed a pro­
gressive, anti-racist, and democratic
group which represents an A m eri­
can version o f "social democracy:"
Julian Bond, H arold Washington,
Jim
Hightower,
Harold
Ford,
Mickey Leland, and hundreds more.
It is this "party-w ithin-the-party"
which best articulates the material
interests and political demands o f
blacks, as well as Latinos, feminists,
gays and lesbians, labor, and peace
organizations. Because o f the dis­
continuities o f American history,
there is no Labor Party, as in
England, or Socialist Party, as in
most Western countries. However,
the m ajority o f black elected o ffi­
cials and white politicians on the left
wing o f the Democratic Party,
would be considered "Social Demo­
crats" anywhere else in the world.
The public policies which Black
Caucus leaders have proposed —
from
Congressman
Ronald
V.
Dellums* extensive health care leg­
islation to M a jo r R. Owens' recent
Constitutional amendment calling
for a guaranteed job for all A m eri­
can workers — directly parallel legis­
lative reforms enacted by labor and
socialist governments which have
improved the living standards o f
millions o f workers.
Since the 1930s, "socialism " has
been a dirty word in U .S. politics.
But within the black community,
there is no real purpose for most
progressive black officials to identify
themselves with "socialism " per se
to exercise influence among black
voters. They run as Democrats be­
cause given our history since the
Roosevelt administration, it makes
common sense to do so. They oper­
ate as a democratic and anti-racist
political force within an admittedly
undemocratic and often racist poli­
tical form ation. But when circum­
stances require that the interests of
their constituents would be ad­
vanced by supporting independents,
black voters and their representa­
tives often revolt against their party.
There are numerous illustrations
over the past several years which
indicate this. In 1978 in Mississippi,
over 80 percent o f the state’s black
electorate voted for an independent
black candidate, Charles Evers, for
the U .S. Senate, splitting the Dem o­
cratic vote. As a result, a white con­
servative Republican was elected.
But black voters had concluded that
(Continued on Page 9, Column />
-1 Washington Hot Line
M ultnom ah County Commissioner
by Congressman Ron Wyden
Home burglaries are happening
all around us! T w o blocks away.
Around the corner. Next door. I
could be next. You could be next.
This criminal activity occurs year
round, but escalates during the
warmer seasons.
Granted, our summer season has
been an unusually moist one, but
temperatures
have
been
mild
enough for us to still enjoy outdoor
barbecues and weekend getaway
trips. It never fails, in our haste to
“ play,** we miss latching a screen
door, locking a main door, or leave
a window open. This is an open invi­
tation to an intruder. Statistic!
prove most home burglaries are
caused from unlocked windows and
doors — carelessness.
W hile your neighbors offer as
much security as possible, they are
not always available to watch all of
the neighborhood activities all o f
the time. Establishing a neighbor­
hood watch program helps to deter
uninvited intrusion. M any citizens
within M ultnom ah County neigh­
borhoods have worked hard in de­
veloping crime prevention groups in
cooperation with residents on their
blocks. Some 20,000 people have
taken part in a Neighborhood
Watch meeting since the M ultno­
mah County S h eriffs O ffice Crime
Prevention U nit began in 1974 and
over a quarter million people have
participated in all Crim e Prevention
programs. Studies both here in
M ultnom ah County and across the
United States show that neighbor­
hoods that are involved in Neigh­
borhood Watch programs experi­
ence a decrease in residential crime.
O n July 28, 198), my colleagues
and I unanimously approved a reso­
lution to recognize the merit o f the
Neighborhood W atch Program and
encourage the participation of all
citizens in M ultnom ah County in
this program.
Constituents in District I I who
presently are not involved in a
Neighborhood W atch Program, I
urge you to participate. In order for
Multnom ah County, your city and
your neighborhood to continue to
be a better place to live, you must
get involved. Your neighborhood
deserves to be safe and secure to
enhance your quality o f life.
Contact the M ultnom ah County
S h eriffs Crim e Prevention O ffice,
phone 233-3600, for more inform a­
tion on Neighborhood W atch Pro­
grams in unincorporated M ultno­
mah County and 248-4763 within
Portland city limits.
Remember, summer can be fun.
Enjoy those backyard barbecues,
park outings, and out-of-town trips
by taking the necessary precautions.
W atch, lock, and be safe! Enjoy the
summer. . whenever it comes.
1 ™ ™ " Portland ™òrgt^TbTàclòòw^eTnewTfMf^r.
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O n occasion, one has to wonder
about the distorted priorities evident
in our nation's capitol. One o f thoae
occasions came last week when the
Senate Finance Committee, with no
resistance from the administration,
reported out legislation that would
pit two o f the groups hardest hit by
the recession against one another.
The plan calls for funding health
insurance for the unemployed by
taking funds from Medicare. It is a
plan I strongly oppose.
The Senate's bill would raise SI .7
billion by freezing the amount
Medicare reimburses physicians for
their services and using those funds
to provide health insurance for the
unemployed. It is essentially a case
o f robbing Peter to pay Paul.
I don't think that providing
health insurance for the unemployed
should be an either/or proposition.
There are ways to provide that im ­
portant insurance without plunder­
ing the elderly.
.S ta te .
In M ay 1 introduced a bill with
Congressman Henry Waxman of
C alifornia, the Chairm an o f the
Energy and Commerce Com m ittee’s
Subcommittee on Health and Envi­
ronment, that would provide health
insurance for the unemployed and
their dependents. The program
would continue for three yean and
would make modest changes in
private insurance policies to provide
a buffer o f three months insurance
for those thrown out o f work in
future recessions.
That bill has been reported out o f
the Energy and Commerce C om m it­
tee and the Comm ittee on Ways and
Means. It should come to the floor
o f the House this week.
I f passed, the plan would provide
block grants to states that wished to
participate in the program. The
sta tu would provide an amount o f
matching funds dependent upon the
rate o f unemployment in their state.
In states where the unemployment
rate is greater than 10 percent, the
federal government would provide
all the funds.
In Oregon, despite the recent eco­
nomic surge, the unemployment
rate still hovers at about nine
percent. T h a t’s 124,000 people,
many o f whom are unemployed for
the First time, who may be unable to
provide even the most basic health
care for themselves or their families.
O ur bill would provide for those
who have fallen through the cracks
o f our nation’s health care system.
This bill is not the perfect solu­
tion. It is necessarily limited in
scope. But it is a significant im ­
provement over the Senate bill
which shows a disregard for both
elderly Americans and the unem­
ployed by pitting them against each
other.
I will strongly oppose this Senate
plan and continue to work diligently
for a bill to provide health insurance
for the unemployed that is fair to all
Yea. I w o u ld lik e a s u b s c rip tio n !
PLEASE PRINT
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