Page 4 Portland Observer, August 24, 1963
EDITORIAL/OPINION
March for Jobs, Peace, Freedom
Twenty years ago, August 28, 1963, M artin
Luther King’s words rung out over the capitol
mall — ” 1 have a dream----- ”
A lot has happened in these twenty years. The
W ar on Poverty and Model Cities have come
and gone. The Voting Rights Act and the 1964
Civil Rights Bill were passed. Numerous court
decisions dealt blows to segregation in education
and discrimination in employment. Affirmative
action regulations gained some jobs and helped
some minority businesses.
Blacks became congressmen, mayors, judges,
prosecutors, and legislators. More young people
had the opportunity to attend college.
In the past four years, especially since the
election o f Ronald Reagan, many o f the gains
have been lost.
The world is in a state o f profound economic
crisis. Unemployment is over ten percent and
more than double that for Blacks and other mi
norities. The education system is deteriorating
and millions of young people have no opportu
nity for education and employment. Medical
costs are skyrocketing, leaving millions without
health care. Infant mortality is rising. For the
first time, millions are homeless.
The forces o f reaction are rising. An aggres
sive foreign policy, gunboat diplomacy, and an
increase in nuclear, biological and chemical wea
pons threatens humanity.
The KKK and other hate groups are growing.
The government is carrying out a carefully
orchestrated attempt to eliminate the civil and
human rights o f minorities and women. Govern
ment secrecy and the use of public power against
citizens are growing.
On August 27th millions o f people will gather
in Washington, D .C . and in cities across the
nation, including Salem, to demand a more hu
mane government. The cry is for jobs, peace
and freedom. These rallies will unite the many
groups the Reagan administration is working
hard to separate — Blacks, whites, Hispanics,
Native Americans, Asians, labor unions, politi
cal parties, the peace movement, students,
women, and the poor. Our nation has the re
sources and power to deliver “ jobs, peace and
freedom.” Whether it will depends on strong and
persistent people, united in one cause.
The rally on August 27th, 11:00 a.m ., in
Salem is a good place to begin building that
unity.
lack sports/white sports
In the United States, sports are divided into
Black sports and white sports. Blacks play bas
ketball, football, sometimes baseball, and box.
A few take up wrestling and others participate in
some track events. Whites play baseball, tennis,
soccer, and water polo. They swim, dive, fence,
lift weights, participate in gymnastics, equestri
an sports, ping pong, boating, etc.
We hope many of our youngsters are watch
ing the Pan American Games. If so, they might
have seen Casimior Suarez o f Cuba win 8 gold
medals in gymnastics. They also can see fine
Ed Leek
(Continued fro m Page I. Column 2)
learn to work with people m ore.”
She fear* hi* *tyle may have alienat
ed rame potential support. A former
legislator herself, Kafoury put*
down most o f Leek's trouble* to in
experience as a first-term represen
tative. A n aide to a liberal represen
tative tayt Leek was an "ineffective
floor speaker.”
O n the other hand, poor people's
lobbyist Terry Rogers says Leek was
"a n excellent cross-examiner” on
committee, drawing out witnesses'
knowledge on both side* o f an issue.
W hile he may have irritated some
Republicans, she say* he was per
suasive with other Democrats on the
Human Resource* Committee.
Charge* o f “ abrasiveness” are
common against any legislator who
take* strong stands, whether on the
political left or right, says another
legislative aide.
Leek himself say* he found the
legislature much more difficult than
the neighborhood organizing he did
before hi* election. In community
groups, he says, people generally
agree with each other and there is a
clearly defined goal. In the legisla
ture he found "m an y more mine-
O regon
Newspaper
Publishers
Asso.u it o n
Black athletes from many o f the Caribbean and
Latin American countries excelling in all sports.
Many of the gold medalists, both men and
women, from these countries are Black. This
should refute the theory that Blacks are built to
excel in some sports but not in others.
Young people should be encouraged to try
many sports — not just those that hold the
promise of fame and fortune. Good health,
mental and physical well-being and a lot o f fun
can come from a wide variety o f sports and
games.
fie ld * .. more people and power
blocs that have to be consulted and
appeased.”
Leek's biggest disappointment
with the legislature was how "fellow
Demoicrats let themselves be b uffa
loed by business lobbyist* who say
anything that serves working people
must be bad for business. Tagging
legislation
'anti-business'
was
enough to kill it for many of my col
leagues."
B lac k Issue*
Leek worked for many issues that
concern Black people, such as South
A frica divestment, outlawing racial
harassment, restricting police use o f
deadly force, and welfare rights. He
might have done more to inform the
community o f his stands, Ron
Herndon say*. For instance, the
B U F worked heavily in the 1981
Legislature on restricting deadly
force, but was never asked to help
when the bill came up this session,
Herndon says.
Herndon believes that just a* an
Irish legislator can better serve
Boston's Irish, or a Pole is more
qualified to represent Chicago's
Poles, so (other things being equal)
a Black would best represent Port
lands Black community.
Leek has not decided whether to
run again in 1984 — he says a major
factor will be whether he can afford
to work for the legislature’s low
pay.
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v » - r s ' io r S i
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H
IB
Ronald Reagan made a quick
campaign »wing through M iam i,
Texa* and California snd a one-day
symbolic visit to Mexico to launch
his new effort to win Hispanic vot
ers. But Reagan'* road will not be
easy because while he plan* hi* cam
paign, Hispanics are already orga
nizing again»! him.
The National Hispanic Voter
Registration drive was launched on
A uguit 8th by more than 200 Latino
leaden meeting in San Antonio. The
goal is one million new Hispanic
voter* by 1984. Recent election*,
like those o f M ayor Harold Wash
ington in Chicago and M ayor
Federico Pena in Denver have dem
onstrated the influence of the H is
panic vote.
The League of United Latin Amer
ican Citizen* (L U L A C ), the nation's
oldest and largest Hispanic organi
zation, on July 4th elected a* it*
president M ario Obledo, who wa*
C alifo rn ia'* Director o f Health and
W elfare during the Jerry Brown ad
ministration. This organization will
give priority to voter registration,
relation* with the Latin American
countries and immigration.
Another
immediate
goal
of
L U L A C is to build bridge* with the
Black community. L U L A C and
PU SH have signed an agreement
that "b in d * the organization* to
work together to resolve common
problem* in voting right* and jo b s."
Obledo ha* signed a similar agree
ment with the National Urban
League and a meeting with the
N A A C P is planned.
In C alifo rn ia, the Mexican A m er
ican Political Association (M A P A )
ousted it* president, a Republican
ally o f Governor George Deuk-
mejian,
and
elected
Fernando
Chavez. 31, son o f United Farm
W orker* Union President Cesar
Chavez. M A P A is the largest His
panic organization in the state that
has the nation's largest Latino pop
ulation — overwhelmingly Chicano
and Mexican. Elected 2nd vice-
president was Al Belmontez, chair
man o f the Los Angeles Coalition
Against
Plant
Closures;
Ben
M olina, a member o f U .S . Repre
sentative Mervyn Dymally's staff,
was elected organizer. This election
reversed the two-year effo rt by Rea
gan supporters to bring the organi
zation into the Republican camp.
The United Farm Workers Union
is turning to more activism, inde
pendence and organization among
Latino group*. Beginning in Sep
tember, the U F M "C hicano lobby"
will begin a massive telephone and
mail poll to determine the issues
most important to Chicanos and
Mexicans in C alifornia. The U F W
will cover all issues in its political
lobbying, not just farm labor issues.
The Coalition o f Latin American
Trade Unionists (C L A T U ), now
one year old, has as its goal the po
litical participation o f Latino trade
union members. Currently 30 per
cent o f Latino workers are union
members, compared to 20 percent
o f white workers, but few hold lead
ership positions. The C L A T U is
seeking unity with other labor
groups and especially with the
Coalition o f Black Trade Unionists.
Organizing in the Hispanic com
munity over the past six months
does not look good for Reagan's
plans.
tb.e way WoiidMriJwillhe foutput
Portland Observer
M
Hispanics oppose Reagan
y
«0«
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" I don’t think it ought to be
legalized.
They
shouldn’t
change the law just because
we have it. There ought to be
more enforcem ent."
Andrew Rodgers
Courier
"They are not going to stop it
any other way. These people on
Union Avenue would be stopped
if it was legalized. They need a
brothel to get them o ff the
streets."