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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1983)
Jeff High shows Pride Trailblazers try again PegeB Page 9 i PORTLAND OBSERVER U *P S 939-680-855 Volume XIII, Number 48 September 14, 1983 25C Per Copy © £n r PiMutung C o .. toe. /MJ Hispanic W eek Reagan expands Lebanon role President Ronald Reagan has ex panded the U.S. role in Lebanon from that o f a “ peace-keeping force" to a military force to support the Gemayel government. He authorized the Marines stationed in Lebanon to call on U .S. naval and air power not only to defend them selves but to aid other Western forces — British, French and Italian — and to aid the Lebanese army. The Lebanese army o f Am in Gemayel — leader o f the ultra-right Falangists — is involved in a civil war with the Lebanese National Movem ent, a coalition o f progres sive Moslem groups. Currently the army and the Druse m ilitia led by W alid Joumblatt, president o f the L N M , are fighting over territory south and east o f Beirut being vacat ed by Israeli occupation forces The U .S. Marines are located around the International Airport south o f Beirut; their mission, to guard the airport and form a buffer between Israeli and Lebanese troops They are also training contingents o f the army o f Lebanon. In recent weeks the Marines have been reinforced by several U.S. w ar ships carrying a contingent o f 2,200 Marines who could be quickly de ployed. The amphibious assault ship Taraw a, which carries helicopters and Harriers, arrived M onday with two other naval vessels. The aircraft carrier Eisenhower, carrying 90 jets, is further offshore. The 1,370 Marines, who have been in Lebanon for a year, have always had the authority to return fire, but this is the first time they have been empowered to assist the Lebanese army. Lebanese officials insist this is not a civil war but is a Syrian-backed "foreign invasion,” a view that is increasingly being supported by the U .S. press. For the Reagan administration, the beachhead in Lebanon is not merely for "peace-keeping" but to insure the survival o f the Falangist control o f the Lebanese govern ment. Lebanon is crucial to the U .S. strategic position in the M iddle East. Reagan has avoided use o f the W ar Powers Act o f 1973 which re quires the president to tell Congress when troops overseas are in danger o f "im m inent hostilities." He must withdraw the troops in 90 days unless Congress approves the de ployment. Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shari o f Syria, which keeps troops in easi- ern Lebanon under a United Arab League mandate, said the Reagan administration attempt to pursue u military solution on Lebanon is “ frought with danger” and could lead to an expanded war in the Middle East. (Related article on Page 4.) Special session seeks tax relief pi »— *« ■ - .e - • 4 « - Äf * A* The Liberator July 24th marked the bicentennial of the birth o f Simon Bolivar, who liberated six South American coun tries — Venezuela, Columbia, Pana ma, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia — from the yoke o f Spanish colonial ism and foresaw the need for a uni fied Latin America. Bolivar — “ The Liberator” — was born in Caracas, Venezuela on July 24, 1783 to a rich aristocratic Spanish fam ily. He was involved in the wars o f liberation o f the Spanish colonies from the beginning (1810- 1826). A fter several setbacks, he achieved victory in Venezuela and New Grenada (Colom bia). H e was elected president o f the Republic o f Great Colom bia (Venezuela, C o lombia and later Ecuador). Boliver and his army went on to defeat the Spanish troops in Peru in 1824. Both Peru and Upper Peru (renamed Bolivia) declared their in dependence and made Bolivar their leader The Liberator led a new kind o f army, a popular revolutionary army. M any high positions were filled by common people, represent ing all races and nationalities. As the leader o f this popular army, Bolivar identified more and more with the people and gained an im portant understanding o f their needs. In spite o f his aristocratic back ground, Bolivar believed that a har monious society could be achieved if individual aspirations were subordi nated to the common good. He hated the idea of extreme individual ism, recognizing that the prosperity of one individual at the cost o f the rest produced poverty and social in equality. B c l i w initiated a wide array o f social reforms and at the same time tried to build a strong centralized state that could legislate reform. He recognized that political indepen dence from Spain was only one step to achieving equality, so he advocat ed the abolition of slavery. The re sistance o f the slave holders negated nearly all his emancipation legisla tion. Bolivar proclaimed equality o f the Indians, liberating them from slavery and guaranteeing them poli tical rights. He issued a law return ing land to the Indians but the aris tocracy refused to obey it. H e also projected a law on redistribution of national riches, a kind o f agrarian reform that would give land to the soldiers o f the liberation army, but Congress so amended the law that it was ineffective and speculators were able to obtain the land. The aristocracy and the growing commercial class fought every re form and built alliances with England and the United States. T o protect the national resources, he promoted the development o f agriculture and increased import taxes and prohibit ed importation o f articles that were produced in the country. But the re sistance o f the rich oligarchies and their British and U .S . supporters was too strong and when Bolivar died in 1830, at the age o f 47, many o f his ideals were not realized. Bolivar envisioned consolidating the New W orld into a single, united nation - a confederation of States - but he gradually became convinced o f the United States’ true motives regarding Hispanic America. He was the first to warn against the Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed by U.S. President Monroe in 1823, which declared that the U .S. has the right to defend any Latin American country against foreign interven tion. seeing it as a potential danger to U.S. “ peace and safety.” Bolivar's original project for an all-American Congress in Panama in 1926 excluded the U .S . “ I will never be o f the opinion that we in vite (the U .S .) to meddle in our American affairs,” he wrote. Much o f his correspondence prior to and after the Congress discussed U.S. interventionism and expansionism, its purchase o f Louisiana and Florida, and its opposition to the liberation o f Cuba and Puerto Rico. O n August 3, 1839, Bolivar wrote, “ The U .S. seems to be des tined by Providence to plague America with miseries in the name o f Liberty.” The Mexican daily E l D ia said re cently that if he were alive today, “ Bolivar would be found in the ju n gles and mountains in the hot bor ders, or on the slopes o f volcanoes at the front o f barefoot insurgents, aimed with guns and machetes, armed with tru th ." Governor Victor Atiyeh is not happy about the Legislature's failure to adopt a tax plan during the regular session which lasted from January into July. He told the legislators meeting in a special session called to deal with taxes and property tax relief, "N ever have so many labored so long on a matter o f such importance to Oregonians and come up with so litte ." During the regular session the Democrat controlled House handily rejected the Governor's tax plan, which included a gross receipts tax. The remainder o f the session was spent in attempting to put a sales tax on the ballot - successful in the House but blocked in the Senate by Senate President Ed Fadeley. Atiyeh has submitted a new plan, originally accepted by the House and Senate leadership, but now considered dead. Atiyeh's compromise plan calls for a property tax freeze, a lim it on growth o f assessed valuation and spending limits on local government. It would allow local governments to submit statewide tax measures to the voters. Most Democrats are commited to offering voters a "m en u ” that would include a sales tax and a spending lim itation. House Speaker G rattan K era ns, who says he opposes a sales tax, has led - along with Revenue Committee Chairman Tom Throop - the drive to put the sales tax on the ballot. Representa tive Barbara Roberts and Senator James Gardner, candidates for the Democratic Party nomination for Secretary o f State, both adhere to the "n o other option available” theory. Joining them is Rep. Ed Leek o f District 18, who voted against the sales tax during the regular session. The opposition to the sales tax will be led by Fadeley, who has sworn to oppose the sales tax and itt supporters He will be assisted by Senator Jan Wyers, who places principals above politics. The most vocal opponent on the House side is Rep. W ally Priestley of District 17. W aiting in the wings is the State Democratic Party which, unable to control Democratic legislators, will go to the people with an initiative petition banning the sales tax and seeking tax relief thorugh a homestead exemption. {Related story on page 3) V IC T O R A T IY E H Citizens Party considers joining Jackson "Unless a progressive campaign comes together, the vacuum of issues between Reagan and the six declared Democratic candidates will be filled with empty P R ," declared Barry Commoner in his address to the Citizens Party National Conven tion. held in San Francisco Sept. 2-3. W hich way to mount that pro gressive campaign — through an in dependent Citizens Party effort, through supporting Jesse Jackson, or some combination — was hotly debated. Commoner, the party’s 1980 pre sidential candidate and best-known spokesperson, and West Coast dele gations favor joining Jackson’s "rainbow coalition" o f progressive constituencies. The m ajority from the East and Midwest favor concen trating on a Citizens Party bid. Ramsay C lark, a peace activist and former U .S . attorney general, would be the party's most likely candidate The Jackson campaign will be "T akin g out left issues in a mass way, creating visibility for all o f us. It will be possible to build an alliance o f Black and white progressives,” says Oregon party activist John Blank. Black political analyst Manning M arable, long skeptical of Jackson, told the convention he now believes Jackson's campaign will be the only way to pressure e f fectively Mondale, Glenn, and the rest o f the "Sominex Six" in the Democratic primaries, and attack Reagan's "Friendly Fascism.” Manning said he remains doubtful o f Jackson's accountability, how ever. Party National Committee mem ber Ion Laskaris, a leading presiden El Salvador : King by Robert Lothian A Spanish language Bible owned by Jesuit priest Patrick Hurley con tains a full-page photograph of M artin Luther King. The caption honors King for the non-violent movement he led on behalf o f civil rights for the "hermanos negroes” (negro brothers) of America. According to Hurley, this Bible is the basic text for a "liberation theo logy” movement sweeping Latin America, a movement which he says is dedicated to the same values that M artin Luther King fought and died for. Thousands in the U .S. marched recently in honor o f the dream of equality, dignity and justice for all people that King left as his heritage, yet in El Salvador, according to Hurley, his Spanish language Bible tial race advocate, cited a Call for an independent campaign signed by feminist Sonia Johnson, peace acti vist Sidney Lens, and others Eastern delegates felt a presidential bid will reenergize the party and give people a real choice in November, 1984. Western delegates felt planning for goals, fundraising, and ballot access was not yet sufficient to en dorse a presidential campaign. They favor concentrating on congression al campaigns. The convention voted to explore a presidential race but delay final decision until a March convention. In keeping with the party's com mitment to participatory democracy, the presidential debate was conduct ed in small groups, which gave everyone a chance to participate, as well as traditional floor debates. The convention also heard speeches from Black trade unionist Larry Serraulte and Atlanta Black activist John Lewis. Serraulte was national coordinator for a 1977 march against the Bakke decision, which would have limited affirm a tive action. He said, "Y o u don't re member me, but you do remember the movement, which is the way it should be.” Sonia Johnson, who changed from Mormon housewife to women's rights advocate during the ERA campaign, spoke on feminist issues. A forum on international peace issues featured speakers from the Citizens Party's international links, the German Green Party and Dutch Radical Democratic Party. They concentrated on opposition to U.S. deployment of new nuclear missiles in Europe this December, saying it will upset the present "balance of terror.” ible sure death warrant with the picture of M artin Luther King is a "w arrant o f death.” Hurley, who works with a refugee support group in Seattle, visited El Salvador recently, and talked with Catholic relief workers and leaders o f human rights organizations. Be cause o f their work on behalf o f the landless poor, he said, Jesuits and other Catholic activists in El Salva dor are branded pro-guerrilla and persecuted by right-wing paramili tary groups. "B e patriotic, kill a priest." say posters tacked up on San Salvador's main streets, according to Hurley. Statistics compiled by Salvadoran rights groups, he said, show that out o f a total o f 29 priests in that small country, 10 have been assassinated. 13 are in exile and 4 are with the guerrillas. Also, the number o f the "disap peared" has increased to 400 per month, and in three years o f fight ing there have been 40,000 assassi nations and 730,000 Salvadorans forced into exile, he said. " I thought the death squads were secret,” said Hurley. But their no torious "Cherokee C h i e f U.S. im port station wagons filled with sinis ter looking, heavily armed thugs are visible in broad daylight on San Sal vador's rireets, where the squads operate with impunity, he said. "T h e only difference between the army, the national police and the death squads is that the death squads ir e in the cities,” said Hurley. "T h e y're all part o f the same system.” In army pacification programs, he said, hamlets are bombed and strafed from the air before troops sweep through to clear large areas. Peasants considered free of rebel in fluence are relocated to these "paci fied” zones, anti-guerrilla militias organized, and U.S. economic aid poured in. In spite of the repression, he said, "very courageous, very dedicated” relief workers persevere at orphan ages and refugee camps. The camps are "very well organized under (he most difficult circumstances,” though relief workers are "constant ly intimidated and in jeopardy.” Four workers he met on the trip were later arrested, said Hurley, and religious groups in El Salvador and the U .S. are negotiating their safe return. As an example o f the indomitable (Please turn to page 2 col. I ) k
