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P«fl« 4 Portland Observer, November 9,1963
3
EDITORIAL/OPINION
The area o f empty city-owned buildings has
the appearance o f a bombed-out area and would
require tens of millions o f dollars to renew. City
officials believe the “ lived-in look" decals and
some minor masonry work on the outsides of
the vacant buildings will lift the morale o f the re
sidents, discourage vandals and impress the
thousands o f motorists who pass the area daily.
In addition to the initial expenditures of
$300,000 (at $6 per decal), the city plans to ex
tend the program to empty buildings along traf
fic corridors.
This superficial face-lifting— foolish as it
might seem— is exactly what the government has
been doing for years. W ar on Poverty, Model
Cities, Welfare and other funds, for the most
part, have not been directed at making funda
mental structural changes that would allow for
economic development and elimination o f pov
erty and its symptoms. They have been directed
toward easing life under unbearable conditions
and diverting attention from the causes of the
poverty, crime, disaffection, insecurity and iso
lation that millions of Americans are forced to
live with. Only through economic and social
planning directed at meeting the needs of the
people rather than the profits of a few will
change occur.
In the meantime, government will place highly
colored decals over the windows of its battered
economy to hide the evidence of internal decay.
Social workers register clients
One of the brighter developments in Portland
in recent months is the organization of a coali
tion of social workers, counsellors, and profes
sionals who work with the poor to register their
clients to vote.
Voter registration regulations have long
served to disenfranchise the poor and miorities.
Yet there are the large, untapped pool of voters
who have the greatest motive to "dum p
Reagan." W ho has more reason to vote for a
change in national leadership than the poor who
have lost their food stamps, the elderly who are
in danger of losing their Social Security, the stu
dents who are denied the opportunity for an
education, the ill who have no medical care, or
the minorities who face administration-fostered
discrimination?
This coalition to register social work agency
clients also recognizes that they are citizens with
rights and responsibilities— that they are people.
This registration drive could be a great equalizer
— humanizing social workiers while enfranchis
ing clients.
Provocation?
Having eliminated the hated Grenada govern
ment and occupied that nation, the Reagan A d
ministration is looking for an excuse to invade
Nicaragua an d /o r Cuba. Looking for a provo
cation, the administration has announced that
Fidel Castro has ordered the assassination of
U S. embassy personnel in Latin American
countries.
The Cuban government responded that it
“ has not and could not” give such orders since it
opposes terrorism and does not believe that ac
tions should be taken agains its individual citi
zens of an enemy nation. This stems from the
belief that the American people, though misled,
are not evil; that they do not have control of
their government and therefore are not responsi-
ble, as individuals, for its actions. Even during
the Cuban Revolution there were no acts of vio
lence against the people and government soldiers
were treated as employees of a corrupt and evil
government, rather than the instigators o f evil.
The Reagan Administration statement has set
up a situation where any act of violence against
the U.S. government or U.S. citizens can be
used as an excuse for an invasion of Cuba—a
very dangerous situation for the American peo
ple to be placed in since this could lead to a nu
clear holocaust.
Now is the time for the American people to
signal their opposition to such a move through
demonstrations, civil disobedience and other ap
propriate actions— before an invasion of Cuba
or Nicaragua is launched.
Letters to the Editor
Reagan's credibility battle casualty
To the editor:
The credibility o f President Rea
gan was one o f the casualties o f the
Grenada invasion. He maintained
that our invasion force went into
Grenada to save the lives o f medical
students and the other Americans
who were in danger, but no A m eri
can, student or otherwise, has com
plained o f being threatened by the
Grenadian government or its m ili
tary forces, and the Stale Depart
ment had received assurances by the
Grenadian government that the stu
dents were safe. The Monday before
the invasion, the airport was open
and some people left the island
through very routing customs' pro
cedures.
President Reagan further stated
that he wanted to prevent another
Iranian "hostage" situation— but
there is simply no parallel. The Iran
ian students that took the American
Embassy officials hostage had rea
son to be upset with U .S . foreign
policy which had interceded in the
™ —
internal affairs o f Iran in 1953. At
this time the American Central In
telligence Agency ( C IA ) installed
the Shah in power rather than the
popular Mosadegh. The Shah, who
was supported m ilitarily and eco
nomically by several U.S. adminis
trations, tortured and murdered
thousands o f Iranians suspected o f
being political opponents. A t a time
o f transition following the ouster of
the Shah in 1979, the U.S. Embassy
and its employees served as a iytn - •
bol o f conspiracy with the much-
hated Shah.
In contrast, the U .S. had denied
any support to the very popular
Grenadian government of Maurice
Bishop because he directed too
much o f his budget to social
programs, i.e., food subsidies, edu
cation, and medical care. The A m
erican medical students were in no
way connected to the U.S. govern
ment. Also, in a country heavily de
pendent on tourist trade, the G rena
dian government would have been
foolish to do anything that might
Portland 's largest hlaek-owne^newspaper.
endanger a source o f income and
foreign trade dollars. The danger to
Americans was at best imagined and
the motive for their safety was a
reality.
A t the cost of about 100 lives
(Grenadians, Cubans and Am eri
cans), with the help o f 6,000 right
ing men, the President was able to
save the medical students the taxi
fare to the old airport by bringing
them out on the new airport via C-
130 military transport planes.- - —
I grieve for the relatives and
friends o f the victims o f the invasion
but the lost Marines did not die for
the noble cause espoused by the Pre
sident. H e squandered the lives of
18 Marines because he and his m il
lionaire pals did not like the govern
ment on that tiny island. W ith the
benefit o f a free press and vigorous
reporting, U .S. public opinion
would correspond more to the 109-8
condemnation rather than the 75
percent public support he enjoys.
Herschel Soles
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City
Grenada:
W hat was the full role of the C IA
in disrupting and sabotaging Bish
op's government from 1979 to
1983? From the day G airy's dicta
torship was overthrown, the U .S.
has been aggressively hostile to the
N J M . In A p ril. 1979, Bishop asked
the Carter Administration for aid in
reconstructing his nation. The U .S.
ambassador offered the insulting
amount of $5,000. and warned Bish
op against relations with the
Cubans. The Reagan Administra
tion stepped up the attacks on G ren
ada According to press accounts, a
number o f the "students” flown out
o f Grenada in the first hours o f the
invasion were C IA agents. What
was their part in overthrowing Bish
op and his followers?
What was the role o f Jamaica's
reactionary and unpopular Prime
Minister Edward Seaga in the inva
sion? Vice President George Bush
visited Jamaica only two days be
fore Bishop's murder. And during
the invasion. Seaga was repeatedly
interviewed on U .S. television, obe
diently mouthing the lines written
for him by Reagan, Bush and Co.
Was Bush's visit entirely coinci
dental. or was (he destruction o f the
N JM and Bishop on (he agenda?
When was the invasion actually
planned? No one in Washington,
D .C ., seriously believes that this
massive maneuver was coordinated
in the space of several days. Rea
gan's crocodile tears for Bishop are
a pathetic mask to hide his bitter op
position to the N J M . Indeed, in A u
gust and September, 1981, “ O pera
tion Ocean Venture" was carried
out in the Caribbean, the largest
“ war games" in years. Over 120,000
From the
troop* and 1,000 aircraft were in
volved in the "m ock invaaion” o f a
so-called enemy island, “ Amber
and the A m b erd in es" The goal o f
the invasion was to "install a regime
favorable" to the U .S . “ A m ber”
was o f course Grenada, as recent
history illustrate*.
W hy was the press kept from
Grenada during the invasion? W hy
were representatives o f the media
quartered 150 mile* away for several
days?
Did U .S . forces employ indis
criminately heavy fire at the Grena
dian population? Scores were killed
and wounded when a U .S . navy
plane bombed a civilian hospital.
How many other unarmed civilians
were massacred by U .S. troop* as
well?
These unanswered questions as
sume personal dimensions for this
writer. I deeply respected Bishop
and supported the N J M . O nly one
month before the coup I met V in
cent Noel o f the N J M 's Internation
al Relations Department when both
o f us were visiting Jamaica. I
planned to visit Grenada this
March, and we discussed at length
international and U.S. politics. Now
to my sorrow I have leaned that V in
cent was murdered, along with other
leaders o f the N J M , as well as
Bishop.
But these crimes cannot begin to
compare with the outrages of the
Reagan Administration against the
whole population of Grenada. I
mourn the N J M , and its promise of
a democratic revolutionary society
for Grenada. But Bishop himself
would urge us to challenge and con
demn the U.S. invasion, and to re
sist this latest criminal folly o f the
Reagan Administration.
oardroom
by Gladys M cCoy, County Commissioner
The Association of Oregon Coun
ties is coming back to Portland after
a seven year absence! Why is that so
important? For two reasons: ( I )
This is the annual meeting of the 36
counties in Oregon, of which M u lt
nomah is the largest. And. since we
have more resources than any other
county, why has it taken so long to
return? (2) I have been on the
A .O .C . Board since my election to
the Board in 1979. During that time
I have served as Treasurer, 2nd Vice
Chair, 1st Vice Chair, and if all goes
according to the normal process, I
should become President o f the As
sociation when it meets here at the
Hilton Hotel. November 16-18.
I continue to believe the general
population
is
unknowledgeable
about County government, and yet
it is a necessary local jurisdiction for
which your taxes are paid. It pro
vides service* no other jurisdiction
provides because they were mandat
ed by the state to do so.
Early on counties were very lim it
ed in the services they p ro v id e d -
roads, law enforcement, courts,
care for needy, and tax collections.
They acted almost exclusively as
agents of the State, with activities
being either authorized or mandated
by State law However, since a 1958
Constitutional amendment author
ized counties to adopt "hom e rule"
charters, seven counties have elected
to do so. This allows Lane, Wash
ington, Hood river, Multnomah
(196?). Benton. Jackson, and Jo-
sephing County voters to adopt and
amend their own county govern
ment organization.
23 o f the 36 Oregon counties op
erate under a "Board of Commis
sioners" of three to Five members.
The other 13 less populated counties
are governed by a “ County C o u rt"
consisting o f a judge and two Com
missioners.
Over the years County functions
have increased, as counties, espe
cially Multnom ah County, sought
to provide for its constituents the
same kind and level o f services pro
vided by its adjoining cities. Coun
ties have moved from a few man
dated service* for the poor to some
very complex and sophisticated
health programs, greatly expensive
criminal justice systems, county
wide library service, roads, bridges,
energy, housing, and a wide range
o f services to the elderly, youth,
refugees
and
other
needy
populations.
There are few counties with the
capacity to hold the Annual Con
vention, so logically it should come
to Portland on a systematic sche
dule. Like all such conventions, it is
a time for getting a report from the
Legislature in the odd-numbered
years, for meeting the new National
President (who this year is Sandra
R. Smoley from C alifornia), for see
ing and hearing about new and in
novative programs, and for enjoy
ing the fun and fellowship o f col
leagues and spouses.
This year’s convention will fea
ture some of Portland's Finest talent
including Rev. John Garlington.
noted singer W illa Dorsey, Dr. Oar-
field deBardelaben and the Jeffer
son Jazz Dancers When you see
people around town sporting a
badge shaped like the Multnom ah
County logo, smile and say W el
come to Portland.
Work for integration, not exclusivity
To the editor:
A community forum to select a
Black candidate as the Democratic
nominee to run against white incum
bent Ed Leek in the 1984 primary
election, was in my opinion a grave
mistaken endeavor. The straw vote
was won by Ms. Margaret Carter,
who is a very competent and quali
fied individual to be a slate repre-
The Observer welcomes Letters to
the Editor. Letters should be short,
and must contain the writer's name
and address (addresses are not p rint
ed). The Observer reserves the right
to edit f o r length.
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A d d res s
But unanswered questions re
main. weeks after the invasion of
sentative. She ha* much support in
cluding women's groups and others.
Ms. Carter's ability is not the issue.
The issue is (hat this forum should
have been opened up to any and all
potential candidates including in
cumbent Rep. Ed Leek so that it
would have been possible for him to
defend his track record.
Two-tim e loser for the office o f
state representative and a loser to
Ms. Carter in the straw vote, H a r
old W illiams, stated that if he won
the straw vote or not that he would
run for the office anyway—O H
G O D L E T US P R A Y . This is how
ever M r. W illiam s' constitutional
right to run for public office. It is al
so very disappointing to know the
District 18 leadership forum com
mittee o f John Jackson A John G a r
lington, both Portland ministers.
Herb Cawthorne, Portland Public
School Board member, among
others, these people should be w ork
ing toward integration o f the com
munity instead o f regression back to
the ways of the 1950s and '60s. The
1980s are a time for analytical, poli
tical strategists to bring about
change for a better District 18.
W hat District 18 needs is not a white
or Black candidate but the right can
didate.
Jimmy Bang Bang W alker
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News fo r and about
you.
M a íllo Portland Observoi
Bo« 3137
Portland Oregon 97208
by Dr. Manning Marable
In the wake of the U.S. invasion
o f Grenada, certain facts arc al
ready quite clear. Foremost is this
undeniable reality: this was an ille
gal and unjustifiable invasion o f a
sovereign nation.
This assertion by no means justi
fies the bloody coup which over
threw the legitimate socialist gov
ernment of Maurice Bishop last
month. Bishop's New Jewel M ove
ment (N J M ) had overthrown the
U.S.-backed dictator, Eric Gairy in
M arch, 1979, and had the support
o f the population. This summer.
Bishop appointed a five-member
Constitutional Commission chaired
by highly respected Trinidadian at
torney Allan Alexander, which was
setting the basis of new elections.
Some array leaders and a radical
fraction o f the N J M which opposed
the popular Prime Minister moved o
hall this constitutional process.
Yet even the execution o f Bishop
was no justification for U.S. armed
intervention. The invasion has been
loudly condemned by almost every
traditional ally o f the U .S ., includ
ing Italy, West Germany. Canada
and France.
The brief regime of Hudson Aus
tin did not constitute an "external
threat" to the security of the U .S .,
as the President so wildly asserts.
Americans could have been permit
ted to leave the island without re
sorting to wholesale bloodshed.
Moveover. Grendada was incapable
o f any armed attack against neigh
boring eastern Caribbean states. Its
armed forces totaled fewer than
1800 men. and it had no airforce or
navy. But using the fiction that
(irenada constituted a leftist threat
to the docile, U.S. puppets in the re
gion, Reagan ordered the largest
U .S. invasion in decades.
W indow dressing hides decay
The City o f New York is spending $300,000 in
federal community development block grant
funds to cover the windows of abandoned tene
ments in the South Bronx with vinyl decals de
picting curtains, shades, shutters and flower
pots.
Unanswered questions
—
State
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