Page 4 Portland Observer, December 7,1983
Is this "justice f o r all” ?
ED1TORIAL/OPINION
by Dr. Manning Marable
Today a Black man. Frank
“ Parky” Grace, is locked up in a
federal penitentiary in Memphi».
Tennessee. For almost a decade he
has been imprisoned for a crime he
did not commit. H i* only offense
was his unyielding commitment to
Black political rights and equality.
Grace'» ordeal is a testament to the
systemic racism o f the American
"Economic recovery"-for whom?
The Reagan adm inistration claims “ economic
recovery” is well underway. The time leading to
the 1984 elections w ill be spent in touting that
non-truth. It is the responsibility o f the voter to
look beyond the media-hype to the facts.
In spite o f some decrease in unem ploym ent,
the October o ffic ia l unem ploym ent rate fo r the
U.S. was 8.8 percent— about 17.5 percent fo r
Blacks and 7.5 percent fo r whites. A pproxim ate
ly 16 m illio n Americans are among the reported
unemployed or partially employed.
The U.S. employment statistics hide the fact
that much o f the reason fo r the dro p in the un
employment rate was that over a h a lf-m illio n
people gave up and quit looking fo r jobs, so
were no longer counted in O ctober. The number
o f Americans looking fo r w ork dropped fro m
10,423.000 to 9,886,000—a decline o f 537,000.
But there was also a drop o f 17,000 in the num
ber o f persons employed. I f the apparent im
provement in the unemployment statistics really
comes from people dropping out o f the labor
m arket, then there was no improvement at all.
The government estimates that there are
1,709,000 “ discouraged w orkers" who arc no
longer w orking, but it does not include these
people in its unem ploym ent statistics; nor docs it
include part-tim e workers who want full-tim e
w ork.
I f all the "discouraged” and part-tim e w o rk
ers were included, the U.S. unem ploym ent rate
fo r October w ould have been 12.7 percent (14.5
m illio n unemployed) rather than 8.8 percent.
Ten years ago the “ structural” unem ploy
ment rate— the rate o f unemployed that is built
into the system— was three or four percent. T o
day the President’ s C ouncil o f Economic A d v i
sers estimates structural unemployment to be
about seven percent. Over 7 m illio n people w ill
never be able to fin d jobs, even after “ fu ll recov
criminal justice system.
Fifteen years ago. Grace was a
well-known and respected Black ac
tivist in New Bedford. Massachu
setts. After his discharge from the
U .S. Arm y in December. 196«, he
quickly became involved in a series
o f peace-oriented, human rights and
Black Power organizations. He es
tablished links with the progressive
African Party for the Independence
o f Guinea-Bissau, and in 1971,
opened a storefront office for Black
Panther activities in New Bedford.
His extensive community-based ac
tivities and programs were closely
monitored by city, state, and federal
ery.”
The unem ploym ent scale has gone up over the
past 20 years, w ith each depression reaching a
higher peak o f unemployment than the one be
fore.
Oregon’s unemployment rate fo r October was
,0.3 (seasonally adjusted), up fro m September.
This means that 120,700 persons in Oregon who
arc seeking employment cannot fin d jobs. A nd
Oregon’s percentage decrease in unemployment
from last year is partly because about 20,000
people left the state and thousands o f others
have given up looking fo r w ork and do not ap
pear in the statistics.
Another indicator o f the poor economy is the
fact that wages have risen more slowly than in
recent years in the fo u r categories surveyed: o f
fice clerical (5.9 percent); com puter related (6.1);
skilled maintenance (2.7); and unskilled plant
workers (0.8). The unskilled plant w orkers’
wage increase is the smallest increase since statis
tics first became available in 1953; earnings fo r
skilled maintenance workers showed a smaller
increase than in any year fo r 20 years. The other
tw o categories had the smallest gains since the
authorities.
Because o f Grace's political acti
vities, police waged an illegal and vi
cious assault against him. New Bed
ford police arrested him at least 14
times in a four-year period, on a va
riety o f absurd and unsubstantiated
charges: “ conspiracy to commit
anarchy." "conspiracy to over
throw the government,” "public
drunkenness." and "conspiracy to
commit m urder.” Grace was one of
the victims o f the F B I’s C o u nter-In
telligence
Program
(C O 1N T E L -
PR O ) which arrested, harrassed and
executed
political
dissidents.
Grace's free shoe and clothing pro
gram for the city’s poor, and a
breakfast program for children,
were viewed as dangerous and sub
versive. But the authorities still had
early 1970s.
“ Economic recovery” is a myth created fo r the
election campaign. Wise voters w ill reject any
talk o f recovery u n til they and their neighbors
have jobs and money in their pockets.
Death lost in the translation
The opinion o f a Chicano scholar that the
killin g o f a Mexican w orker by a W oodburn po
liceman m ight have resulted fro m a m isunder
standing o f languge is one more p ro o f that the
Am erican people’ s neglect o f languages other
than English is reprehensible. The professor be
lieves the victim may have heard the o ffic e r’ s
com m and— "Freeze” — as "F u e ra ” (Get out).
I he numbers o f Americans who have native
languages other than English is rapidly grow ing.
Trade and travel makes com m unication neces
sary. Yet most U.S. students never study a lan
guage other than English and most who do take
From the
a year or tw o in college— too little and too late.
In most countries students study a, least one
foreign language— and sometimes several lan
guages— beginning in the early grades and con
tinuing through their school career. But the U.S.
attitudes o f superiority have given our students
the notion that nothing should be required ot
them but English.
Foreign language study should be m andatory
beginning in the early grades. Soon it w ill be as
im portant to be able to communicate in other
languages as it is to be able to operate a com pu
ter.
mw
You may recall that on M ay 31,
1983, that I wrote about the Future
o f Local Governments Groups, a
coalition o f local elected officials
from the C ity, County. Gresham.
M etropolitan Officers, and Council
lor from East County. The purpose
o f that group was to determine and
gain consensus of local government.
We all recognized that status quo
was neither desirable nor possible
and we wanted to initiate direction
change and organization in an or
derly and timely fashion.
After a year, the options that sur
faced were the form ation o f a new
city or comprehensive annexation of
unincorporated East M ultnom ah
County. The Boundary Comm is
sion, a state agency, is the channel
through which both options had.
The Boundary Commission is the
determining agency about the valid
ity o f each proposal.
The following is the statement I
made before that body which repre
sents the thinking o f the Future o f
Local Governments Group:
&NCY W W W
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Z 'P _______
feet, both prosecution witnesses
were given narcotics during the en
tire trial.
R o m Grace, the man who pulled
the »rigger, was given life with the
poM ibility o f parole in 15 years.
Parky Grace, who was innocent, re
ceived "N a tu ra l Life Imprison
m e n t"— absolutely no parole. R o m
Grace has admitted that he shot
M organ, and that his brother had
nothing to do with the slaying. But
since January 24, 1974, Parky Grace
has been behind bars.
The U.S. Justice Department, the
New Bedford police, and the local
district attorney all know that Grace
is innocent. But the reason for his
continuing punishment is political
A t W alpole State Prison in Massa
chusetts, he was active in a Black
prisoner’s caucus. In the mid-1970s
he was an advisor with the National
Prisoner Rights Association, which
lobbied for humane reforms inside
prisons. When Grace worked with
several sympathetic college profes
sors and the American Friends Ser
vice Comm ittee to offer college
courses and self-awareness w ork
shops.
penal
authorities
were
alarmed Grace was sent to Mem
phis, and four other prisoners who
were involved in his constructive
projects were transferred to other
federal penitentiaries.
Despite the beatings, the torture,
and the injustice o f his imprison
ment, Parky Grace retains his hu
m anity— a commitment to struggle
Can we afford to let even one per
son like this be sacrificed? Contact
C .O .N .S .. P .O . Box 1168. Boston,
M A 02103, and contribute to the
continued legal battle to vindicate
Parky Grace. His ordeal is, in no
small way, the political battle for
justice for all o f the oppressed.
oardroom
by Gladys McCoy, County Commissioner
HAS PeeH A TEST OF
‘L
no evidence to put him behind bars
permanently
O n August «. 1972, M arvin M o r
gan o f Providence. Rhode Island,
and two other Black men came to
New Bedford to purchase drugs.
Getting into a scuffle with some lo
cal men, M organ was shot and later
died. R o m Grace. Parky's brother,
committed the shooting; Parky
Grace was on the other side o f town
that night, and learned o f the inci
dent a half-hour later. Grace was ar
rested, handcuffed, and was vi
ciously beaten on the way to the sta
tion head-quarters. Taken to a
back room, he was forced to walk
through a gauntlet o f officers, who
pounded him with fists and clubs.
When Grace finally resisted, he was
electric-shocked, blackjacked, and
clubbed to the floor. His legs were
pulled apart and he was repeatedly
kicked in the groin; his hands were
bloodied and even bitten. The brutal
beating left Grace with permanent
eye damage, permanent back and
side spasms, chipped teeth, scars,
bloody urine and testicle pain.
But the forces o f "justice” left
nothing to chance. Grace's support
ers at Boston's Com m unity O rgani
zation Toward a New Survival
(C .O .N .S .) have evidence which in
dicates the bizarre "ra ilro a d ” of
Parky Grace. First, an all-white jury
was selected. Defense witnesses who
could have sworn that Grace was
nowhere near the site o f the
shooting weren’t subpoenaed. One
eyewitness to the crime couldn’t be
located. The prosecution forced
M organ's friend, Eric Baker, who
had outstanding drug charges pend
ing against him in Rhode Island, to
testify against Grace— and as a re
sult, he was given only a six-month
sentence and then was paroled. In
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Boundary Commission Members:
I am writing as chairperson of the
Future o f
Local Governments
G roup (F L G G ) to comment on the
proposed Fairview 'consolidation
proposal being reviewd by the
Boundary Commission. 1 believe
that F L G G ’s discussion and efforts
relate directly to the issues faced by
the Commission as you analyze the
Fairview proposal.
F L G G was formed in the Fall of
1982 to facilitate finding solutions
to the growing service needs o f mid-
M ultnom ah County. F L G G mem
bership
included
representatives
from
the Cities o f
Portland,
Gresham and the M etropolitan Ser
vice District.
T o address these service needs,
F L G G agreed on two objectives: to
stimulate public interest in resolving
the area's long-standing service
problems; develop political consen
sus within the County on the best
solutions to those problems.
T w o clear options surfaced dur
ing the six months of F L G G study
and discussion: ( I ) services provided
through annexation to existing full
service cities, and (2) form ation o f a
new city to be consolidated with
Fairview.
The F L G G Technical Advisory
Committee has developed criteria to
evaluate these and other options.
Since F L G G ’s overall purpose was
to solve th mid-County area'*
serious service deficiencies, these
*
ple having a choice, but please re
criteria were designed to measure
member that this will be a decision
each option's capability to provide
o f lasting regional impact. The fu
needed services. However, we never
ture economic, fiscal and social
saw the new city proposal until it
health of the entire region depends
was presented to you. The standards
upon a comprehensive solution to
applied in your own staff report
the Urban Service needs in mid-
closely resemble the F L G G criteria.
County.
I have read the Boundary C o m
The Boundary Commission's re
mission S taff Report on the Fair-
sponsibility is not simply to pass
view consolidation. Ken M artin and
along inadequate proposals to “ the
the entire staff are to be commended
voters.” but to protect and further
for their excellent ad proficient
the interests o f all residents and
work. The staff report clearly points
existing jurisdictions in the County.
out what I have discovered through
Because the proposal before you
my efforts with the F L G G group—
does not provide for a comprehen
that the consolidation proposal does
sive solution to the problems, does
not meet F L G G 's criteria for solv
not provide the kind and level of
ing the area's service problems. The
services the citizens deserve, I be
proposal does not ensure that ser
lieve it is your responsibility to re
vice needs o f citizens in m id-M ult-
ject it and thus allow and encourage
nomah County will be met, either in
existing full-service cities to con
the short-term or long-term. Neigh
tinue their service delivery efforts.
borhood parks, for example, are as
These existing cities have shown
sumed to be adequate at today’s
both the willingness and the capabil
levels. W e know better. Sanitary
ities to solve the service problems
sewers, needed to prevent health
with which we have been wrestling
problems and promote new job op
for so long. I ’ m convinced, in fact,
portunities, are not addressed. That
excited, that through working to
issue was the most critical as we be
gether, we are now on the verge of a
gan our deliberations a year ago,
renaissance o f economic and com
and yet the proposers o f the new city
munity growth in mid-County. Let's
denied the importance to the city
let the neighborhoods and the exist
a pit failed ip deal with it then,.
ing full-service cities get on with
In contrast to the shortcomings o f
making it happen.
the Fairview proposal, concrete
steps are being taken by existing en
The Boundary Commission voted
tities to provide needed services in
November 28 to reject the new city
mid-County:
idea. This now means other neigh
Gresham and Portland
have
borhoods and East County must de
adopted urban services policies that
termine if they wish to be annexed
commit them to carrying out the
to one of the principal cities or
planning and investments required
remain in unincorported M u ltn o
to fu lfill the area's service demand.
mah County.
M ultnom ah
County,
Gresham,
No doubt there will be more to
Portland, and Troutdale have suc
this saga and I will want to keep you
cessfully pursued a $5.8 million
informed.
Economic
Development
Administration grant to help solve
the sewer problems in mid-County.
Citizens and property owners in
Help Dream * Come T ru e. . .
two areas— the Colum bia South
Even with Sickle Cell Disease,
Shore Industrial district and the A r-
youngsters can grow up to be
gay Terrace residential neighbor
engineers, architects, lawyers,
hood— have worked to build the
nurses and doctors
consensus required to bring about
Expensive research con
service solutions. In both areas,
tinues toward finding a cure
property owner groups have collect
for Sickle Cell Trait and Sickle
ed enough signatures to accomplish
Cell Anemia Support the
triple m ajority annexations and ad
National Association for Sickle
Cell Disease. Inc and Its local
ditional property owner annexation
affiliates
efforts art- underway in other neigh
borhoods.
The decision you have before you
is obviously a critical one. Some
people w ill tell you that the proper
(easy) decision is to let "th e people”
vote. N o one will argue against peo
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