Page 4 Portland O bserver, January 1 1 .1 9 8 *
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Keep federal food programs
A task force appointed by Ronald Reagan not
only decided that cutbacks in federal assistance
have not hurt the poor, but it recommended
changes that will reduce benefits for many peo
ple at and below the poverty line.
The Task Force recommended that Congress
make participation of states in federal food as
sistance programs voluntary. States could con
tinue to receive federal money but set up their
own "autonomous programs,” setting their
own requirements and benefit standards.
The panel, which was appointed to study alle
gations of hunger in the U .S., said hunger does
exist but “ it is impossible to measure the precise
extent of hunger in America.” So the panel went
on to make recommendations that will increase
hunger in many parts of the country.
Don’t be too sure this won’t include Oregon.
Currently Oregon does not participate in some
of the welfare and medical benefits available to
it so many Oregonians are deprived of their
rights to a decent standard of living.
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Dump anti-rights commissioners
The Reagan Administration will achieve
another step in its effort to eliminate all vestiges
of civil rights when «the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights announces its new position on a ffir
mative action next week. The Commission will
oppose the use of affirmative action goals (it
calls them quotas) by public employers to cor
rect past job discrimination.
The Commission will also consider a recom
mendation (sought by Reagan) that the U.S. Su
preme Court reverse the Detroit Police Depart
ment decision that requires 50-50 Black/W hite
promotions until equity is reached.
For years the Commission has been in the
forefront of the fight for civil rights and has
been responsible for bringing millions of minori
ty workers into federal and local jobs.
Last fall, when Reagan attempted to fire some
Commissioners in order to appoint persons who
support his anti-civil rights position, Congress
refused to refund the Commission. However, a
compromise was reached and the Commission
was expanded from six to eight members, with
four appointed by Congress and four by the
President. When all the appointments were in,
the commission ended up with five Commission
ers opposing affirmative action and three favor
ing, including one with some reservations.
The new staff director, also a Reagan ap
pointee, said the problems of Black unemploy
ment are due to social factors and not white em
ployers’ refusal to hire. "Social problems like
high unemployment, low educational attain
ment, a high rate of out-of-wedlock births are
problems that are not amenable to solution by
civil rights laws or the Civil Rights Commis
Alliance f o r Justice 1984
by Dr. Manning M arable
Ronald Reagan may be the best
organizer o f progressive Americans
in history.
Reagan isn’t just carrying out pol
icies which hurt the elderly, or harm
the environment. Nor is his adminis
tration satisfied merely with de
stroying the lives of millions of un
employed people, Blacks and His
panics. The Reagamtes want noth
ing less than the destruction of the
most basic economic and social
gains achieved by the overwhelming
majority o f American people over
Ihe past half-century. And in their
vicious and racist contempt for us,
they have brought about the basis
for a powerful anti-Reagan coali
sion.”
The Commission’s attempt to reverse past civ
il rights gains demonstrates that you can’t com
promise with the devil. As it has many times be
fore and since, Congress blasted the President’s
position, then backed down and let him have his
way. (Check out Tip O ’Neill’s response to the
invasion of Grenada). Those who suffer because
of the inefficiencies of a gutless Congress are, as
usual, minorities and the poor.
It is clear that if minorities and the poor arc to
have any place in this country, we must dump
Reagan. A few changes in Congress are also in
tion.
order.
Look at their criminal record on
human services. Since Reagan was
elected over 6 million people have
fallen below the poverty level. One
out o f every four Hispanics live in
poverty, while 36.2 percent o f ail
Afro-Americans are poor. Seventy
percent o f all of Reagan's budget
cuts have targeted the poor, and
funding for programs which help
low income families this year is al
most 30 percent below 1981 fund
ings levels. Since 1982, 700,000 fam
ilies have been dropped from the
Aid to Families with Dependent
Children, and another 260,000 had
their benefits cut. Three million
children have been dropped from
the school lunch program.
The situation in civil rights is even
worse. Reagamtes originally fought
against the renewal of the Voting
Rights Act. The administration
U.S., S. Africa feed dictator
One of the recipients o f U.S. aid is the corrupt
Zaire government. Supported by the U .S., Israel
and South Africa, Zaire represents the corrupt
policy of aiding dictators to protect "American
interests.”
Sesc Seko Mobutu took power in Zaire,
through a military coup, shortly after the na
tion achieved independence from Belgium. Since
then he has become one of the world’s richest in
dividuals, most of his wealth skimmed from
U.S. economic assistance. An absolute dictator,
with no government restrictions, Mobutu con
trols from 12 to 20 percent of Zaire’s operating
budget and 30 percent of its capital expendi
tures.
While the people of Zaire starve, have little
medical care and rely on missionaries for educa
tion, their ruler continues to acquire his riches.
While the nation's foreign debt is almost $4 mil
lion, Mobotu’s fortune is also estimated at $4
million.
Why does the U.S. and its allies support a dic
tator who refuses to allow elections or any other
democratic activities, whose human rights rec
ord is among the world’s worst?
The answer is two-fold: Zaire is rich in miner
al resources— diamonds, copper, gold and pre
cious stones— and South Africa holds the exclu
sive right to purchase Zaire’s diamonds.
As long as Mobutu allows his country to be
used as a U.S./South African base of operatons
his personal treasure is secure and the people of
Zaire will continue to starve in the midst of
wealth.
opposes school dessegregation and
affirm ative action. Only one Black
works in a senior executive position,
and Reagan has even tried with par
tial success to wipe out Republican
and Democratic members of the
Civil Rights Commission who op
pose his racist policies. There were
only eight women in his first 116 ju
dicial appointments, and only 19 of
his first 400 top administrative ap
pointments were Blacks.
Many
progressives
recognize,
however, that the electoral defeat of
Ronald Reagan is not enough to
turn the tide o f political reaction,
sexism and racism which is an inte
gral part of Reaganism. We have to
develop linkages between constitu
encies which have been victimized
by the brutalities o f the present ad
ministration— women, Blacks, la
bor, the unemployed, low-income
people, Hispanics and others. The
general focus we must take is to
maximize voter registration, educa
tion and mobilization efforts within
these groups.
A number of national leaders and
organizations have called for a year
long campaign to mobilize this great
majority o f Americans— "Alliance
for Justice in ’8 4 ." Their goal is to
force the presidential candidates of
both parties to discuss meaningful
issues— "job s, peace and freedom ,”
— which were elevated by last sum
mer’s magnificent March on Wash
ington, D .C . The "A lliance For
Justice” has already met in 25 cities,
and has engaged at local levels in ed
ucational work in churches and
neighborhood centers; sponsoring
forums for the presidential can
didates where they are forced to ad
dress the issues; and organizing vot
er registration and education drives.
The Alliance For Justice’s list of
endorsers represents a diverse coali
tion o f forces. From the religious
community: Bishop John Hurst
Adams, chair, National Congress of
Black Churches; John H o lt, Gener
al Secretary, United Methodist
Church; and the Rev. Ben Chavis.
In the labor movement: Cesar C ha
vez, president. United Farm W o rk
ers; W illiam Winpisinger, president
o f the Machinists union; and U A W
vice president Horace Sheffield. In
the environmentalist movement:
Barry Commoner and Lois Gibbs,
leader o f Citizens Clearinghouse for
Hazardous Wastes. From the Black
community: Congressman Bill Gray
and Congressman John Conyers.
The Alliance for Justice is the
next logical step beyond the August
27th M arch, representing the key
constituencies for social justice and
economic rights. The culmination of
the campaign will be a massive dem
onstration in DSfcs to coincide with
the Republican National Conven
tion this August. A huge "Reagan
Ranch” will be constructed, where
Black, labor, Hispanic, poor peo
ple’s and women’s groups will stage
workshops and strategy sessions
The effort is merely one more indi
cation that a powerful human rights
coalition o f Blacks, Hispanics and
whites is forming, and that its prin
cipal aim is the defeat o f Reagan
ism, and the achievement of true
economic democracy.
Letters to the Editor
Coverage good
To the editor:
O n behalf o f Portlanders Organ
ized for Southern African Freedom
(P O S A F ) and the American Friends
Service Comm ittee’ s Southern A f
rica Program, let me express appre
ciation for the coverage your paper
has continually given to Southern
African issues. O ur staff and com
mittee goals are to continue to edu
cate people in Oregon about all as
pects o f South African society: the
oppression o f the Black majority
population; links between racism in
the U .S. and South Africa; and the
economic responsibilities o f the
U.S. We also want to continue to
provide opportunities for people in
Oregon to act on the basis of the
above inform ation; to lessen U.S.
economic and cultural support for
apartheid, with the focus on divest
ment; and influence U .S . foreign
policy towards Souther Africa.
™
Again, your newspaper continues
to play a significant role in exposing
the most racist and oppressive re
gime on the face of the earth and in
helping Oregonians understand the
issues and how they can become in
volved in the struggle for Southern
African freedom.
A vel M ayfield
Co-director,
A E S C Southern A frica Program
Support King Day
To the editor:
W e cordially invite parents, chil
dren and community members to
join us in celebrating Dr. M artin L.
King, J r.’s birthday on January 16,
1984. We are asking everyone to
take January 16, 1984 o ff from
work. In addition we are asking you
to participate in the planned pro
gram activities. We should be able
Portland's largest black-owned newspaper
Rev. A. Bernard Devers
G loria D. Richardson
Ron Herndon
Rev. John Garlington
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to do at least this much to honor one
o f our greatest heroes who gave his
very life for us.
Dr. King's life was spen making
this a better world for all people. To
honor him, we are planning a com
memorative program which will be
held at the Jefferson High School
Auditorium , at 5210 N. Kerby St. in
Portland, from noon to 4:30 p.m.
on M onday, January 16th.
We encourage you not only to
stay home on that M onday, but to
attend the program so that we as a
united community may show appre
ciation and respect for the contribu
tion he made.
For more inform ation, call 281-
0163.
W e're looking forward to your
support in this effo rt.
Y m , I would Ilka a subscription
to tha Portland Observer.
□ I have anclosad my check or
money order for 815, for a
one year subscription
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Portland Oregon 97208
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Back to basics
To the editor:
We must start dealing with basics
if we are ever going to think proper
ly, (to analyze), act intelligently, (to
bring about positive, non-random
results), and create (new values, in
stitutions, etc.) We must do so if we
expect to reach our potential and
make progressive contributions to
humanity, with the Democratic can
didate, brother Jesse Jackson.
Basics are root. They are princi
ples (fundamental, essential laws).
They explain what is at the core of
an idea, an issue, an event, an insti
tution.
T o understand basics we must be
able to think properly; to be analyti
cal. Thoughts are ideas, and since
we are at a thinking stage in our de
velopment, we must concern our
selves with ideas. Since all actions
stem from ideas; it is necessary that
we understand what we think and
why we think what we think.
Ideas are mental conceptions.
Ideas are notions. Ideas are also im
pressions. This is important to poor
and working people because impres
sions many times have no substan
tial basis, but they oftentimes deter
mine what we do. This is unfortun
ate, because what we do, individual
ly and collectively, should be based
on an understanding o f what has
confronted us—o f what we are deal
ing with.
Our experience in Am erika has
forced and nudged us into the habit
of attempting to deal with those
things which confront us without
getting a basic understanding of
what those things are all about. Eco
nomics (not money) is a question of
survival, as is politics (not voting).
Therefore it is necessary that all of
us study and attempt to understand
all functions (things) which are vita!
to our survival.
Ideas are therefore very im port
ant. The process of thinking and at
tempting to understand is very im
portant. Getting to the core o f any
thing which is going to affect you/
us is very important.
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MMC
Dr. Jam il Cherovee
The Observer welcomes Letters to
the Editor. Letters should be short,
and must contain the writer's name
and address (addresses are not p rin t
ed). The Observer reserves the right
to edit f o r length.
Portland Observer
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Let’s support Margaret Carter;
we really need help in the State Leg
islature. It may be the only intelli
gent act we have left. An intelligent
act is one which is intended to bring
about positive, non-random results.
Positive because they are progres
sive; non-random because they are
not isolated and do not benefit just
a handful o f individuals
But before any o f that can hap
pen. before any type of real progress
(progress which stands the test of
time) can be made in District 18, or
this nation, we have to deal with,
and get an understanding o f, basic
ideas and concepts.
t ’r
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N atio n a l A dvartiam g R ep resentative
A m a lg am a te d Publishers Inc
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