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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 1984)
Page 2 Portland Observer, July 25,1964 Gender gap widens by Cbuck Goodmacber The campaigns o f m in ority can didates and the issues they represent, w ill b en efit fro m " t h e gender g a p ." A n d w om en can didates and issue cam paigns are likely to receive more support from both men and w om en in the m in o rity co m m u n ity than fro m m ajo rity white A m erica, according to a Louis H a rris n ation al survey conducted for Ms. magazine. The survey results, printed in the July issue o f M s ., shows the in creasing importance o f "th e gender g a p “ — m ore w om en th an men believe in their right to equality and a growing m a jo rity o f wom en are co m m itted to a broad agenda for e q u ity , fairness, and a w o rld at peace. W om en are also increasingly more likely to vote Democratic, and the choice o f G eraldine F erraro as the D em ocratic nom inee fo r vice- president is expected to solidify the trend. W omen tend to give greater sup p ort fo r issues having to do w ith equality, as well as those relating to greater health, education and reduc tions in the military budget Evidence also p io v id e d in M s. shows that the gender gap is not just peculiar to white women and men. In fact, says M s . the gender gap between Black men and women is generally greater than that between white men and women on equality and d is c rim in a tio n issues. Black women generally have the strongest views o f any group on the existence o f d is crim in atio n . Even so, Black men are more likely than white men to seek remedies for discrimination of all types. The difference, says M s ., is due to the double discrimination (both race and sex) Black women endure. (For instance. 42 percent of white women would vote for an equally qualified woman for Congress, while 46 per cent o f Black women would do so. B lack W o m e n Lead G en d er Gap STATEM ENT Evelyn Crews end Josie Torres sre reedy to help women recover from the treume of repe end rebuild their lives. (Photo: Rlchsrd J. Brown) Women's crisis line helps rape victims by l.am ta Duke C K A S S K O O T N E W S . N . W .— F o r I he last d ecade, Ihe P o rtla n d W om en's Crisis Line has cushioned the re a lity o f violence and abuse facing women and ch ild ren in the metropolitan area with a network of support services. Crisis workers, Evelyn Crews and Josie Torres, are at the forefront of the crisis line w ith understanding and courage to help women o ver come he u ltim a te invasio n — rape and battering. Crews said they receive 800 calls- a-month. “ Two-thirds are from bat tered women. Battering is the most p revalen t and m isunderstood crim e.” Crew s slated th at she in fo rm s women that battering has nothing to do w ith (h eir m a rita l s itu a tio n . "T h e person who batters brings this problem to the relationship.” B atterin g crosses a ll econom ic and social b arrie rs , but higher in come groups are better able to hide it. “ T h e person w ho is being b a t tered is much stronger than the per son that is doing ihe battering. They — up under the pressure o f raising children and keeping a house together while hiding their scars.” “ T h e question w om en ask is, what can you tell me to make him stop b a tte rin g me. But there is nothing we can tell them to make him stop. He has the problem and he must want to work it out for him self," she added. Josie Torres is the Spanish speaking support lin k w ho said Hispanic women feel additional in tim id a tio n fro m society and their husbands. “ I share my s itu a tio n and let them know they do not have to take it.” The crisis line evolved fro m the Rape R e lie f H o tlin e w hich was formed by two women—one who had been a victim o f rape. She had repo rted it and su ffered a duel traum a. One was the rape and the other was the in s en sitiv ity o f the system. “ People are under the myth that the w om an could have done som ething to prevent the rape. Either by wearing certain clothes or being in one place as opposed to being in another ...o r she could have fo ug ht it o f f . These are m y th s ,” Crews explained. For a successful rape prosecution. Crews indicated that evidence must be preserved. " I f a woman is going to re p o rt, she must go to the hospital or doctor immediately for a formal rape exam .” A woman must not wash or change her appearance. " S h e can call us and we w ill arrang e tra n s p o rta tio n and the exam ," Crews added. But the majority of women do not report the incident. " I f you are not going to report it, there are other support alternatives to help keep your self-esteem high. T he biggest con flict w ith the rape victim is the in ternal conflict that arises from the question, 'W as there som ething I could have done to prevent it?* The reality is 'N o '." W omen o f color are faced with a general public who thinks women from minority communities are used to violence in their lives. "T h a t is a total racist thought because it is not true,” Crews said. The most comm on kind o f rape that occurs is aquaintance rape. " A woman is most likely to be raped by someone that she knows.” By calling 235-5333, a woman will reach out and touch a support link to alternatives. “ A woman should never feel 's tu c k '. W hen a woman calls us, we give her alternatives and then she makes a decision to what she wants to d o ." Multnomah County plans USDA cheese giveaway More than 30,000 households are expected to receive surplus U S D A commodities during the next 'mass cheese’ distribution in M ultnom ah C o u n ty on S atu rd ay, August 4th . L o w -in c o m e households w ill be eligible for 5 pounds o f processed cheese, 2 pounds o f b u tle r and 3 pounds o f honey. An estim ated 3 0 0,00 0 pounds o f food w ill be distributed. The distribution will take place at a dozen sites throughout the county from 10a.m . t o 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 4th . T o receive the c o m m odities recipients must go to the specific site designated by their Zip Code and their monthly income cannot exceed 1304k o f Federal t poverty guidelines. Recipients must sign a statement d eclaring th eir e lig ib ility and provide proof of their residence, in cluding Z ip Code. Acceptable iden tification includes a driver's license, pho to ID w ith address, voter registration card or a current utility when com bined w ith a social security card or other 'official' ID . Individuals who are unable to go to a d is trib u tio n site may have a friend or relative pick-up for them by taking proof of their address and a hand w ritte n note to the a p propriate site. Recipients are advised to m ake note o f the site changes made since the distribution last March. % B lack W om an » W h lta W om an » Black M an H W N ta M an Favor woman tot vica praardam m ,964 68 68 66 72 Would vola lot woman tot Congraaa it man and woman «quaky qoakfiad 46 42 22 17 Woman often do not racanre tha «am« pay aa man for |Oba with umrlar aloM and training 83 7t 56 64 It It vary important that woman’« right« •trangthanad 76 56 57 44 Sourca M i Magazine Central City Plan adopted by Council "Courage is knowing what not to fear." You share your birthday with at least nine million others. • In days gone by, if two Eskimo men had a dispute, they might conduct a contest in which they sang insults at each other. The first person to become upset by the insults lost the contest - and the dispute. by Cbuck Goodmacber A process for developing a C en tral C ity Plan unanim ously passed the City Council, Wednesday, but not b efo re serious o b jectio n s » e re raised by citizens from Inner-N orth east and Southwest Portland. The C e n tra l C ity Plan is to be developed th ro ug h a re ite ra tiv e process expected to take up to two- and-a-half years, and will involve a hundred or more citizens. It is being shepherded by C om m issioner Margaret Strachan. T he planning process approved W ednesday, was developed by a pre-planning committee appointed by Strachan and M a y o r Iva n c ie . T h e co m m ittee held 17 fo rm a l meetings over (he last six-and-a-half m onths, and received public testimony at several stages. A rch ite ct D on S tatsny, a p re planning com m ittee member, said the “ innovative” process w ill cap ture, "T h e ideas and imagination of c itiz e n s ," and “ hold on to that vision throughout the process.” B ill W y a tt, also on the p re planning com m ittee, said the plan w ill give Portland “ a door leading us into the next c e n tu ry ." Several other ap p o in ted members o f city commissions contributed their ac colades for the planning proceeds. So too, did neighborhood represen tatives from Southeast and N o rth west Portland. The apparent enthusiasm was not shared by several N o rth east and Southwest residents. Spokespeople fro m the Corbett- T e rw illig c r-L a ir H ill neigh b or hoods in Southw est objected to the inclusion o f part o f the area know n as the M ac ad am Avenue corridor in the Central in the Cen tra l C ity P lan bou n daries. Laura Compos noted that, "O nce you in clude that area ...you are raising the expectations o f landowners.” These raised expectations, about the type of development possible, would, she said, create a "great challenge to the C ity C o u n c il to co n tro l the river front development." D on B arn ey, em ployed by the C ity as a consultant fo r the plan, responded to these concerns. The process, he noted, "D o esn ’t dictate at this state, w hat the results w ill be." Charles Flake, a member o f the N o rth ea st C o a litio n o f N e ig h borhoods and the King Center A d visory B oard, also expressed great concerns about boundaries to be covered by the C e n tra l C ity Plan. Flake said he was "disgusted” that, “ For some reason, it com pletely Plato • Only one U .S. President has held a Ph.D. degree — Woodrow Wilson. W e d o jt o u lo business w ith S o uth A fric a American State Bank AN INDEPENDENT BANK i BOUNDARIES OF CENTRAL CITY PLAN elim in ates the m in o rity co m m u n ity ." Flake added, the decision to exclude Black Northeast contains "elements o f racism,” and the area is being le ft out o f econom ic development. Sheila Holden, chair of the N o rth / N o rth ea st Business Boosters Econom ic Developm ent C o m m it tee, said her group, "Does not want the em phasis on the C e n tra l C ity Plan to impede or detract from e f forts ...a t sound business develop ment in the area.” C o m m issio ner M ik e L in d b e rg said the city needs to renew its commitment to, "T h e In n er-N o rth east Econom ic D evelo p m en t Strategy, which we haven’ t really reviewed for a w hile." C o m m issio ner C h arles Jordan responded to F la ke 's charge o f racism . “ I d o n 't feel that any d is c rim in a tio n has taken place at a ll. T h e C i t y , " he added, “ is m akin g a very sincere c o m m it ment.” Northeast property owner and ac tivist R u th in e H e p b u rn said ex clusion o f U n ien Avenue from the "C e n tra l C ity ” w ill harm local e f forts to develop the area. “ How are we going to explain to o utsid ers," she asked, "(h a t the entire area has been left out?” The approved planning process includes an amendment allowing for possible future changes in the C en tral City Plan area. Project Dental Health 288 6822 A Pubfcc Sarvtca ot tha Portland O h trn a r H ead O ffice 2 7 3 7 N. E. Union P o rta n d , O regon 9 7 2 1 2 y
