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