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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1984)
Psge 2, Portland Observer, October 3,1964 EDITORIAL/OPINION Voting may save lives Voice Your Concern! Vote! O n November 6, Americans will make a choice that will decide the quality o f their life for the next five years. The end result o f this next Presidential elec tion will shape constitutional b w , develop or diminish the inner city and re-awaken colonial ist ambitions or affirm a nation's right for self- determination. I f the last four years are any indication o f the next four, people o f color, low-income and the progressive elements o f America are in trouble. This week the Supreme Court resumed its path to the right through judicial decrees which curbed affirm ative action, enabled prosecutors to use illegally obtained evidence and granted police officers greater leeway to search individ uals, vehicles and homes. The tune the Supreme Court has set legiti mizes the street rap o f "justice being just-us.” Prisons, across the country, are filled to capa city as economic, educational and consciousness gap cements criminal behavior as an alternative life-style. Financially, the rich have gotten richer, and the poor poorer as the median income of Black families dropped to h alf that o f white families. The unemployment rate for people o f color is twice and sometimes triple the rate o f whites. A nd the number o f those who live below the poverty line are increasing. As the traditional media concentrates on Rus sia and Reagan playing "tic k -fo r-ta c k ," the mounting unrest in Southern A frica is being down-played. Blacks in South A frica are ready to die as they demand to be treated as human beings. The rac ist policies o f "constructive engagement" with South Africa uncovers the hypocritical foreign policies o f the present administration. Talking out o f both sides o f its mouth, the Reagan Administration condemns Nicaragua for not holding elections the way America says to hold them, while condoning elections in South Africa that exclude 73 per cent o f the population. People o f color, the poor and progressive are politically between the devil and the deep blue sea. The Republicans want a cost-benefit analysis on oppressing the oppressed while the Demo crats pay lip service to the ideas o f Freedom, but they have yet to embrace the rainbow o f is sues surrounding jobs, peace and justice. There is too much at stake nationally, interna tionally and locally to sit this election out. This may be the only time your voice will be heard. Brush up on the facts, read political interviews and analysis because an informed voter is the best voter. Voice your concern. Vote November 6! are concerned about. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, giving every citizen the right to vote. H e used the troops to guard the polling places while Negroes voted. In 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes was elected 19th President by one ( I ) vote by promising the south, in exchange for their vote, he would pull the fed eral troops o ff polling places. When this happened, the Ku Klux Kian, W hite Citizen Councils, Night Riders, Night Raiders Squads, Black Codes, Segregation, Poll Tax, Dis qualification, Death Threats, loss o f jobs and credit forced Negroes from the Polls. Lynching, beatings, hang ing was an every day occupation In 1901 (ieorge H . W hite o f North Carolina was the last Black Repre sentative from the South to serve in Washington during Reconstruction. In 1928 Oscar DePriest was elected Congressman from Chicago; in 1967, Edward W . Brook Senator from Massachusetts. In 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson was elected 36th President and in 1963 he signed the “ Voting Rights B ill" that restored the right o f every citizen to vote again. In listening to both candidates out line their policies if elected: When the now-President stated words to the effect that he would re move the reins o f federal government from the States' affairs, my mind went back to Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President when he removed military control from the voting places. The KKK must have heard it, also On Sunday, September 2, 1984, they burned crosses in Chicago. An article appeared in the Chicago De Votes count Letter to Editor: H e is always reaching and striving for more. The more he gets the harder it is to keep. In America the highest pinnacle one can reach is the President of the United Stales o f America. Am eri cans will do almost anything to reach that height. When he gets there he stands alone. N o other person can fill that slot until he vacates it. The Pres ident has vested in him lots o f power, honor, prestige and confidence. ‘H e can only reach this pinnacle by people voting for him in free elec tions. one vote at a time. There have been presidents elected by one vote. His term o f office can only last four years. His performance in that term will be judged by the people who placed him there. H e can only be elected to serve one more four years, even if he has been a good president. He will do anything, but anything, excluding nothing, to get his second term. In 1980 we elected our 40th Presi dent, Ronald Reagan. Between the first and the 40th president, many served more than one ( I ) term; many were shot; some killed; some forced from office. Being President is no easy task, but it is still the height o f every American to become President o f these United States. In 1984 we will elect our 41st pres ident. There are two (2) candidates running: one Republican, one Democrat Every American o f voting age has a constituiional right to help make that choice. This is what Concerned Citizens fender August 27, 1984 entitled, "R e cruitment Efforts by K K K .“ Litera ture was also distributed in Indiana. What are we to expect from Ronald Reagan? What does Mondale have to offer? Every voter should seek answers to these questions before you give up your most valuable possession: YOUR VO TEI Iris Randle Kay fie ld M ooty Directors Concerned Citizens Likes our style To the Editor. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your editorials and articles in the Observer. T K y are so powerful, educational and penetrat ing. The Observer reminds me o f one o f the most prominent newspapers in Nigeria which also deals with grass roots issues. L a n iu Duke’s speech at the Jor dan f arewell gathering was as if I had written it. It was powerful and very moving. She said so much in that short time. L a n iu , I always appreci ate you. Keep up your good work. You are a great educator o f the community. We need more like you. Dupo Sobomehin Metropolitan Human Relations Commission The Observer welcomes Letters to the Editor Letters should be short, end must contain the w riter’s name and address t addresses are not p rin t ed) The Observer reserves the right to edit f o r length. Portland Observer Ill .... Oregon Newspaper Tha P o rtlan d Observer 7USPS 959 #801 is published «vary Thursday by Ewia Publishing Company, Inc., 2201 North Killing« worth. Portland. Oregon 97217, Poet Ottica Bo« 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 Second elee* postage paid el Portland Oregon Publishers Association MSSHM* x 10 a LL VOUB OPPONENT HAS ÎO A^ j B ee \ nitm you oc lock MEMBER A lfre d L. Henderson, E d ito r/P u blish er Association - founded I I I A l Williams, G eneral M anager TM S PORTMND OBSERVER □ SIS tor one year □ 125 for tw o year« Bo« 3137. Portland OR 87208 Mbs negative which is positive ZIP will wobu ? ON SOUTH AFRICA History illuminates recent events South Africa is a nation in southern Africa that is ruled by a dictatorial white minority. About four million whites brutally oppress an African majority o f over 22 milion, 2.3 mil lion Coloreds (mixed race) and about 800,000 Indians. Recently, the ruth less repression o f Black protest in South A frica has received some cov erage by the national news media. However, a brief analysis o f past events is in order to pul the present situation in the proper perspective. The internal struggle against the white racist South African govern ment has been on-going for over two hundred years. A n example o f resist ance met by brutality in this century occurred in 1906 when Bambattra was beheaded by the whites to show Blacks what might happen to those who resisted repression. Examples o f more contemporary freedom Tighten who are punished for non-violent re sistance are Winnie a rd Nelson M an dela (banned and imprisoned, respec tively), W alter Sisulu (imprisoned) and Steve Biko (murdered by South African police in September o f 1977). In 1909 the South A frica Act was passed which restricted participation in government and voting to whites only. A similar act was passed in 1961 that created the Republic o f South Africa exclusively for whites. Since I960, more than three million Black people have been uprooted from their homes and relocated in “ non-white” areas o f the country. Thousands have been killed by South African govern ment forces simply because o f their demand for basic human rights and democracy. In March o f 1960, sixty- nine Blacks were gunned down in cold blood for refusing to carry a pass identification book. In 1976 another ‘thousand Black youth were killed for demonstrating against an inferior ed ucational system and most recently, over the last four weeks, more than sixty Black South Africans have been killed by South African police and de fense forces. The recent slaughter o f mostly Black South Africans points out the irony and hollowness o f the new “ reforms.” W hile the South African government boasts about the new constitution (approved solely by whites) as a sign o f positive change for the country, the overwhelming ma jority o f Blacks, Coloreds and Indians has totally rejected it as a sham, a means o f prolonging white power. The boycotts and demonstrations that followed the constitution’s ap proval were brutally repressed. This vicious repression is what led to the more than sixty murders by the South African government over the last month. The new constitution only further entrenches the Black majority into the inhumane system o f apartheid. It al lows the white minority to retain power over the majority population while offering limited participation in the government to Coloreds and In dians. The Black majority, which makes up 72% o f the South African population, has absolutely no right to participation or representation in the government. This intentional “ over sight” by the white South Africans in power will spell doom for the new constitution. The struggle in South Africa is for a “ one-person, one- MAIL TO Portland Observer P.O. Box 3137, Portland OR *7208 W e at the O b s e rv e r w ant to know how you feel about the paper. Please help us by filling out this survey. The information about you, our readers, will help us tailor our news and adver tisements accordingly. Thank you. Do other members of your household reed the Observer? □Yes O » O I s§ O Cd -f > JO DNo If'Y e s ', how many?______ Are you married? DYes DNo W h e t is your sex? □ Female □ M ale W h a t is your ethnic origin? □ Black □ W hite □ Hispanic □ Asian □ N a tiv e American □ Other Are there children under 18 living w ith you? □ No D Y e a If'Y e s ’ , how many?______ Do you o w n or rent your home? National Advartlalng Repreeentatlve A m algam ated Publish«™. Inc. N a w Vorh ¿¡I J? vote" system, a multi-racial democ racy. In spite o f this reality, the United States and other western countries continue to overtly and covertly sup port apartheid. The Reagan Adminis tration’s policy o f “ constructive en gagement" with the South African government means exporting over two and a half billion dollars worth of goods and services to this racist gov ernment, while importing over one billion, two hundred million dollars in South African goods. In 1962, the total United States involvement in South Africa was fourteen billion dol lars, with over 330 United States com panies doing business there, exploit ing the cheap Black labor that the apartheid system provides. We are left with the question: “ W hy has this government, based on racism, lasted so long, particularly with the m ajority population o f Black folks, on the receiving end o f the brutal repression? Once the facts are in the answer becomes plain — be cause o f internal divide and rule, a conscious and thorough building o f military might and western support over the years. And now, o f great concern to many around the world and here at home, is the Reagan A d ministration’s continued political, military and economic support. But time is running out for the rac ists in South Africa despite support from the U.S. and others. South A fri ca will be free. Twenty-four million oppressed Black South Africans will see to it. F or inform ation about how you can support black South Africans in their struggle, call P O S A F at 230-9427. W ow! The Observer survey: 283 2486 Apt state SUBE Are you registered to vote? Are you a m < Street W A B O U T THE O B 8E R V E R : The P ortland Observer we« e«teb!i«hed in 1970 Subscription« 116 00 per year in lha Tri-County area Po»t m a tte r Sand addraaa changes Io the Portland Observer. P.O Bo« 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208 ll S ound P ositive , EVEN THOUGH THE ATTAiU- \TSELF WLL BE NEGATIVE JLEi_ by Kamau Anderson Letters to the Editor W HEBE* THE FLAW -'M l KCTKX 'j& VpOfitoKNT FOB. NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING □ D em o c ra t □ Own □ Yea □ Rent □ No □ Republican C J independent W h e t is your highest level of education? □ grade school □ h ig h s c h o o l □ s o m e college □ college □ graduate school W h a t is your occupation? A B O U T YOURSELF: How did you obtain thia copy of the Obaarvar? □ I subscribe □ picked it up at a distribution outlet. How often do you read the Obeerver? □ w eakly □ every other week Docceaionelly W h a t is your age group? □ 60-64 0 6 6 5 over □ 16-24 D 2 6 -3 4 W het is your approximate femily income? □ under 810,000 □ 8 1 0 ,0 0 0 to 820,000 □ 820,000 to 830,000 □ 8 3 0 ,0 0 0 to 860,000 □ 860,000 or more □ 35-49
