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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1984)
Page 2, Portland Observer, October 17, 1984 MEDICARÉ, EXPORTS ANO THE hAIDÉAM FAMILY ANO THE DtFtciT, life AEMS RXfc ANO CENTRAL EDITORIAL/OPINION Stop legalized slavery the Internal Security Act which places invisible and visible chains on his mobility in his own country. He can be detained without charge or trial, his organization outlawed, he cannot meet or gather with a group and is subjected to random police searches. The way a farmer brands his cattle, Blacks over the age of 16 are required to be finger printed and to carry a passbook at all times. I f he forgets or loses it, prison awaits him. In South Africa 40 percent of the prison popula tion consists o f people convicted o f pass law violations. Apartheid, the legal separation of the races, is a crime against humanity. Its genocide goes unreported and the current administration pol icies of “ constructive engagement” amount to destructive coddling of criminals. The world rejoiced when Bishop Desmond Tutu won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for ex posing these statistics of slavery for 75 percent o f the population. Last year in Portland, Tutu (old us o f an encounter he had with a child living on a homeland in poverty. Home lands are fragmented, worthless pieces of land where Blacks are forced to live. Tutu asked a little girl what she did when her family ran out of food. “ We drink water," the child replied. Where was the press? Where was the head line? Last week the headlines blared with the death of a white three-week-old infant in South Africa. The infant was the first white casually of more than six weeks of racial vio lence. However, the headlines don’t cry out when a Black baby dies in a country where the infant m ortality rate is 90 per 1,000 live births. For rural Blacks it’s 200 per 1,000. The headlines are silent when a Black child dies of malnutrition. In one of the most indus trialized countries in the world, 2.9 million Black children under the age of 15 suffer from malnutrition. Where are the reporters when a Black child becomes ill while grappling with a doctor- patient ratio of one doctor per 19,000 Blacks compared to one per 330 for whites. Where are the investigative reports that cate gorize the effects o f the unequal per capita spending for education. For Blacks it ’s $170 while jfo r whites it’s $1,115. If, by some miracle, the Black child in South Africa survives the legalized racism to which it is subjected, corporate slavery awaits him. I f he works in a mine, his average monthly wage is $260. For whites it’s $1,395. If his wife works as a domestic servant (one of the few employment areas opened to black women) her monthly income is $40 to $80 a month. The Black adult in South Africa lives under Letters to theEditor Hatfield record questioned I h 'iil I d lln l Murk Hui livid has !•>«»« been con iili iid .in niilsianding peace leader. I Mundei Is he? D iH c tc iii limes he lias east I he I,me vine ug.nnsi an urinanenis bill N o » , as «.liair o l the pow erful Senaie Appropriations ( onimiilee, , by could be noi influence a Tew olbei Senalois lo join h im ? I sen buck in 1979 when Senator llem y luckson a leading war hawk h.idls needed voles lor presidential .landby a u th o rity lo ration l.i n liiie, H a ilie ld rounded up 10 soles Did ibis help Hailield lo later become Senate A ppropriations i oiniiniiee ( bait man? Does Hailield really work for less ludgenieni made the Social Security and Medicate programs secure for our futures, after he had inherited a cruuibliiig program in 1980, but he ■as cut inllalion and unproved the economy and made it belter for all men and women in America today. As a senior citizen and a voter, I waul all oilier electors to know that n was Piesideni Reagan who invited democrats lo join hi a bi partisan couiinissioii that led to a real so I iiioii , noi (list a quick fix. Bene Ills are now up 180 dollars a month lot the average couple and more ih.m 2100 dollars a year based on the lower rale of in lla lio n since 1980 Spending lor programs for oldei Americans has lumped 27 per cent in the past three years The overall picture is that 49 million elderly, poor and disabled citizens, one in every five Americans, will have health care needs mcl through Medicare and Medicaid in 1984 th a t’s a million more this year and three m illion more than 1980 The advantage that many years of experience has dealt me makes it imperative that I go with a proven leader and winner and vote for and recommend President Reagan on November 6th arms and negotiations to build peace7 I hen why did be campaign so vigorously igainsl S A L T II- - w hnli binned nucleai arms emeu- sum * And bad popular support ol 7S percent, according to national polls Many people asked "W h al alter native is ibere?" lo S A I I II " Il will go pari ol Ibe way?" lo restrain ihc arms race and bold back n ulilary spending Hailield insisted we did nol need SAI I II. bill could go on lo SALT III Did we golo SAI I III? No, but to ihc le m ly in g arms race with its crushing Pentagon budget! Now, what about H atfield ’s per sonal cooperation with Reagan? H a ilie ld M ( d his swearing in ( eremony H a ilie ld has endorsed him for re-election. Is Maik Hatfield really leader for peace? D r iust a lo llo w er of the nuclear lunatics who seek U S. domination of the world. VIOLET OKK Reagan praised Deal L.ditor: It is good lo be a senior citizen in today’s United States, because there are so many more people to share our long pasts and to enjoy the bright years ahead. Much ol this lavorable situation must be credited to President Reagan and the leadership he has provided to this country since 1980. Not only has his vision and good The Observer welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be short, and must contain the writer's name and address (addresses are not print ed/. The Observer reserves the right to edit fo r length. ^S' 0«»' '•»». vi The Portland Observer was established in 1970 Alfred L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher AI Williams, General Manager PORTLAND OBSERVER »15 for one year C »25 for two years Bos 3137 Portland OR 97208 i i 283-2486 Subscriptions »15 00 per year in the Tri County area Post m aster Send address changes to the Portland Observer. P 0 Bos 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 Association - Founded IM S Netionel Advertising Representative A m algam ated Publishers, tre N ew York Silt? S S 8 S 3 Í3 e -4 Apt state ZIP Winnie Mandela aw aits.. . She is waiting for justifiable ma jo rity rule in her country, South A fric a , with a population of Iwenty-two million Blacks and four and one-half million whites. Her husband. Nelson Mandela, is 66 years old and has been a po litical prisoner for 20 years. Nelson M andela’ s leadership stems from (he African National Congress. If Winnie Mandela was living in a free society, she probably would be referred to as the "First Lady” in her country because her husband has been u n o fficially declared the national leader in South A fric a , but she has yet lo acquire the right vole. The government does not allow people with black skin political rights. She is waiting to vote in a country that supports apartheid/legalized racism under the suppression o f white rule. Come November, United States citizens should think o f W innie Mandela when they go to the polls. She is waiting for the same rights we strive for that bring about dig nity to humanity. The right to vote, to assemble, to own land, to choose your w orkplace, to live together with your fa m ily , and so on. The rights of self-determination. The name of this woman is W in nie Mandela. Remember it. Facts about Winnie Mandela are probably not in school textbooks, and are very seldom mentioned in newspapers and magazines, but she is a leader in South Africa At SO, she is a social w orker, m other, and is presently under house arrest. Winnie Mandela has been arrest ed, tortured, banned and separated from her husband for two decades, but has yet the right to vote be cause her skin is black. A year ago officials entered her home and removed a quilt from her bed because the colors were wrong They were yellow, black and green, representing the African National Congress’ efforts. The government has stripped all human rights from this banished woman, yet she con tinues her struggle. "If is only w hen all black groups jo in hands and speak w ith one voice (bat we shall be a bargaining force w hich w ill decide its ow n destiny. This is the only way in w hich we shall m aintain o u r oneness. We know what we want, o u r aspirations are dear to us. We are not asking fo r m ajority rule; it is our right, we shall have it at any cost. We are aware that the road be fo re us is u p h ill, but we shall fight to the h itte r end fo r justice... * * Street Beat by LanitB D uke and Richard B rown Although the M ariju ana in itia-. live did not make it on the ballot this election year, the Street Beat team asked, “ Should Oregonians have the right to grow their own M arijuana for personal consump tion?” Welter Harrison Student I ho P ortlan d Observer rU S P S 959 6801 is published every Thursday by 6 me Publishing Company, Inc . 2201 North Killings worth, Portland, Oregon 97217, Post Office Bos 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon MEMBER ON SOUTH AFRICA Wilbur Bishop Tigard, Oregon Portland Observer J>i M M I • INTEREST RATES, HUNGER ANO AGO D a im THF OtvMPVS O r S * 0 > 3) Kerry Patrick Student “ Yes, a lot o f people live to get high. I f they grew their own they w o u ld n ’ t have to have drug dealers. It would cut down on crime." “ I would support it for adults, but not for minors. Rather than go after people growing pot, the police would be free to go after m ajor drug dealers.” Melvin Brown Trucker “ Yes, I do, but I doubt if there are enough people in Ore gon who do to get it passed.” n < p Joyce Santos Clerk Chris Johnson Priest “ Yes, for their own personal consumption. That way the po lice could concentrate on more dangerous substances.” “ I think it’s up to each indi vidual. Although I think it ’s a waste o f money, but if they were to legalize it, people won’t have to do it illegally.** Earl Jones Machinist I ’ m against it. I t ’s harmful. I d o n ’ t think we should be a l lowed to grow it.” »
