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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1984)
Pape 2, Portland Observer, November 7, 1984 T H E Y 'R E S U teG -N A T lO N A L lS -n C A N D TWM6S MW/fc REALLY CUAN6KÜ C lN tf WC W E Â IN SCHOOL" C0U6ÓÉ UlDS ACE GEAL CDNSECVATIVe EDITORIAL/OPINION 6 un 6-H o for R eagan .' Rainbow must push forward The R eagan/B ush tid alw ave Tuesday drow ned the progressive aspirations o f m il lions o f Am ericans who are casualties o f an economic policy that takes from the poor to give to the rich. The Reagan/Bush landslide smothered the hopes o f many for the fairness that is incor porated in the c o n s titu tio n o f the U n ite d States, a constitution written for all the people and not just a few. The R eagan/B ush re-election road was paved by m a n ip u la tin g m isconceptions. Am ong the greatest misconception p ropa gated by the Reagan/Bush campaign was the need to cut social programs or pull the so- called gravy-train back. In reality, this gravy- train never hit the tracks. In 1964, forces that controlled America capitulated to the demands o f fairness and retribution. Programs to allevi ate hunger, rebuild the cities and educate all Am ericans were discussed, designed and, in some cases, im plem ented. The A m erican dream was made imaginable because jobs, op portunity for higher education and better life styles were offered to all; regardless o f income. Four years later the Nixon Administration was voted in and pulled up the tracks o f this so-called gravy-train. Programs were cut in half, eliminated or shelved. What is frighten ingly shortsighted are the views o f many who currently decry this half a decade o f hope. In 1984 the prevailing thought seems to be, “ I got mine — and later for someone else." The influence o f Dem ocratic Presidential candidate Jesse Jackson will always be under stated and unobserved. But let the history books show that Jackson was the first to com mit himself to placing a woman on the ticket, and the only one who backed up his words with action by negotiating the freedom o f L t. Robert Goodman and Americans from Cuban jails. Although the Reagan/Bush Administration might think they have a mandate to continue their nuclear nightmare diplomacy, their at tacks on A ffirm a tiv e Action and their crim inal support o f South A frica, the progressive forces in America must not lie dormant as we mourn our losses. The mandate is for the is sues, concerns and goals o f the Rainbow Coa lition to continue to be expressed at a consistent pace, and sometimes in a c o n fro n ta tio n a l manner. As the winds o f w ar blow over C e n tra l America and the poverty rolls increase, with lopsided governm ental policies taking their to il, we may end up with four more years o f long, cold winters and four more years of long, hot summers. Election results bittersweet The political results in Portland for candi dates and B allot Measures are bittersweet. But all is not bleak. The utility companies tried to put a "boondoggle" over the minds of voters with their m illion dollar opposition to Ballot Measure 3, the Citizens* U tility Board. Voters now have a chance, a voice, and dele gates to say " n o " to the steady stream o f util ity increases. The Citizens* U tility Board or ganizers need to be com mended fo r never wavering from their main points, despite the constant, direct and negative campaigning of the " N o on Three Committee.” Candidatewise, we hope the 17 losing City Council candidates learned something — espe cially the Black candidates with embarrassing small showing among the voters. They should ask themselves, "W as it worth it?" and "N ext time will I represent myself, a constituency or my community?" Also, the results may signal and end to the "professional politician" who resigns in mid term from one elected office to run for anoth er. Political strategy does not always end with the same results one drafted on paper when the voters overwhelmingly vote down so-called experience for accountability, progressiveness and a new face, fresh voice. The victories o f H e rb C a w th o rn e , Dick Bogle and Margaret Carter is a sign that all is not lost. We, as a community and members of the Rainbow Coalition, have come a long way in such a short time. As D r. Darrell M illner said, "These people are going to serve in City H all and in Salem. That is a tremendous step forw ard for the Black com m unity. For that kind o f progress to take place in less than a decade is an indication o f the potential in the Black community.*' I'LL BET WE COULD CHANGE THAT IE WE 6OT OUT AMO O Q & AN1ZED EOC WHAT? ”0 . ON SOUTH AFRICA have to sterilize women after one or two children. W h e n D o ro th y N y e m b e , S o uth A f r ic a ’ s lo n g est-s ervin g w om an p o litic a l p ris o n e r, was fin a lly re leased fro m prison in A p ril, she re p o rte d th a t w om en sentenced fo r p olitical " c rim e s " are treated even m ore badly than men. She was not allo w e d to study or to read news papers during her 13-year sentence. Prison au th orities denied her visits fro m her f a m ily , and letters were held up because they were not w rit ten in English. August 9 is S o uth A fr ic a n W o m e n ’ s D a y , c o m m e m o ra tin g the m assive p ro tests o f 1956 ag ain st the extension o f the infam ous pass laws to w o m e n . 1984 has been nam ed the Y e a r o f the W o m a n in South A fric a . But fo r the rulers o f the apartheid regime it is still busi ness as usual: — W hen M rs . A n n ie Silinga, 74, died in June o f this y e a r, she had spent n early 30 years hou n ded by South A frican authorities for her re fusal to carry a pass. She had been deported several times to the T ran - skei bantustan, and in the last years o f her life was denied a pension. — Miss Doris N d o li Setlhoke was b ro u g h t to t r ia l in J a n u a ry th at her dress o f black, green and gold — the A N C 's co lo rs — en dangered South A frican security. — M rs. W innie M andela has lived under constant police surveillance and re stric ted by b an n in g o rd ers since 1977. N e ve rth eless , she has Dear Friend, P o rtlan ders O rg an ized fo r Sou thern A fric a n Freedom (P O S A F ), Am erican Friends Service C o m m it tee (A F S C ) and the A fr ic a n S tu dents Association at Portland State University, invite you (a n d /o r your organization) to participate in a rare comm unity event. Portia Buites (pronounced Bates), a Black South A fric a n w om an and currently a student at O regon State U n iv e r s ity , w ill be the fe a tu re d speaker on a special evening p ro g ram d evo ted to le a rn in g a b o u t the ro le o f A fr ic a n w om en in the struggle fo r South A fr ic a n lib e ra tion. The date is Saturday, N ovem ber 10, 1984, fro m 7 - 10 p .m ., at M t. Olivet Baptist Church, 116 N .E . Schuyler. In S o u th A f r ic a , B lac k w om en are regarded by governm ent lab or p olicies as " s u rp lu s B a n t u " o r "s u p e rflu o u s ap p en d a g e s." They su ffer a burden o f oppression and h u m iliatio n even heavier than that im posed on B lack m e n . B arred fro m nearly a ll w ork except in d o mestic service or as fa rm laborers, w om en are releg ated — to g e th e r w ith c h ild re n , o ld people and the d isab led — to the im p o v e ris h e d , disease-ridden bantustan areas. Mothers relocated by government fia t have been fo rc ib ly separated from their children, some o f whom have starved to d eath as a re su lt. Wives are separated from their hus bands w ho must liv e in a ll-m a le hostels near factories or mines. A rro g a n t co n te m p t fo r w om en has lon g been a h a llm a rk o f the South A fric a n govern m en t. W h ite interpretations o f A frican tradition al law have kept them in the status o f p e rm a n e n t m in o rs , u n a b le to own or inherit p ro perty, enter into contracts, sue or be sued, or even to act as the g u a rd ia n s o f th e ir ow n children. T h e In te r n a tio n a l D e fen se and A id F u n d ( I D A F ) re p o rts th a t in M a y o f this year, a Cabinet M in is ter and a P r o v in c ia l C o u n c ilo r went even fu rth e r, arguing fo r en f o r c e d s t e r i l iz a t io n o f B ie c k w o m e n . Unless B lacks get aw ay fro m the idea th at " w e breed and th ey f e e d ," said C o u n c ilo r D . C a m p h e r, the g o v ern m e n t w o u ld struggled to operate a medical clinic fo r poor people liv in g near the re mote village o f B ra n d fo rt to which she is confined. W e hope that Black w om en’ s o r g a n iza tio n s an d th e ch u rch c o m m unity w ill make a special e ffo rt to come out and support this event. It is a courageous act to speak about w h a t is c u rre n tly d e v e lo p in g in S o u th A f r ic a , w hen th e re is the very real possibility o f retaliation by the South A fric an government. W e can do no less than show o ur sup port fo r P o rtia Buites* courageous willingness to share with us. T h e even ing p ro g ra m w ill also fe a tu re a film : " S o u th A fr ic a Be longs T o U s , " p o e try re ad in g s, and a p erfo rm an ce by the T a lk in g D ru m Dancers. A reception featur ing A fric a n fo o d , co-hosted by the Black Ed ucation al C enter, w ill fo l low the program. There is no charge fo r the even t, how ever d o n atio n s are welcome. P o rtlan ders O rg an ize d fo r Sou thern A fric a n Freedom , a co-spon- sor o f this e v en t, is a lo c al m u lti ra c ia l a c tio n g ro u p th a t supports B lac k M a jo r it y ru le in S o u th ern A fric a and an end to U .S . Support for apartheid. Please share this letter with others a n d /o r your m em bership and jo in us in w elco m in g P o r tia Buites on Novem ber 10th. F o r more in fo rm a tion please call me at 230-9427. A V E L O O R D L Y . Director A F S C Southern A fric a Program for P O S A F A .M . PRINTING CO. 2201 N. Killingaworth —_ Phone:283-2487 JH Jf FOR ALL YOUR PR IN TIN G NEEDS o Office fr Bualneas Letterheads • Business Cards Bulletins • Price Lists • Cherts Newsletters • Forms • Flyers Envelopes »ADS PLACED Portland Observer '.*♦ M B i • jŸ The P ortland Observer 7USPS 959 680) i t published «vary Thursday by Ex» Publishing Company. Inc , 2201 North Killings worth. Portland, Oregon 97217. Poet Office Box 3137. Portland, Oregon 97208 Second class postage pawl at Portland. Oregon M eet Merbet: Lloyd M erbet holde up thè Ore- gonlen ad that opponente of Ballot Maaaure No. • ran prlor to tha eleotlon. Votara paaaad tha mee- aura Tuesday requiring naw waata aafaty regu lations daaplta tha negative antl-M arbat oam- palgn waged by opponanta. (Photo by Richard J. Brown) Subscriptions 115 00 par year in tha Tri County area P o s t m aster Sand address changes to tha Portland Observer, P 0 Box 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208 MEMBER pep A u ocfU on - Founded 19tS A lf red L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A l Williams, General Manager Dist. 1 seat first for minorities Many residents felt Debnam's busi ness platform was stronger than C art er's. Tolton said. "Thai's possible, but it takes more than business to make the world go around. You have to have a good m ixture o f business and social issues.And you must understand how to put those iuues together." On January 14, 1985 M argaret C a rter w ill be sworn in. " T h e cam paign is over but the Job is just be ginning," she added. Her priorities will be education and skill development. Tha campaign was not w ithout its negative side as sexism was interjected into it. " I t was clear that certain ele ments in the com m unity wanted a male. On one occasion one man physi cally picked me up and said it was a man's race." This same person showed up at her victory party. " I 'm glad to see him here. People should let by gones by bygones," Carter said. She added that her race was one for all the people in the district. "Now we can gel behind issues that will en rich our community." Ä ' . «• ■ M M Mw«*ee«« DALL Tha Portland Observer was established in 1970 N e U p A (From Page /> sea »«oweI PORTMND OBSERVER □ 115 for one year □ 125 for two years Box 3137. Portland OR 9720B I I tiî National Advertising Representative A m algam ated Publishers. Inc. N ew York sum? £ STATE 283-2486 n j O O "S H -» ZIP M •T.N * ■- ' « - V i ■z; >. ' * « jlt t f r
