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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1984)
Page 4, Portland Observer, November 21, 1984 EDITORIAL/OPINION Demand affirmative action now W ith the passage o f the C itizens U tility Board and a State-run lottery, Governor Vic Atiyeh has his hands full considering a smor gasbord o f proposals and applications from well-meaning groups and individuals. Overtures from the Northeast community, people o f color and the rainbow political appa ratus need to be heard, represented and incor porated if Oregon is to remain true to the tune of “ liberty and justice for a ll.” The inner city and the rainbow constituency have been ignored for decades by legislators and Senators in Salem, the fact that aid to two- parent families was cut and the elimination of supplem ental funds to pregnant mothers should send a signal to the Rainbow Coalition that there are people in policy-making posi tions who are insensitive to the needs o f low- income families, single mothers and people o f color. This is not the time to let other people speak for you. The catch word and key response is to monitor, monitor and monitor again. An elec tion year is always around the corner and it’s tim e to m ake our representatives earn our votes. The inner city resident, single mothers and people o f color constituencies must not allow any politician, board or commission to take our input for granted. We must demand A f firm a tive A ction in board and commission placements. These boards and commissions must do the necessary outreach to silence, once and for all, the cop-out, "W e can’ t find any qualified women or minorities.” I f this perspective is not adhered to, what ever plans, boards and commissions are formed will be incomplete. Sooner or later the elitist, narrow policies resulting from exclusion will be in direct conflict with the aspirations of the inner city and the rainbow com m unity. The boards, commissions and plans will even tually be altered to incorporate a fairer per spective. Save time and money by getting involved now. Demand a scat on the Citizens U tility Board, the Lottery Commission and any and all others. Lobby, write and call the Office of C itizen Representatives, 160 State O ffic e Building, Salem Oregon 97310, 1-378-4582. Don’ t let others speak for you, because they may sing or represent a different tune. People lose with Reagan C ourt Along the Color Line by Dr. Manning Marable Two-thirds of the white American electorate endorsed the politics o f reaction and racial in eq u ality by reelecting President Reagan. Now millions o f us who understood what was at stake — Blacks. L atin o s, Jewish Americans, low income fam ilies, and unemployed people — will be forced to pay the price of the po litical recklessness o f the electoral majority. on stiff penalties for the taking of hostages, airline sabotage, and pro vides cash rewards for inform ation leading to the arrest and convic tion of individuals who commit ter rorist acts. In practice, the new law permitted four hundred FBI agents and police to arrest nine New York City activists on October 18, on the grounds (hat they were planning jail breakouts and robberies. On the leg islative horizon is H R 56I3/S 2626, which failed to pass but will be re introduced fo r debate next year. The b ill permits the Secretary o f State to classify any foreign gov ernments as “ terrorist"; once in ef fect, any p o litic a l support, fu n d raising activity or related efforts in side the U .S . on b ehalf o f these states could be considered violations of criminal law. One legal expert has described the b ill as a threat to "freedom of speech and of associa tion, (by) defining support for na tional liberation movements and so cialist countries as criminal.” Mean while, Reagan continues to violate U.S. Laws by funding anticommun ist terrorists, sanctioning contra m ilitary actions in Nicaragua, and supports the terroristic policies o f apartheid South Africa. The features o f the coming po litic a l m aelstrom are already dis cernible. Joan Clay brook, head of the civic advocacy group. Public C itizen, noted recently in the New York Times that the Reagan admin istration's record on civil liberties is “ the worst in modern times. Reagan has endorsed lie detectors, w ire tapping, blacklisting and censor ing.** Coretta Scott King and other liberals have been barred from speaking on the Voice o f America. Reagan has restricted A m ericans’ rights to travel to various nations, and has pro hib ited many foreign critics from entering the U.S. Next, the President will attempt to under mine citizens* rights by weakening the Freedom o f In fo rm a tio n A ct. To suppress public information and discussion, C layb ro o k notes, the administration “ wants to eliminate the fairness doctrine, which permits people to talk back to television and radio programs transmitted over the public airwaves.” Reagan slashed federal aid to libraries, and favored postal rate hikes fo r n o n p ro fit groups. His press conferences are manipulated to limit direct contact, and “ further isolate him from pub lic accountability.” To m uffle the voices o f the left, Reagan signed into law a series o f “ anti-terrorism bills” on October 12. In theory, the legislation focuses The most serious challenge to our c ivil liberties and human rights, however, is presented by Reagan’s expected selections to the Supreme Court. Five o f the justices are 75 or older, including the three most lib eral justices. Recent decisions o f the C o u rt have already voided Fourth Amendment rights to pris oners, and allowed police to circum vent the “ exclusionary ru le ” in the collection o f court evidence in the “ Massachusetts vs. Sheppard” case. The Court's endorsement for "last hired, first fired” employment rules will weaken affirm ative action and equal opportunity programs, as well as increase minority and fe male joblessness. With the addition o f three or four more Reagan ap pointees over the next few years, abortion rights could be outlawed, and the cause o f racial desegrega tion could be crippled for a genera tion. Even moderate Republicans have recognized the ominous threat to justice. Justice John Stevens, a Ford appointee, recently described the conservative Court members as having replaced “ judicial analysis with their own political agenda.” Justice H a rry Blackmun more ac curately noted that the Supreme C ou rt was “ moving to the right, where it wants to go___ by hook or by crook." The bottom line of Reagan's state o f siege can be reduced to a single word: inequality. Reagan pushed through a $4 5 billion bailout for (he grossly mismanaged Continental Illinois bank, yet plans to cut one- half million participants o ff the fed eral nutrition program for women, infants and children, the adminis tration's tax cuts gave households with over $80,000 annual income a $35 billion after taxes, while more than 35 m illio n Am ericans have been out o f work at some point since 1981. Four more years w ill mean higher infant m ortality rates for the poor, a reduction in civil liberties, and a Supreme C ourt which could perpetuate Reaganism easily beyond the year 2000. As Reagan gloated last m onth, “ You ain't seen nothing yet.” Dr. Manning Marable leaches po litical sociology at Colgate Univer sity. Hamilton, New York. "Along the Color L in e '' appears in over 140 newspapers internationally. Portland Observer 0«»' -«»)» ata’"O**! The P ortlan d O b s trv tr rltS P S 959 6801 it published every Thurtdey by Eiie Publishing Company. Inc . 2201 North Killings worth. Portlend. Oregon 97217. Poet Oft ice Boa 3137, Port lend. Oregon 97MB Second cleet potlege peid at Portlend Oregon k > i L The Portland O b trrv rr w e t etteblithed in 1970 Subscriptions *15 00 per yeer In the Tri-County eree P o tt m a tte r Send addrett changes to the Portland Observar, P O Boa 3137, Portlend. Oregon 97208 MEMBER M W A ren Atroci »Uoti - Founded IM S F Alfred L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A l Williams, General Manager PORTWND OBSERVER L »15 tor one yeer □ *25 for two National Advertialng Repreeentatlve A m algam ated Publishers. Inc N ew York Boa 3137. Portlend OR 9 7 2 « Apt S lr w t CITY □ 283 2486 state ZIP * i ON SOUTH AFRICA r by Marcus Cheatham Three men o f color have been living in the British consulate in D urban, South A fric a since mid- September. They are there seeking assylum from their government which has issued detention orders for them. The orders were issued be cause the three are opposed to apartheid. South Africa's racist so cial and economic system. In South Africa, anyone who advocates such change is labelled a “ com m unist" under the notorious Suppression of Com munism Act and is liable to punishment that includes the death penalty Among the men in the consulate is Archie Gumede, a widely respected president o f the United Democratic Front (U D F ), a coalition of organizations formed to oppose elections held in September front which Africans were complete ly barred. The men in the consulate have good reason to fear detention. For mer detainees with scars and marks to prove it report that torture is commonplace in interrogation cen ters such as the infamous John Vor- ster Square station. Amnesty In ternational says, “ All evidence indi cates that torture is extensively in flicted on p olitical detainees and the Government sanctions its use." Deaths in detention arc frequent and many go unreported. Often the death of a detainee is called a “ sui c id e ,” as when a young teacher, Ahmed Timol, was said to have lepl from an escape-proof tenth story room which had bars on the w in dows. At other times the deaths arc investigated. When Steve Biko, leader of the Black Consciousness Movement was killed in prison in 1977 an inquest was held. But be fore it had even started two a tto r neys general said that no crim inal proceeding would be instituted no matter what the result. In fact, de spite clear evidence that Biko had been beaten to death by his interro gators no one was charged with his murder. People o f all races have died in custody in South Africa. As long as the victims were people o f color white South Africans were relatively unconcerned w ith prison co n d i tions. But the 1982 death o f Neil Agate, a lawyer who defended A f rican trade unionists, called a “ sui cide,” showed that white skin is no guarantee of safety. The men in the consulate are not the only ones in trouble with the law in South A fric a . In September a wave o f protests against the elec tions, corrupt local governm ent, in fe rio r education fo r A fricans, and political detentions broke over the country. D em onstrations, blockades, and rioting paralyzed many of the impoverished African townships. T o restore order, the arm y occupied the townships, lit erally searching and checking on every single person and handing out colored stickers to those "cleared.” Now a nationwide strike has been called to demand that the arm y leave the townships. As a result, thousands o f people have been a r rested. M any have been charged with no crimes. Indeed they have committed none. A battery of laws such as the Terrorism Act and the Internal Security Act allow the au thorities to arrest anyone on the flimsiest of pretexts, to hold them indefinitely without charges, and to deny them access to legal represen tation or any communication with the outside world. The number of political detainees in South A frica is now around six hundred. That figure does not include other hun- dreds held for political reasons but charged with non-political crimes, or thousands arrested under laws that are blatantly racist. Archie Gumede was originally de tained with dozens of other oppon ents o f the government in Septem ber when the government tried to squash protests against the elec tions. He was subsequently re leased by a judge, only to be slapped with another detention order. He fled underground, emerging in the British consulate w ith five other men. They asked for political asy lum in Breat B rita in , which was denied, but they were allowed to remain in the consulate. They then turned to the U nited States fo r help, but under “ constructive en gagement" the Reagan administra tions' foreign policy toward South A frica, actions which may alienate the South African government are being avoided and asylum was de nied. Last month, while the six were awaiting the result o f a legal chal lenge to their detention order, three o f them decided to leave (he con sulate. They were immediately de tained and their fate is unknown — a grim lesson to Gumede and his two companions. As these men struggle to remain free despite an indifferent world reaction, now is the time for us to focus our atten tion on the fate of all political pris oners in South Africa. Marcus Cheatham is a member o f Portlanders Organized fo r Southern African Freedom fPOSAF), a local m u lti-racial citizens action group that supports black majority rule in Southern Africa and an end to U. S. support f o r apartheid. F o r more information, call 230-9427. Letter^ to the Editor* Save lives ings, not only during this week but throughout the year. V IC TO R A T IY E H Governor To the Editor, Operation Lifcsaver is an ongoing safety program to educate the popu lace o f the potential hazards that may occur at rail-highw ay cross ings, and the program has been implemented in 41 states throughout the nation. The Oregon railroads, in cooper ation with state agencies, tra ffic safety, railro ad transp o rtatio n, engineering, insurance and police organizations, have undertaken the development and implementation of this program in the State of Oregon. There have been unnecessary fa talities at rail-highway crossings in Oregon during recent years, as well as numerous accidents and in ju ries at these crossings. Through education, engineering and enforce ment, this program w ill bring a greater awareness to all our c iti zens o f the need for rail-highw ay safety. Therefore, as Governor, I hereby proclaim the week o f Novem ber 18-24, 1984, as "O p e ra tio n L ife - saver Week ” in Oregon. I call upon our citizens to exer cise extreme caution when a p proaching railroad-highway cross- No democracy To the Editor, Brother Jesse believed the dictum o f Empedocles, “ Similia similibus p e rc ip iu m tu r,” must be supple mented by a second dictum, “ Simi lia D issim ilib u s.” A ll things are alike in being objects. But knowing is distinguishing, and there must be contrast between objects to awaken our attention. The Supreme A rchi tect o f the Universe (G od ) knows sin, though it is the antithesis of his holy being. The ego knows the non ego. We cannot know even self, without objectifying it, distinguish ing it from its thoughts, and re garding it as another. In dealing with humans, we should rem em ber what Hermann Lotz said: “ C ol or in general is not representable by any image; it looks neither green nor red, but has no look whatever. So one could say, the generic horse has no particular color though the in d ivid ual horse may be Black, White, or Bay. God is not necessar ily in fin ite in every respect. He is in fin ite only in every excellence. Brother Jesse opened up the deca dent, abnormal cellular growth in the political process in this country, to let the world see though America claims to be a democracy, she's as far away from a democracy as Rus sia. This is not a democracy. It has never been. It may evolve to be that one day, only when there is an en lightened electorate. I'm not a politician, but I know that America is not a democracy. I know that America does not work for the masses o f the people. Black or Caucasoid. I know that America is set up to work for the aristocracy and a class that makes laws to pro tect their wealth. I'm under no il lusions whatsoever. I'v e watched the games that people play. I'm sick o f game playing, and those who play games with the aspiration o f the people. D R J A M IL C H E R O V E E The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typed or neatly printed and signed with the a u th o r’s name and address fad- dresses are not published). We re serve the righ t to ed it f o r length. M a il to: P ortlan d Observer, P. O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208.
