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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1985)
Page 4, Portland Observer, February 6, 1985 EDITORIAL/OPINION WO.'No'STOfZ i OwT STANO THE PAIN.' » 1 CAN’T TAKfr ANV kaooc B e lie f me - this r- HUCTS ME M0C6 11 tuaw it ructs mxi South Africa: Oregonian needs education by Landa Duke Anri-aporthod individuals and organi zations raised the consciousness o f the public and the press during the latest assault against the brutality o f South Africa as one more link to South A fri ca was broken — the resignation o f Honorary South African Consul Calvin VanIMt Local anti-apartheid forces teamed up with a national movement which has seen South African consulates closed, picketed, South A frican goods boy cotted and the growing acceptance o f legislative supported divestment. The bi-weekly civil disobedience that led to his resignation alerted Portlanders to the overt and covert support the City o f Roses gave and still gives a coun try that judges its atizens an the basis of skin color. If you are white, then you’re alright; if you’re brown, stick around, and if you’re Black, get back. Portlanders Organized for Southern Africa Freedom, the Black United Front and the American Friend Service Com mittee did Portland a great service by removing a thorn from the C ity o f Roses. The mere presence of a consul in Portland condoned the inhumanity and in e q u ality suffered by Black South A fric a n s w ho cannot even vote in their own country. Street The Oregon Rainbow O rganizing Committee forged onward with their mission as they added their colors in support o f the protest. T hu s, au g menting the collective efforts o f those in the religious, civil and social change movements. T h e ir persistence paid o ff as the masses began to question and sound o f f against a p arth e id , thereby moving Portland a little closer to being a progressive rather than a regressive city. OHHHHrt/Z., 'N E IN B E C e e C S T 0 M M \ N 6 WWtT S 6 cm n 6 _ , ohhhhh /Z Z71 ON IN THECE writer to admit that he based his opin ion on ru m o r, perception and mis inform ation. How ever, the damage was done as that editorial and their news coverage o f the civil disobedi ence rein fo rced varying degrees of tolerance fo r the oppression o f the majority Black by the minority whites. Considering the apartheid condi tions that exist in P o rtlan d — the A ffirm ative Action inactivity by the City o f Portland, Metropolitan Serv ice District and M u ltn om ah C ounty — the editorial writers remain con spicuously silent on issues that chal lenge the status quo. — the P entagon s The crisis in Jamaica Along the C o lo r Line by D r. M anning M arable Certainly, we hope this type of rac ism projected by the city’s only daily newspaper w ill dissipate as the ind i viduals responsible engage in some heavy soul-searching and accurate fact-finding. When the Editorial Board pick up their pens to write about is sues pertaining to South Africa, they will be faced with an educated, sensi tive public who called for the resigna tion o f a South A fric a n consul in Portland, and will soon call for O re gon to divest our tax dollars aw ay from racism, inhumanity and oppres sion. For this we owe the organiza tions w ho started the protest, in d i viduals arrested and those who pick eted our gratitude and support. The ab so rp tion o f in fo rm a tio n , sensitivity and consciousness ric o cheted o f f the p ublic to the press as the m ajority o f m ajor media out lets experienced some grow th. This grow th eluded the a ll-w h ile male ed ito ria l board at The O regonian newspaper as individual ignorance and racism found its way into a Janu ary 22nd editorial. A meeting between the Editorial Board and anti-aparthad representatives caused the ed itorial eat With the possibility o f a mandatory seat belt law in Oregon, the Street Beat team asked, “ What is your reaction to buckling up or facing a fine?’ ’ by Lanrta Duke and Richard J. Brown Gall H o h m an Last m o n th ’ s protests in Jamaica were widely reported in the American media, but poorly interpreted. King ston. the capital city o f 800,000, was paralyzed when conservative Prim e Minister Edward Seaga ordered a 20 percent hike in the price o f gasoline. Street demonstrations erupted spon taneously, and at least five people were killed by police. The immediate impact o f the protests was felt by the tourist ind u stry, as thousands o f Americans cancelled hotel reserva tions and flights to M o n te g o Bay and Jam aica's north coast resorts. In late January, teams o f government functionaries and tourist bureau o ffi cials flew to Boston, New Y o rk, C h i cago, and other U .S . and Canadian cities to reassure nervous travel agents. The officials brought slick slide shows depicting social stability on (he island, and after plying the travel agents with rum and dinner invitations, status quo ante was restored. L ittle discussed were the root causes for the crisis in Jamaican politics and society. Between 1972 and 1980, Jamaica was governed by the People's National Party ( P N P ) , a social dem ocratic fo rm a tio n led by M ich ae l M an ley . The U .S . was hostile to M a n le y ’ s democratically elected government, and used various methods, from C IA covert in te rve n tio n to pressure via the International M onetary Fund, to secure the P N P ’s defeat in 1980. Sea- ga’ s Jamaican Labor Party (M L P ), which assumed office, remains one of the strongest clients o f the Reagan ad m in is tra tio n in the C a rib b ea n . Seaga was the region's chief defender o f the illegal U .S . invasion o f G re nada in 1983, and is a staunch o p ponent o f both Cuba and Nicaragua. Seaga’ s crude attem p t to apply Reaganomics to the island has created chaos. In the past fo u r years, food prices have soared by 300 percent. Unemployment rates have increased fro m 20 to about 35 percent. T he country’s international debt has in creased from about SI billion under M anley’s government to over $3 b il lion during the N L P regime. Like his conservative p atro n , Seaga has re sponded to the econom ic crisis by initiating an austerity program , h it ting low income and working people the hardest. Taxes have been increased on food and other essentials. The m ajor blow has been the steady de terio ratio n o f (he Jamaican d ollar. Despite campaign promises never to devalue Ja m a ic a’ s currency, the value o f the Jam aican d o lla r has plummeted from $2.20 to $1.00 (U.S.) in m id-1983 to $4 .40 to $1 .00 as o f this month. During Reagan’s invasion o f G re nada, Seaga saw an o pp o rtun ity to bail himself out of difficulty. Although he had pledged not to authorize new parliamentary elections until after the national voters’ lists were updated, the P rim e M in iste r called new elections, to take place in December, 1983. S im ultaneously it started a vicious red-baiting campaign against P N P leaders, raising the absurd charge that a “ Soviet-Cuban plot” had been hatched to “ kill a senior o fficer” in the JLP government. The P N P and Manley condemned Seaga’s moves, observing th at 100,000 Jam aicans still on the voters’ lists had either died or m igrated fro m the island since 1980. Another 120,000 young people who were eligib le to vote were not registered. The potential for massive voter fraud, akin to the Dem ocratic party machine in Chicago, would nul lify democracy. Thus the P N P made the difficult yet correct decision not to contest the “ bogus elections.” The JLP naturally won all 60 parliamentary seats, alth ou g h alm ost h a lf o f the normal JL P electorate did not even bother to vote. Seaga is in "command" of a government which has absolutely no legitimacy, and recent public opin ion polls show a commanding lead of 18 percent o f the P N P over the JLP, if elections were to occur now. The real danger in Jamaica is that the Reagan administration and U.S. corporations invested in the island may au th o rize the destruction o f p arliam en tary government and the initiation o f an open dictatorship un der their client Seaga. JL P National Security Minister Winston Spaulding has recently called fo r “ preventive detention" measures which void civil liberties. Seaga has also blamed his recent troubles on “ subversives.” But as M anley has observed, the protest ors have only "sent a message to the government loudly and clearly that they will no longer sit by and allow an arrogant and corrupt government to inflict unending economic pressures.” No amount o f tourist dollars will save Seaga from the opposition o f Jamai ca’s people. Laborer Letters to the Editor " It should be up to the per son. I use safety belts because I decided to. 1 hope insurance Ann Taylor companies do not raise our H ousew ife rates because of it.” Chartas Rash Warehouseman “ I d o n ’ t th in k that is too “ I t ’ s a good idea. I t ’ s for safety, so it should be the cool. People might get in the law.” car and forget to buckle up.” The Observer welcomes tellers to the editor. Letters should be typed or neatly printed and signed with the author’s name and address (ad dresses are not published). We re serve the right to edit for length. Mail to: Portland Observer, P. O. Hox 3137, Portland, OK 9720H room aides are vitally important as a link between the comm unity and the school, and that (heir number should not be cut. I have been a parent at Irvington Schol for six years, and I believe that, thanks to a h ard w o rkin g s ta ff and concerned parents, m u ltic u ltu ra l education is a reality at our school. I hope m ore parents w ill jo in us in working to make it even better. Irv in g to n C .A .C . meetings are open to A L L Irvington parents. We meet at 7 :3 0 p .m . on the second Wednesday o f each month. Childcare is provided. I f you have a concern or a p ro blem , P L E A S E C O M E . You will be heard. Door is open To the Editor, Louisa Johnson Consumar Sarvica Hap. H. F. Taylor Ratired " It sounds like a good idea. ” 1 started using a safety belt I never wear them, but if it be after driving a school bus. It comes the law, I w ill.” would make a good law.” - Portland Observer •t M*i • F The Portland Observer was established m 1970 Subscriptions >15 00 per year m the Tri C ounty area P o s t m a s te r Send address changes to the P o rtla n d O b ie r ver. P O B o i 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208 N ÏW A per A ttoc I at ion ■ Founded TM5 Alfred L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A ! Williams, Genera! Manager GENE BRADLEY Racist justice To the Editor, O n the fro n t page o f the O regon ian, Saturday Jan. 26, 1985, the big story appeared to be about the jury clearing Bernhard Goetz (new York Vigilan te) in the shooting o f four teenagers in the subway, but letting the gun charges remain for prosecu tion. This case has shown a complete bias (racism) on the part o f the United Slates, where all callers, letters and PORTLAND OBSERVER The P o r tla n d O b se rv er rU S P S 959 680) i t pu blish ed every Thursday by €■«• Publish mg C om pany. Inc . 2201 North Killings worth. Portland Oregon 97217. Post Office Bow 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208 Second ( lass (kostaq* (Mini at Portland Oregon MEMBER I ’ m w ritin g in response to your article on Irvington School and insti tutional racism, published January 30. As co-ordinator for the Irvington C itiz e n ’ s A d viso ry C o m m itte e . I was surprised to find out that we were listed as “ unavailable for comment.” I t ’s hard to comment when nobody asks you a question. I would like to offer a comment as an Irvington parent and as a member of the C .A .C . Parents who have come to our meetings throughout this year have affirm ed again and again that m ulticultural education should be a priority at our school, as im portant as reading or mathematics. Parents have staled that fo r m u ltic u ltu ra l education to w o rk , we need more m inority teachers. A t the same time we have continued to insist that class »15 to, on« rear C »26 to» two Bo. 3137. Portland OR 9 7 2 « ^83 2486 N a tio n a l A d v e rtis in g R ep resentative A m a lg a m a ta ti Publishers Inc N a w Votlt Slreel C ITY Apt STATE ZIP financial donators were on his (Goetz) behalf. The circumstances in volved were M r. Goetz was on a sub way train. Four teenagers had screw drivers in their pocket, N O T O U T , but IN their pocket. Tw o of the youth were shot in the back. Goetz left the scene o f the crime. But the most im portant fact is that G oetz is W h ite, and the teenagers were Black. Now I would like every straight-thinking individual to im agine if the same situation had taken place, but Goetz is Black and the teenagers were W hite. What would have been the decision of the jury? L ife im prisonm ent? H ow much support would he have? Teenagers have approached me several times asking for money; some had a knife on their belt and their friends would stand further away. I f I had a gun, should I shoot them? The amount o f money is meaningless to the fact, and 1 am sure there are other circumstances about Goetz that the public doe not know. Yet the message is very clear to everyone about the lack o f integrity and fairness in our jud icial system when the crim e in volves different cultures or races, and this includes the general ideology o f the m a jo rity p op u latio n. CHARLES FLAKE
