Page 4. Portland Observer, May 15.1965
EDITORIAL/OPINION
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Inquest jury ignored bias
Multnomah County District Attorney Michad
Schrunk did not represent all county residents
during (he Tony Stevenson inquest because his
line o f questioning was biased; he did not really
seek to find out what transpired between Steven
son and the gas station attendant, and all o f his
questions were asked in such a way as to excuse
the criminally negligent homicide o f Stevenson
at the hands o f the police.
All o f Portland heard or saw the bias in
Schrunk’s questions as he tried to discredit
Stevenson’s family, witnesses and allowed the
police’s expert witness to explain, defend and
interpret what the officers did and said.
W h at’s important is not the questions asked
by Schrunk, but what he did not ask. Schrunk
tried to pry out from two witnesses — Pantley
and Greg Cavic — what Stevenson said. But
these two witnesses had the most to hide. Nor
did M r. D .A . pursue the outright contradictions
in the officers’ testimony or the racial slurs.
Schrunk performed and questioned as if he
was the defense attorney for the police officers
as he tried to prevent another witness from testi
fying to the fact that he saw the police standing
around playing with themselves as Stevenson
lay handicuffed, face down, and dying in the
parking lot.
The all-white inquest jury saw through the lies
and the cover-up. They wondered why the police
did not perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
when it became apparent that Stevenson was
having difficulties breathing. In the back o f their
— and our — minds, we know the outcome
would not have occurred if Stevenson was white
or a female. The police allowed him to die be
cause o f his sex, race and size.
Schrunk is an accessory to the racism that
allowed Stevenson to die. W e will remember
Schrunk’s line o f questioning when he’s up for
rcelection. His preconceived defense for the po
lice removed all trappings o f an impartial in
quest. But the truth pushed through as Port
landers listened to what our ’ ‘ finest” had done.
If the Grand Jury returns a verdict o f less
than homicide, we know who is responsible.
High unemployment, poor education and a host
o f social problems created by institutional rac
ism is the climate in Portland. A verdict o f less
than homicide will not help case the tensions
created by these conditions.
W ith the decision o f the public inquest in
hand, the Street Beat team asked, ” How
did you feel about the inquest decision?”
Street Beat
by Lamta Duke and Richard J Brown
Barbara M a rq u a i
Housewife
B .E .Johaon
Pastor
“ I thought it was a good
Son|a Jackson
Hotaawtfa
"I
haled that
idea. I felt the outcom e was
fa ir .”
“ T h e inquest opened a lot
o f people’s eyes w ho do not
live in Northeast Po rtland . It
the guy got
lulled, and I hope it will pre
let people know w hat's going
vent other lives from bang taken
for nothing."
on with the police and Blacks.’’
OF WEClEMCE
The housing crisis and Blacks
Along the Color Line by Dr. Manning Marable
The heart o f the Great American
Dream has for generaiions been ihe
ownership o f a home. Since ihe laie
19th C entury, ai least half o f all while
Americans have been homeowners.
This perceniage increased io 64 per
cent by I960, and reached 67 percent
by ihe late 1970s Black Americans'
dreams have generally been deferred
in this area. Barely one in live Black
families owned their own homes from
1890 through W orld War II. During
ihe 1960s and 1970s, however, the
perceniage o f Black owners doubled,
up io 44 percent in 1975 Bui lo r both
races, ihe desire to claim one's own
house has remained sirong. In one
resent New York Tnnes/CBS poll, 55
perceni o f all renters stated that they
expect to buy a house. For IK to 29
year old renters, 63 percent plan io
become homeowners.
Bui in recent years, the Great
American Dream has become a night
mare lo r millions o f property owners.
Back in 1971, the median price o f a
home was S24.MM1 Since the median
income for while families was about
$ 13.2<X>. most households could easily
a fford a home. I sen Alro-Americans
found housing relatively accessible in
Financial terms. The median Black
fam ily income was above $8,l(Xt;
Black families with both spouses in
the labor force were earning over
$12.400 annually. In ihe past 14 years,
however, housing costs have risen
steeply. By ihe end o f 1984. the
median house in ihe U.S. sold at
$72,800, an increase o f nearly 300
perceni. The median family income
now siands at $26,300; lor Black
Americans, median la m ily income is
below $15,000.
Families which were entering ihe
market fo r ihe first time had to allo
cate a larger proportion o f their in
comes toward housing costs. By 1982,
average monthly mortgage payments
reached $732 Today the typical buy
ers must give up .35 io 40 percent o f
their total income in order io keep up
their payments and taxes. This fiscal
crunch forced millions o f households
io transform their lifestyles. Both
parents are now pressured to seek
jobs, or to switch employment, to
accumulate savings. Others delay
having children, or move to cities
where housing prices lend to be lower.
Perhaps ihe greaiesi difficulties are
experienced by homeowners who se
cured mortgages when interest rates
were high, in ihe laic I97(K and early
1980.s I amities purchasing a $60,000
house in 1980 wiih a typical mortgage
rateol 16 perceni, had expected to sell
their house live years later at $75,000
or mote by 1985 W iih declining in-
tlaiion rates and atrend toward small
er homes, ihe house might sell tor
only ihe original purchase price- The
lamily would in effect lose any chance
o f obtaining ihe downpayment for a
new home. Or, more typically, if the
major income earner lost lus or her
job, a loreclosure would occur.
Dus is exactly wliai is happening io
hundreds ol thousands ol homeown
ers. Ihe number o f foreclosed homes
hs Ihe Federal Housing Adm inistra
tion rose it» 4ii.iXl(> last year, an in
crease til 142 perceni over I982's
ioi.il The Veterans Administration
foreclosed 29.01X1 homes in 1984
Some ol me cities wiin ihe highest
rales o f foreclosures, not coinciden
tally, base large Afro-American pop
ulations and/or relatively high unem
ployment rales — C leveland, Ohio;
Camden, New Jersey; Chicago,
Newark; and Philadelphia According
io ihe January, 1985 report o f ihe
Mortgage Bankers Association, near
ly 6 perceni ol all home mortgages are
pasi due — twice the rale in 1970.
A total o f 400,000 families lost their
homes hi 1984 alone.
Who's responsible lor the housing
crisis? L txik ai the ra ie o f profit made
by financial lenders on all homes. Be
tween 1945-1975, the average mortgage
rale factoring inflation was 3 to 4
percent. Lasi year the price for bor
rowing money was 10.6 perceni above
ihe rate ot inflation. Compounding
problems lo r homeowners, Reagan's
new lax proposal eliminates the de
duction from taxable income o f inter-
esi payments on home mortgages.
The only effective resolution o f the
crisis would include legislation halt
ing all home foreclosures o f workers
who have been ihe victims o f jo b
lessness or marginal employment,
and reductions on all outstanding and
new mortgages io ihe rale o f in fla
tion. il not below. Federal programs
granting low interest loans to renters
should be expanded with similar guar
antees. An affordable home should be
a reality tor all. not a dream.
Dr. Manning Marable teaches po
litical sociology at Colgate University,
Hamilton, New York. "Along the
Color Line" appears in over 140 news
papers internationally.
Letters to the Editor
The O bserver welcomes letters to
the editor. L etters sh ould be typ ed
or neatly printed and signed with the
a u th o r’s name an d address la d
dresses are n o t published!. We re
serve the right Io edit fo r length. Mail
to: P o rtla n d O bserver, P. O. Box
3137, Portland. OB 97208
Evelyn BureN
Houaewffe
“ I thought it was fair and it
U n Knox
C om m unity M edicina
showed it wasn’t a racist thing.
It showed the police were
wrong.*'
Bill Justice
Retired
“ It was very interesting, it
showed there were some senous
“ It was a gixxl thing and
was needed. It was something
that needed to be kxrked into.”
problems w ith the police. They
need to be better trained and
supervised.’ ’
I
PORTLAND OBSERMER
115 <O» one y«/»r
•2 5 for tw o years
8o« 3137 Portland OR 9?20B
Mr»
S illi
i i a
Portland Observer
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ei'oai
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Tba P urtU nd (X u r r v ir w m mtafcfcahed a» 1920
MEMBER
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A lfred L. Henderson. E ditor/Publisher
A! Williams, General Manager
288 0033
N a tio n a l A d v e rtis in g R ap ra s a n ta tiv a
A m a lg a m a te d P u b lis h e r* Inc
N a w York
Sales tax unfair
To the Editor,
I am a senior o l 73 years justifiably
concerned about this new tax lX<es il
help me? Equally im portant, docs il
help mine?
Had I a lot o f houses or other prop
erties and neither need nor inclination
for new furnishings, cars nor accou-
lermenis, then I would most certainly
be among the gainers. In last I have
only one house, our home. And the
every day costs o f maintaining il. I ig-
unng this additional tax against what
ever properly tax rebel I'll be lucky io
break even.
Our children? Our soon to marry
grandchildren? How w ill il be with
them? Together we’ ve spent the allot-
cd years raising, educating, helping
our youngsters to what we thought a
belter life, an economically more se
cure future. So now I should sole to
saddle them with another tax?
They are the ones who must build
Ihe new homes, buy the new washers
and dryers, ihe cars none o f us can do
without, bring into the world the
next generation with pyramiding
costs o f hospital, clothes, and school.
Everything which makes an on going
America. Plus five perceni!
W h o ate ihe gamers.' w c oldsters
who mas oi mas not save a dollar?
Is ii we who own ihe media? Finance'
lbs' campaigns lot tai fix* mans Is'gis-
lali'is? Arc wc ills' one's who aic ill
Salem these davs seeking all kinds »>1
exemptions while in ills' same insiaiii
pushing lo r Sales la x passage? Ills '
ones planning io sei up a new bu
reaucracy — thirty m illion dollars o f
unproductive manpower? IX< ihe big
corporations ihmk that aficr 50 years
ol previous attempts that we can be
gulled? D ial media outpourings next
September, with elected officials
genuflecting in concert, can induce us
io vole against the welfare ot our
own kmd?
Wc oldsters ol all people should be
ills' surest to see through ilvctr selieines.
I’m certain we will.
BI V> L ABBEt I.. ( hair
( 'onsuimss Op/ntsing Salts las
Article disputed
To the Editor.
The story o f ihe conflicts w iih ihe
principal o f out schsx'l is a long and
painful one. Your article o f May 8 —
“ Harrison tired” — does noi help the
cause o f understanding. Il appears
that, although you use the words
"according to ihe church leader
ship," your reporter did not contact
ihe schixsl board, myself, or anyone
other than the principal There is al
ways more than one side lo a story.
Many pieces are missing in our one
sided account.
Our decision io not renew his con
tract (not a " fitm g " ) followed a long
history ol difficulties in working with
him and many aiiempts to mediate
ihose conflicts. Unfortunately, he
continues io carry on the conflict in
wavs dial serve no one's gixxl. Many
ol his statements were offensive and
unlair lo Si. Andrew Parish and io
ihose o f us involved in this personnel
issue. M t Harrison's claim, for ex
ample. dial " Ils ’ reasons were given,”
dial "due process was not involved"
and that he has a grievance, would
not hold up d you wete to talk io
school boaid members and Archdio
cesan school officials.
t J AMES C O LLM A N
Pastor, St. Andrew
Include U.S.
To the Editor.
The C ity Council should pass ihe
ordinance io declare Portland a nu
clear free zone. Although this o rd i
nance, by prohibiting nuclear weapon
production locally, w ill not end the
war drive, it is an important step,
both symbolically and in actuality.
Bui it’s effect both as a symbol and as
a law, is negated by exempting the
U.S. government from us strictures.
It is the U.S. government who is the
primary international user and prolif-
erator o f nuclear weapons, from
Hiroshima to the l(XX o * .sarheads on
European soil to Star Wars. The o r
dinance should be passed with the de
letion o f the language exempting ihe
U.S. government from its provisions.
The U.S. governmeni, above all,
should be prohibiied fr *m nuclear
weapon production in Portland
A D B IE N N E W E LLEB
Radical Women