Page 4, Portland Observer. June 5, 1986
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Just-Us once again
The refusal o f the Grand Jury to return an
indictment in the police killing o f Lloyd “ Tony”
Stevenson slaps justice right in the face and dis
tributes his blood evenly on the hands o f the
Police Commissioner, Police CHief and the Dis
trict Attorney.
Every third-year law student knows that the
D.A. controls the grand jury and the D.A. can
get an indictment anytime he sees fit.
District Attorney Michael Schrunk refused to
break ou, o f the definition o f being the cop’s
attorney, so when it came time to prosecute the
police for incompetence, racism, and brutality,
Schrunk neglected his responsibility to all Port
landers by representing jus, the boys in blue.
We would be jus, as biased, irresponsible and
ignorant as the D.A. if we were to suggest that
the actions o f Barbour and Pant ley were repre
sentative o f the Police Bureau. But the system
perpetuates their racism and foul-ups by cover
ing up for them. Thus, the D.A. has aided and
abetted criminals.
Where is the charge o f perjury when Barbour
lied about checking Stevenson’s pulse? Where
is the reprimand or charge o f insubordination
when Barbour incorrectly applied the sleeper
hold while Stevenson was standing? Why aren’t
impeachment proceedings started against Dr.
Richard Ganner who revised the old regressive,
racist theory that it ’s hard to tell if Blacks are
no, breathing because we do no, turn pink?
District Attorney Michael Schrunk never
questioned or challenged this racism or perjury.
And we will remember him at the polls.
The inconsistency o f Penny Harrington’s po
lice force should frighten all Portlanders as indi
vidual officers are allowed to break perform
ance standards at will.
It’s unthinkable how an officer can be fired
for creating and distributing T-shirts (Don’t
Choke ’em. Smoke ’em) while officers involved
in the wrongful death o f a citizen are back on
the force sucking up our tax dollars.
We fear the criminals and we must be very
cautious with the police. Who do you call when
justice, once again, means Just-Us!
A \
f:i
COME SEE
OUR EXCELLENT SELECTION-
NEW&USED
U.S. helping South Africa
Along the C olor Line by D r M anning M arable
The debate over foreign investments
in South Africa has escallaied in recent
months, as well over one million
Americans have participated in hun
dreds o f “ Free South Africa Move
ment" protests, campus and labor
union demonstrations. Both defend
ers and opponents o f U.S. invest
ments in South Africa frequently
share two basic beliefs: ( I ) the system
of apartheid is morally repugnant and
indefensible on social, political and
economic grounds; and <2) no mailer
what Americans do or think about
apartheid, the Black people o f South
Africa are and will be the decisive
factor in the inevitable abolition of
the present white minority regime.
These are N O T universally-shared
positions. Secretary o f State George
Shultz, in a recent speech before the
National Press Club, declared that
"apartheid must go. . . it is a system
contrary to all that we stand for as a
nation." But Chester A. Crocker.
Assistant Secretary o f Slate for A fri
can A l fairs, has also slated, "in
South Africa it is not our task to
choose between black and while. . .
the Reagan administration has no
intention of destabilizing South A fri
ca. . .’ ’ O r as one of President Rea
gan’s lop African advisers declared in
laic 1980, "T he problem with Reagan
is that all he knows about Southern
Africa is that he’s on the side o f the
whiles."
I f we can accept the two proposi
tions above, a constructive debate
can be held on the issue of divestment.
One rather weak argument against
economic disengagement
is that
American investments comprise a rel
atively small part o f total foreign in
vestments in South Africa, and/or
that such investments are not crucial
to the regime’s survival. Actually,
over 6.000 U.S. firms do some busi
ness with South Africa. By early 1983,
direct American investment reached
$2.8 billion, roughly 20 percent of the
country's total foreign investments.
U.S. based investors also control over
$8 billion in shares in apartheid mines,
and another $3.8 billion in loans to
South African companies have been
made by U.S. banks. Most experts
state that the total U.S. financial
connection with apartheid amounts
to roughly $15 billion. According to
researcher Elizabeth Schmidt, "U .S .
companies control the most vital
sectors o f the South African econ
omy: 33 percent o f the motor vehicle
market, 44 percent o f the petroleum
products market, and 70 percent of
the computer market.” American
computers run the Johannesburg
Slock Exchange, and help to manage
the oppressive "pass law " system.
Goodyear and Firestone sell tires to
the regime, some o f which are used
for police vehicles This ongoing irans-
fer o f "U .S . technology and exper
tise” according to Schmidt is “ help
ing South Africa to become strate
gically self-sufficient,” and thus less
resistant to American pressures for
democratic change and internal re
forms.
A more popular argument is the
view that U.S. investment can be a
force for democratic social change.
Between 1977 and 1983, 145 Am eri
can companies agreed to follow a set
o f voluntary employment guidelines
drafted by an Afro-American, the
Res. Leon Sullivan. In brief, the
“ Sullivan Principles” originally ad
vocated "desegregation o f the w ork
place, fair employment practices,
equal pay for equal work, job training
and advancement, and improvement
in the quality o f workers' lives.” If
every company in South Africa strict
ly followed the Sullivan Principles to
the letter, apartheid would still exist,
but the system would receive a sharp
blow.
Dr. M anning M arable teaches p o
litical sociology a l Colgate University,
Hamilton, New York. "Along the
Color Line '' appears in over IdO news
papers internationally.
Divestiture update
by Rhys Scboles
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N e w Y ork
Oregon moved one step closer to
severing its lies with South Africa
when the State House o f Representa
tives approved legislation calling for
divestment. House Bill 2001 would
remove Oregon's public investment
funds from some o f the banks and
corporations doing business in South
Africa.
Approved by the House on a 34-25
vote, the bill represents a significant
compromise from the proposal orig
inally introduced in February While
the original bill would have divested
from all corporations with South
African involvement, this measure
only affects those companies which
fail to adhere to the Expanded Sulli
van Principles which guide corporate
conduct. Companies which sell m ili
tary or computer equipment to the
South African government would
also be divested.
The House action moves the bill to
the Oregon Senate. A public hearing
will be held before a Senate commit
tee, followed by a vote o f the full
body I f the Senate approves, the bill
will go to the Governor for his sig
nature.
The fight for divestment began in
February o f this year when State
Representative Margaret Carter (Dis
trict 18 /N E Portland) introduced
the legislation. She was supported in
this action by many organizations
around the state including Portland
ers Organized for South African
Freedom and the Oregon Rainbow
Organizing Committee. The Rainbow
got involved early, raising money to
bring expert witnesses for hearings,
hiring a lobbyist/organizer, and
working to encourage attendance at
public hearings.
The first public hearing on House
Bill 2001 was held on A pnl 3, before
the House Human Resources Com
mittee. M ore than 300 people attend
ed, forcing a move to a larger hearing
room, and eventually overflowing
two rooms and into a third. They
heard testimony from economic ex
pert John Harrington o f the W orking
Assets money market fund. He testi-
fied that alternative investments are
available for state money and that
South Africa divestment would not
cause an economic hardship for the
Oregon. Investments could be made
in areas which would create jobs for
our jobless, and build homes for our
homeless. Investments could be made
slate. Dumisani Kumalo, a Black
in health care and in human services
South African now working for the or in alternative energy resources
American Committee on Africa in and conservation.”
New York City also testified. He
Representative M ary Alice Ford
challenged the notion that state in
(District 8/Beaverton) expressed her
vestments should be judged only
strong opposition to any large-scale
by their profitability and not by their
divestment. “ How can we, on the one
social impact. “ If that is the case,” he
hand, woo General Motors to estab
said, "then why not invest in por
lish a Saturn plant in Oregon, yet
nography or cocaine, for they are
tell General Motors that their stock
more profithle than racism.”
is unacceptable for Oregon invest
The House committee held several
ment?"
work sessions over a period o f weeks
Rep. Van Vliet responded to Rep
following the hearing. When support
resentative Ford and pointed out
for the original bill proved insuffi
that General Motors and other com
cient, Representative Tony Van Vliet
panies she mentioned would not be di
(District 35/Corvallis) offered the
vested under the plan in the majority
compromise language including the
report. "There is not going to be a
F.xpanded Sullivan Principles, The
jeopardy to the funds," he said.
amended bill passed out o f committee
on May 10 with Representative Eldon
Johnson
(District
51/M e d fo rd )
Lacking sufficient voles, the m i
serving notice that a minority report
nority report failed and the majority
would be introduced.
report came to the floor.
After several delays, the bill came
Beginning a period o f brief debate,
to the floor o f the House on M ay 24.
Representative M ike Burton (District
The first order of business was the
I7 /N o rth
Portland)
explained,
consideration o f the minority report.
“ What we are risking here is losing
Supported primarily by Republicans,
South Africa to more than you may
this substitute proposal embodied the
think. Because when the Black South
thinking o f the State Treasurer. Il
Africans finally do obtain the rightful
would have affected only the Public
majority role in their country, who
Employees Retirement System and
will they look to as having been
would have divested only the funds o f
their friends?” He urged support for
employees or retirees who requested
the bill.
specifically that their funds he di
Representative John Minnis (Dis
vested.
trict 20/Portland) spoke against the
Representative Jim H ill (District
hill He suggested that Blacks in
31/Salem) criticized the minority
South Africa have better living condi
report, calling it a “ weak statement"
tions than Blacks in other African
because "it lakes no action.” Calling
countries. He described South A f
divestment an issue o f “ freedom
rica's problem as the threat o f a C om
and decency,” he urged the House to
munis, take-over.
"send the strongest possible state
In the final vote on the bill, only
m ent." This action is needed, he said,
two Multnom ah County Representa
"to prevent another bloodbath."
tives voted no: They were Represent
Representative Carter discussed
ative Minnis, and Representative Ron
the financial aspects o f divestment,
M cCarty (District I6 /P o r,la n d ) O f
pointing out that “ South Africa-free
the 25 Representatives voting against
portfolios historically outperform
the bill, only iwo were Democrats —
South Africa-related portfolios” ac
Representative M cCarty and Repre
cording to expert research studies.
sentative A l Young (District 5/H tlls
She suggested that money could be
boro).
better invested "right here at home, in
f.m ir