I
Page 4, Portland Observer, June 26, 1906
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Dr. Frankenstein Brady
The actions o f Dr. W illiam Brady, the State
Medical Examiner, violates the public trust as
Brady was discovered practicing the medieval
horror — grave robbing.
Brady sold body parts and autopsy reports o f
deceased persons, and with funds deposited into
a checking account in his name, financed parties,
decorated his office and did landscaping. Iro n ­
ically, Brady wrote the statute that made it legal
to remove body parts fo r scientific research
w ithout consent from the families, thus proving
that just because it ’s legal, it ’ s not necessarily
right.
Brady’s actions reveal that he has the ethics o f
Dr. Frankenstein, as he used the funds to up­
grade the quality o f his office to benefit a few
county employees. One o f the list o f questions to
ask is, how did his personal checking account
continue fo r a decade undetected by M u ltn o ­
mah County?
Brady was earning a salary to perform a pub­
lic duty (overseeing the coroner’ s office). Here,
he sold p ituita ry glands, sections o f skin and
bones o f deceased persons, along with autopsy
reports. He used the funds to buy coffee, C hrist­
mas trees and God knows what. In essence,
Brady parties o ff the proceeds from the dead.
Just like a pim p who exploits the flesh o f the liv ­
ing, Brady pimped the flesh o f the dead.
What Brady did was disrespectful to the fam ­
ilies o f the deceased, bureaucratically depraved
and socially deplorable. But his actions will never
be reported w ith the intensity it deserves because
Brady is the darling o f the local mass media.
In the June 22nd edition o f P ortland’ s only
daily newspaper, the reporter called the street
where the morgue is located (in the A fro .American
community) decrepit, while treating Brady’s
improprieties with kid gloves. Well, there is
nothing decrepit about the street kitty-cornered
to American State Bank, nor one where M att
Dishman Com m unity Center, St. Phillips Epis­
copal Church and a warehouse fo r the public
library is located. The only thing decrepit are
those editors o f The Oregonian who allow words
to surface in their newspaper that reinforce rac­
ism. Residents in Northeast Portland should not
have to pay 25 cents to be insulted.
Brady got caught w ith his hands
jar and he should be disciplined
Jus, because he’s one o f the boys
Boy N e tw o rk" should no, excuse
in the cookie
accordingly.
in the “ Old
his violation
o f public trust fo r his personal satisfaction. In,
this instance the actions o f the State Medical Ex
amincr was unthinkable barbaric as he pimped
the dead by robbing the grave.
Ants dream movie or not
bv R obert L o th ia n
A t firs t, “ Where the Green Ants
Dream” seems like it's going to be
another wacky movie from German
director Werner Herzog.
But a few minutes in to the film
and it becomes apparent that some­
thing im portant is going on.
The film pits A ustralian aborig
ines trying to preserve their culture
against an avaricious m ining com ­
pany. We soon learn that what ap
pear to be thousands o f anthills from
the air are actually piles o f mine tail
ings from uranium exploration.
One morning a group o f aborigines
shows up to stop the mining. A n irate
Anglo bulldozer operator almost
covers them with dirt as they sit in the
way o f operations.
“ What do you w ant?," asks the
enraged racist.
“ There w ill be no more blasting
or digging here," because this is the
land where the green ants dream ,"
says a tribal elder
Incredulous, the cat driver sputters
and fumes, and stalks o ff muttering
racial epithets A call to headquarters
wood with indecipherable markings.
A native who is the last member o f his
tribe takes the stand. Nobody can
understand him because he is the
last to speak his language. Needless
to say, English common law wins out.
The film is at its best showing the
absurd clash o f cultures: A native
standing on the plane and measuring
Its wingspan with his spear, a circle o f
natives praying in the aisle o f a super
market.
The quiet, dignified aborigines
stand in stark relief to the slimy, racist
corporation people and the apologetic-
legal system.
No rhetoric here, cither. Just s im ­
ple, emotion-packed images — the
desolation o f the aborigines' habita
Hons, the glitter o f the city, the rac­
ism, the corporate political machine
It could be South A frica, Guatemala
or the Columbia River as well as Aus
tralia,
A t one point, the elder tells the
young geologist what native people
from Australia to Arizona to the
Columbia River are saying
that the
white man is destroying the balance
o f nature and w ill soon disappear
from the face o f the earth.
is necesary.
The rare green ant "dream s" the
universe, say the aborigines, who
believe that if it is disturbed the world
w ill end.
The aborigines set up camp and
prepare for a long wait. Corporate big
shots fly in and attempt to bribe them
without success. "W h a t do you really
w ant?," a young liberal geologist
asks the tribal elder.
"A re you a Christian?,” the elder
asks him. " I f a bulldozer came to
your church to dig it up, what would
you do?”
The corporation appeases the na
lives somewhat by giving them an
airplane which looks like a huge green
ant One o f the aborigines, who ap­
parently learned to Ils m the air force,
manages to get the plane in the a ir’
la te r, aborigines from the mountains
report seeing the wings o f a huge
green ant.
The natives persist in their block­
ade, and a court battle ensues which
points out the absurdity o f trying
such a case in a white court.
The aborigines enter into evidence
their most sacred object — a piece o f
whatever
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Practice fire safety at all times
Some people "gel away from it
a ll" in the winter, others in the sum­
mer And some lake a vacation when­
ever they can fit one in. Whenever
you go on vacation, whether it takes
you to a hotel or motel, review fire-
safety procedures with the family be
fore you leave home and when you
arrive.
Spectacular fires in hotels and mo­
tels have claimed or injured many
lives in recent years When you arrive
at a hotel or motel, ask the desk clerk
about fire safety features in the build­
ing: Are there smoke detectors? Does
the building have built-in protection
from sprinklers?
After checking into your room,
locate the two exit stairways nearest
it Make sure the doors to them are
unblocked and unlocked Remem­
ber: In case o f fire, never use eleva­
tors; an elevator may stop at the floor
where the fire is raging.
Count the doors between your
room and the exits. This way you'll
have a reference point if the corridor
becomes filled with blinding smoke.
I f there is a fire in your room, fo l­
low these steps:
• Get everyone out o f the room
immediately. D on’t stop to collect
bags and baggage. Close the d«x»r
tightly behind you. Head for the near­
est exit. Sound the fire alarm on the
way to alert others N otify the desk
clerk when you reach the lobby.
If the fire alarm sounds, act im ­
mediately. Don’t take time to investi­
gate. Follow these steps:
• Eeel the door. If it is cool to the
touch, open it slowly and go to the
nearest exit. Take your room key in
case you’ re forced to return to your
your room. I f the corridor is fillin g up
with smoke, crawl on hands and
knees; cleaner air is near the floor.
Remember to take your key in case
your escape route becomes blocked
and you have to return to your room
• I f the door is hot to the touch.
Applications taken for '86 scholarships
Foundation announces that appli
cations are now being taken for 1985
K6 scholarship awards for the 2 + 2 + 2
( «operative Honors Program in
Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science and Engineering
Particpant.s in the program com­
plete a two-year Associate o f Science
degree in Engineering at Portland
Community College, take upper
division
«’ision courses at the University o f
Science Degree in Electrical Engi­
neering, and continue at Oregon
(iraduate Center to receive a Master
o f Science and Engineering.
Eor acceptance in the program,
students must have a 3.5 high schixsl
grade point average overall and in
math and science if entering from
college. Students who meet these
qualificatons may apply fo r a schol-
arship
A<
Awards are made on the basis o f
financial need as well as academic ex­
cellence. Fourteen freshmen and six
sophomores have already been se­
lected for awards ranging from $430
to $1,515. Additional awards are
still available.
Students should apply to the En­
gineering Admission office at the
Sylvania C ampus, ST B 8. Applica
tion forms may he obtained from
Carol Grant in that office.
Newspaper Publisher convention
by Nathaniel Scott
SEATTLE — Julian Bond, state
senator from Ckxxgia, was the keynote
speaker at the Natxxial Newspaper
Publishers A vaxiatiixi’s 45th Annual
Convention held last week in Seattle
The Senator’s theme, for both the
Bhck publishers conference atxl the
press conference that foUowcd was the
Black press. He outlined the role the
press has played, and the role t l r press
must play, if Blacks are to receive justice
in America.
He told the 2U0 or so people gathered
at a noon luncheon Lhursday, " I want
to talk about the past and the future
(because) it’s important that we kxtk
hack as well as forward."
To underscore his point, the Senator
said, "There arc more poor Black pco-
pie in America today than 30 years
ago."
Aside from his legislative duties.
Senator Bond is also a journalist. He is
one of only two Black national col
lunrusLs in Amenta (William Raspberry
is tlx- other.) A txl while speaking direct
ly to the responsibility o f the Black press,
he said, “ In I960 no newspaper in At
lanta, Ga., would publish news alxxit
the student movement" until the Allan
ta Int/utrrr. a Black newspaper, began
giving people what they deserved: an un­
biased and iincvnstxcd account o f what
was taking place.
I he student movement. Sen. Ikxxl
said, was unrest It was part o f the social
change that «lemanded equality for
Blacks; the nght to vote; tlx- right to he
recognized as first-class citizens; the
right to enjoy the fruits o f a larxl where
Blacks have (ought and died since the
Resolutionars War
In another instance Sen Bond re-
membered Dr. W E. B DuBns' state­
ment: " I believe in God, Who made of
one blood all the nations o f the earth. . .
hut especially do I believe in the Negro
(Black) race."
"While our (Black people's) general
condition in 1985 has improved, our rel­
ative condition is getting worse," Sen.
Bixxl suul "It's a kind o f hopelessness
for most (Black people)."
He reminded the audience that "deep
ly nxXed in the A nm can axtsexxis
rxss e. the cixxept that d ry (white
America) have d tx r too much fix Black
|xx>pk- "
He .xklressed tlx- urrmpkrynxmt
rate am«xig Black youth, in stxne places
as lugli as 50 percent, as a problem that
stents from “ racial" roots. And he drew
attentKXi to a paradox of grave impix
lance.
He saxl we have c«xne from a presi
dent horn in Texas (Lyrxkxi B Johns« xi)
who had the cixirage to stand up fix civil
rights to i x r (Rixiald Reagan) who
uptxx-s everything. "Reagan intends to
eliminate affirmative action fix wixnen
and the poor," he added.
Ihc Senatix admixushed the people
fix reinstalling "an evil empire" four
sears ago when Ronald Reagan was
defied.
As a result o f d r President's policies,
he saxl, 'Thousands and tfxxisands of
Blacks .ire being pushed deeper and
deeper into poverty. The policies ot the
iPresxlent’s administration have the
sanr effect ixt the Blue k populatxxi as if
the (‘resident went into every hospital
and sht the throats o f all (he Black pa­
tients."
D r Senator admitted to thinking
about natuxial politics hut refused to he
more specific However, he did say,
"A ll Amencaris fact the danger o f d r
escalation o f the arms race." And he
challcngtd the Black press, which he saxl
is “ under capitalized," to take the side
of "people fighting against oppression."
He .xkkxl that the white media won’t
lure more Black journalists because
"there is no Big Brother kxsking over
their s h o u ld e rs A n d he warned the
Black cixnmumty that you can't depend
°n "Jesse Jackson" to do everything:
Black leadership must assume its respon­
sibility.
•
V
don't open it; the tire may be nearby
on the other side o f the door. Instead,
veal all cracks around the door with
wet towels. Turn o ff fans and air
conditioners. Call the fire department
and wait to be rescued. Remember to
call and give your room number and
the number o f occupants even i f you
see fire trucks below. Signal at the
window so they will sec you.
• I f smoke begins to fill the room,
open the window a little at the top and
bottom to circulate some fresh air.
Stay low to the floor. Covering your
nose and mouth with a wet cloth w ill
help filter the smoke when you
breathe.
The great number o f people who
stay in a hotel or motel while vaca­
tioning may never experience a fire.
But fires do happen in hotels and
motels. Eorget your troubles during a
vacation, but not fire safety behav­
iors. Learn Not To Burn A ll Through
the Year.
It’s distressing that the two largest
minorities in th i country are not more
aligned. Sen. Bond saxl, in referetxe
to Blacks and Hispanxs cohesivencss.
there has to be a steady line o f cixn-
munxatuxi between d r two groups, he
saxl.
In regard to Sixith Africa’s racist
regime and its apartlrxl policies, Sen.
Bixxl said "W e (the Amencan people)
tolerate the people who suppixted the
Nazis during W ixld War II It’s a hor
reixkxis situatxxi and we «night to get
out.”
Another DuBtxs quixe Sen. Bixxl
used, was, " I hdrse in liberty fix us all,
d r right to breathe, d r nght to vote; I
hdrse in pnde itself, (and I hclrvel
men may he bnxhers in Christ even
dxxigti d ry may mx he broihcrs in
soul.”
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