Page 10. Portland Observer, July 31, 1906
P o lic e o v e ru s e o f fo rc e
Healthwatch
(Continued fro m Page 2, Col. 6/
by Steven Bailey. N. D and
of those shot by police in seven cities
during (he 70s were Black. James
Fyfe revealed what seems to be a
contradictory result. Studying police
shootings occurring over a five-year
peruxl in New York. 1971-1975. Fyfe
saw shootings that stemmed from in
cidents in which officers were assault
ed. It seems that Blacks were involved
in weapon assaults on officers.
Police as a general rule do not
shoot college professors, physicians,
infants or shopkeepers.
The Black group of citizens arc in
poverty and have the poorest form
of political representation. They do
not enjoy the same rights as the white
population. I f a Black citizen is
gunned down by police, his constitu
tional rights are taken away. He is
not guaranteed the right of due proc
ess if he is dead.
Com m unity and Ita Fear
Throughout this country Blacks
have fear of police. They see police
officers as crazy, gun-wielding cow
boys, quick to shoot or attack citi
zens without due cause.
It is unfortunate, but the white
community should be very alarmed
about what happened to M r. Steven
son in the city o f Portland. This kind
of police killing of Blacks has existed
fix over 200 years. Many o f the major
cities throughout the United States
have done very little to curb the over
use o f deadly force.
W ith the lack o f education and
economic disadvantages, there will
continue to be a greater increasing
number o f Blacks caught up in (he
criminal justice system.
Over the years, law enforcement
agencies have had a policy o f covering
up any use of deadly force involving
their officers. Some are guilty o f mur
der These men will cither be suspend
cd for a period o f time or asked to re
sign. On very few occasions have
these men been brought up on crim
mal charges.
Humiliating Effects
The psychological effect o f what
bad seeds do to police departments is
devastating. These bad police officers
give (he Black community the im
pression that the average officer is
racist. The professional officers that
are trying to do a good job are blan
keted with the same label.
Many times these good officers
find themselves acting out that label
since the citizens think they are bad
anyway.
Pressure on the officer sometimes
is overwhelming to bear the brunt of
what some bad cops have done The
psychological
embarrassment
of
wearing the badge brings on more
stress when the community becomes
fearful o f the officer.
Most professional police officers
seek the respect and admiration of the
general public.
W ho said “ Justice will triumph?”
Who said "Justice for all?” As police
officers operate in a society that is un
fair to a minority group because of
skin color, they must acknowledge
to themselves that there is institution
alized discrimination.
He will have to search within him
self and throw away perceptions of
stereotype ideals about Blacks that
liavc dampened his subconscious for
so many years. 1 earning to focus in
on the actual criminal or the real
potential suspect is the part of polic
ing that needs to be addressed. Treat
ing citizens with unfounded suspicion
has no merit. The American police
departments must overcome the un
equal treatment o f its citizens. W ith
large segments of minority commun
ities growing at alarming rates, so is
the growth of frustration and tension.
If behaviors do not change, this gen
eration will experience a tribulation of
violent confrontations. It will be up
to that professional officer to separate
himself from the racist attitude of the
general society. His judgment in the
field must reflect fairness and decency
until the departments as a whole de
velop
a
professional
structure
throughout all of its agencies.
Adam Ladd. N. D
New childbirth ideas feature natural methods
"W hen millions o f men have
touched a newborn baby, we’ll be in a
new society."
- Mlchal Odent M O . July M. 19BB
I had the opportunity last week to
attend an all-day workshop conduct
ed by one o f (he world's most famous
promoters o f natural childbirth. Dr.
Michel Odent, who heads the obstet
rics departments of Pithiviers Gen
eral Hospital in France, calls him
self a "radical,” yet has produced
one of the finest birth records in mod
em society.
While he emphasizes a return to
more “ natural conditions,” he adds
that many current medical practices
actually help cause the need for the
invasive and traumatic management
of birth common to most American
and European hospitals. W hile he
freely admits that Caesarian Sections
have saved thousands o f lives, he feels
and his record shows that way too
many " C ” sections result from cur
rent practices.
Dr. Odent was brought to Port
land by the Oregon Gentle Birth
Project, a group o f doctors and mid
wives who plan to I ) lower infant
mortality by 50 percent within the
next two years, and 2) help bnng
healthier and happier babies into the
world. The Gentle Birth Project ad
mits that the first goal is huge, but
feel that principles such as Dr. Odent
as well as other pre-natal work can
produce much better mortality statis
tics than currently found in American
hospitals.
Bob Doughton, M .D ., obstetrician
from St. Vincent’s Hospital, and one
of the founding members of the O re
gon Project, served as moderator for
the workshop, and explained some o f
his views (hat are leading him to a
more natural approach toward birth.
While Dr. Doughton has been in
charge o f over 20,000 hospital births,
he has only recently begun doing
home deliveries, and manifests a
philosophy quite dissimilar to his
peers. His membership (with Dr.
Odent and Dr. Freud, grandson of
Sigmond) in the North American
Society for peri natal psychology has
led him to such statements as the
"baby is in control o f the case" rather
than the current belief that the doctor
should control the birth, which m ir
rors some of the principle text o f Dr.
Odent’s workshop.
Dr Odent began his practice in a
small French hospital 23 years ago.
As he was the only person in the town
who could do " C " sectons, he im
mediately became quite active in ob
stetrics. Over the years he has left
the role o f "con tro l" and now seeks
to "help the mothers” with the least
disturbance o f their privacy and thus
the optimal natural environment.
He is quick to point out that in nature
animals will seek out a quite dark area
to give birth, and that the high level
of stimulation and activity found in
hospitals will actually interfere with
the natural production of hormones
and prostaglandins that serve to pro
mote a painless and healthy birth.
Pointing out that the current po
sition o f birth (laying on one's back)
is a remnant of Louis the I4th , who
demanded that the doctors place his
wife in a position that gave him a full
view of the delivery. While this posi
tion was not developed through scien
tific reasoning it has remained
(thanks to Louie’s ego) for 300 years.
Dr. Odent points out that not only do
you lose the assistance of gravity
but that this position results in the
baby's weight being located directly
over the mother's primary arteries
which supply the blood for the uterus
needed for labor. Therefore, he feels
that this position is one o f (he most
unnatural positions for birth. He
allows each mother to choose the
position(s) in which they feel most
comfortable (which is usually a semi-
squatting position).
There are many "radical" ideas in
Dr. Odent's philosophy, which are
brought out in his two books. Birth
Reborn and Entering the World.
Some o f these ideas include the use of
warm baths during stage one of labor,
letting the mother maintain her pri
vacy, avoidance o f all unnecessary
stimulation, no pain medications and
weekly singing groups for the expect-
and mothers. These concepts will be
covered next week, and will be fol
lowed by an article by Sarah taylor, a
local midwife from Northeast Port
land. Until next week, may yours
be a healthy and happy life.
VIRGINIA SLIMS
Bicycle fatalities
on the rise
Bicycle related fatalities nationwide
increased by over seven percent dur
ing 1984, according to Thomas P.
McGuigan, Bicycle Coordinator for
Multnomah County. McGuigan cited
statistics just released by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administra
tion. In 1984 bicycle fatalities totalled
900, while 819 deaths were reported in
I9HJ
"Unfortunately," McGuigan stat
ed, “ the study did not speculate on
the cause o f the increase in bicycle re
lated deaths. However, there are
measures that can be taken by both
motorists and bicyclists to reduce the
chance of an accident." He offered
these safety tips.
Bicyclists can increase their safety
by:
— Being predictable, th is includes
obeying all traffic signs and signals.
Under state law, cyclists must stop at
stop signs and red lights. Bicyclists are
also required to ride with the flow of
traffic. Riding against traffic is a
leading cause of accidents. Riding in
a straight line is safer than weaving in
and out between parked cars. In slow
traffic, such as in downtown areas,
cyclists are better o ff riding in the
middle of the lane where they are
more visible. Bicycle riders should
also use hand signals when turning
and they should not pass cars on the
right.
— Being alert. When riding next to
parked cars, watch out for opening
dorrs and cars pulling out. It is wise
to ride three feet away from parked
cars. Keep both hands ready to brake.
Riding "no-hands" shows you can
balance a bicycle (something most
people can do), but it doesn't demon
strate your common sense. Watch for
road hazards such as railroad tracks,
potholes, gravel and others. Scan
ning the road behind you and estab
lishing eye contact with drivers will
add to a cyclist's safety.
— Being equipped. Wear a hard
shell helmet! Many bicycle accidents
involve head injuries that could have
been avoided with a helmet. Make
sure your bike is well equipped and in
gixxl repair. Front and rear lights are
required at night. Be sure to lock
your bike with a U-shaped high secur
ity lock.
Motorists can help make bicycling
safer and more enjoyable by:
— Sharing the road. Bicyclists are
considered vehicles under state law
and they have the same rights to the
road as other vehicles.
— Passing carefully. It is not always
possible for bicyclists to ride next to
the curb because of road hazards that
motorists may not even be able to
see. W ait until you can pass safely, al
lowing at least three feet between your
car and (he bike. I f you can't pass
right away, be patient.
— Turning carefully, lo o k for
bikes when turning or changing lanes.
Bicycles can travel surprisingly fast,
so don't try to cut in front of them.
— Watching for bicycles. Before
opening your car door or pulling out
from the curb, look for a bicycle
coming down (he road.
— Respecting cyclists. It is often
safer for a bicyclist to be in the mid
die o f the lane, especially at intersec
tions and in slow moving traffic, so
don’t yell at them or blow your horn
— they have a right to be there.
" I f motorists and bicyclists watch
for each other, respect each other,
and follow the rules o f the road."
stated M r. McGuigan. " I am confi
dent we can reverse the trend of in
creasing bicycle related accidents."
For more information on bicycling
in Multnom ah County, contact the
Multnomah County Bikeways Pro
gram at 248-3998.
Ybu've come a long way, baby.
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W arning The Surgeon G eneral Has D eterm in ed
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