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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 1985)
Page 2, Portland Observer, August 7, 1905 Urban Violence EDITORIAL/OPINION Survey indicates racism of Police by Jerry Gamer The recent survey by the Oregonian Newspaper o f 220 police officers re veals (he degree o f racism that is w ith in the Portland Police Bureau C iti zens o f Portland (especially Black c iti zens who are victims o f racism) should be concerned about the a tti tude o f many officers in the Depart ment. Some o f the findings are not sur prising. Tor example. 38 percent o f the officers thought the firin g o f two officers who sold the " D o n 't Choke 'Em. Smoke ’ E m " T-shirts had a neg ative impact on police morale, 89.4 percent indicated that racial prejudice is not a common attitude among the Department staff. 25.4 percent stated that to increase morale C hief H arring ton should be replaced, and 62 per cent thought the Department should not offer training to increase the ra cial sensitivity o f officers. Also, 43.1 percent agreed and 42.1 percent strongly agreed that the use o f the Carotid H old was justified in the Stevenson case. However, some findings from the survey were quite surprising. Tor ex ample, 74.7 percent o f the officers thought the " D o n ’ t Choke ’ Em. Smoke 'Em T-shirt incident was a harmless prank that was blown out o f proportion by the media, 90 percent o f the officers agreed that Stan Pet ers’ statements about recent events were representative o f the feelings o f police. 5.5 percent thought it was un- fair and 5.0 percent thought it was very unfair fo r the Grand Jury not to indict in the Stevenson case, and 63.6 percent felt it was very unfair for Chief H arrington to fire the tw o o ffi cers who made the T-shirts. —Overall, the survey indicates that many male officers on the Police Bu reau are racist. Over 85 percent o f the officers agreed that the Carotid Hold was justified in the Stevenson case. In spite o f the fact that testimony during the inquest proved that the force used was excessive and unwarranted. ALso, 62 percent o f the officers stated the Police Bureau should not offer train ing to increase the racial sensitivity o f officers. —The killing o f Black citizen* by the police is not important and should not receive media coverage. Almost 98 percent o f the officers staled that Stevenson would not have received as much media atention if he had been white. According to 38 percent, the most negative impact on police moral was the firing o f the two officers who made the T-shirts. While only 12.8 percent thought Stevenson's death made a negative impact on morale. —Citizens do not have the right to question the action o f police. Nearly 90 percent o f the respondents stated they agreed with Stan Peters, Police Union President, on his statements about recent events. Besides the ac tions o f those officers involved in racist or criminal activities, Peters has done more harm to the public image o f police officers. Tor 90 percent o f the officers to agree with Peters’ state ments concerning recent events in the C ity is an indication o f the serious internal problem o f the Police Bu reau’s rank and file officers. Peters has repeatedly showed his dislike towards Black community leaders, Mayor Clark and Chief H arrington. — There are few officers on the force who don’ t agree with the ma jo rity rank-and-file officers. For ex ample. 10.5 percent o f the officers though the Grand Jury’ s decision to not indict in the Stevenson case was unfair or very unfair. Also. 24.4 per cent thought the Department should offer training to increase the racial sensitivity o f officers. Another 4.1 percent thought the firin g o f the two officers in the T-shirt incident was in order While 10.6 percent were sur prised that the Grand Jury d id n 't in dict any o f the officers involved in the death o f Stevenson. Although the last figures are small in comparison, citizens o f Portland should be glad to know there arc still a few officers on the Bureau who arc prolessonal and concerned about the recent tragic events that have occurred in the City. These officers realize there arc serious problems between tlic police and the community (espe- lally the Black community), and w ith in the Police Bureau itself. However, judging from the police survey, these problems w ill not disappear soon. Ahtng the C o lo r L i n t by D r M anning Marable On the night o f June 12, 1985, two incidents occurred in New York which represent the terror and tragedy o f police and civilian racist violence. At approximately 9:30 p.m ., a plain clothes police officer shot and killed a 17-year-old Black man in Manhat tan’s Upper West Side. The while officer, Lee Van Houton, claimed that the victim and another compan ion assaulted him in an attempted robbery. After an investigation. Van Houten was cleared. But many disturbing questions were left unanswered, the victim, Edmund E. Perry, had graduated only two weeks before the incident from Phillips Exeter Academy. He was employed a a Wall Street broker age house this summer; this autumn he was to begin college at Stanford University. Perry had no criminal record, had never used drugs, and was "a very sensitive and endearing per so n ," according to his teachers. "W h y would a young Black man on his way up attempt to rob anyone?" asked attorney C. Vernon Mason, shortly after Perry’s death. "B u t if he did, why was deadly force used to stop a 17-year-old with no criminal record and no weapon?” One hour later, four Black youth between the ages o f 14 to 18 entered a small B nxiklyn grocery store. None were armed, but one teenager was drinking a bottle o f soda which he liad brought from home. The store- owner, A ll Nagi, demanded to know which o f the youths intended to pay for the drink W hen none o f the teen agers agreed to do so, Nagi pulled a by Steven Bailey, N D. and To the Editor, On Tuesday, August 13, voters have a chance to pass a three-year aerial levy for Portland Community College. Die college needs the addi tional three and a half m illion to con tinue operating classes at the same level and to repair buildings. In addition to more than 80 voca tional programs and classes that transfer to other colleges and univer sities, Portland Community College teaches basic classes fo r people who didn't finish high school or d idn't really learn how to read. The additional S3.5 m illion each year w ill cost an average homeowner (with a $60,000 home) $3.55 a month. W ithout the additional dollars the college w ill need to cut more than 400 classes. Many o f these w ill be eve ning classes and support fo r students, such as jo b placement and child care. Please go vote "y e s " on the P ort land Com m unity College levy Au gust 13. DR H O H A R D C H ERR Y To the Editor. I would like to correct several mis leading or incorrect statements made in your July 17 article. "Repression o f Talashas in Israel." Contrary to the article's introduc tion, the Israeli government began aiding the black Jews o f Ethiopia (Talashas) in 1977 (N Y Times, 1-4-85) — not. as you reported, "o n ly re cently.” The aid, however, was ham pered by the lack o f diplomatic rela- tioiis w ith Israel forced on African nations by the Arab oil boycott o f 1973. It was only in the midst o f mas sive starvation that Sudan agreed to allow Israel planes to land, to aid in the humanitarian evacuation o f the remaining Talashas The article’s initial claim — that Talashas are being discriminated against because they must undergo a symbolic conversion to Judaism — is also wrong. Talashas are fu ll Jews, as recently reaffirm ed by both chief Rabbis o f Israel ( A T T 7-23). No such symbolic conversion is necessary The article’s assertion that Talashas have been confined to "reabss rption centers” (actually absorption centers), and receive “ no type o f preparation for entering into Israeli life " is clearly incorrect to anyone who knows any thing about Israel or the amount o f mobilized support for the Talashas. Absorption centers are not for "c o n finem ent;" rather, it is at such centers where new immigrants (o/i/n) — both black and white — arc given medical care and where other basic human needs are met. Tor most o f the Ta lashas, it is the first such care they have ever received. It is where they will learn a trade from classes spoil sored by OR T (Organization for Re habilitation through Training), or any o f (he two dozens o f job centers or government classes easing Talashas into Israeli life. Here again, the a rti cle’s claim is wholly inaccurate. A t least part o f the article's prob lem is that it d idn't name a single source. Not one! The article instead bases its "re p o rtin g " on “ more and more newspaper accounts" — which is not exactly a bedrock o f documen tation. In addition, the article is a translation from a Mexican (!) news paper which d idn't even do its own reporting! This is hearsay and ex tremely poor journalism. Despite these difficulties, however, the article raises several issues which arc problematic and deserve to be discussed. The controversy over whether to settle Talashas on the West Bank is clearly o f primary importance. Polls indicate that most Israelis oppose such Talasha settlements pending direct negotiations between Israel and Jordanians/Palcstimans. Many Israe lis in the government similarly sup port such a moratorium and efforts should bed made to bolster that sup port. The article also mentions a March 9th incident at the W ailing Wall where Talashas were repelled by "g u a rd s." In fact, the Talashas were pushed back by members o f Neuterei Karta, an untra-orthodox group of Jewish zealots. Fortunately, most Israelis reject the Neuterei Karta — as all communities should reject their own religious extremists. A ll o f this is not to say that inte grating Talashas into Israeli life will be easy. However, these problems are considerably different and more com plex than the simple image o f "re pression" promoted in your headline. The reality exists that both racism and anti-Semitism must be dealt with whereve they occur; at the same time, righteousness and true acts of compassion and charity should also be recognized Israel has aided those suffering from Ethiopian starvation and oppression in a way that can serve as a moral model for the rest of the world. Tactually incorrect and misleading articles such as the one you printed only serve to obscure that vision. MARC LO H EN TH AL men were finally forced to resign In Portland, Oregon, last A p ril, a 31 sear old Black man, Lloyd D. Stevenson, Jr., as killed in a scuffle with two officers. One policeman had applied a “ sleeper" hold to Steven son, and blood to the brain was cut o ff. When Portland Police Chief Penny E. Harrington banned the "sleeper,” two outraged officers prepared and distributed T-shirts with the logo, “ D on't Choke ’ Em, Smoke ’ Em .” Given this kind o f police re action, it is not surprising that store- owners in urban areas may acquire a Bernard Goetz mentality — “ smoke 'em ,” shoot first and ask questions later A grand jury refused to indict the officers who killed Stevenson, but his family is currently suing the city for $15 million. Poverty, unemployment, poor schools, drugs and the breakdown o f neighborhood and cultural institu tions are the root causes o f street crime. If we spent $30 billion on jobs and schixils instead o f the M -X mis sile and other weapons systems, we'd cut urban violence significantly. But we must also support the creation o f tough civilian controls over the po lice; the establishment o f residency requirements for police; the introduc tion o f more women and minorities into the ranks and leadership; and the use o f citizen’s commissions and special prosecutors' offices to check police violence. Dr. Manning Marable teaches p o litical sociology at Colgate Univer sity. Ham ilton, N. T. Elealthwatch Letters to the Editor The Observer welcomes tellers to the editor, t ellers should be typed o r neat ly printed and signed wdh the author's name and address taddresses are not published) H e reverse the right to edit f o r length. M ail to Portland < ibserser. P O . Box 3137. Portland. OR 9720ft. gun from behind the counter. Two teenagers directly in front o f Nagi were shot and killed instantly. The storeowner then leaped from the counter to chase the other teenagers. One youth was killed, and the fourth wounded Neighbors informed police that the young Black men were not "troublem akers." But now three are dead over a 65 cent soft drink What creates police and civilian violence? The Reaganites and law- and-order addicts claim that the po lice simply require a freer hand to check urban violence against individ uals and property. Certainly the Black community, as a whole, is unsympa thetic to rapists, vandals, burglars, and other criminals who prey on the poor and working people. But the distinction between fair law enforce ment vs. excessive force is frequently blurred, and often totally forgotten. In New York City last year, about 6,700 complaints against police ex cessive force were filed, 10 percent more than in 1983. f ive officers were forced to resign several weeks ago for beating and assaulting suspect with an electric stun gun. But these problems aren't confined to New York ( ity. In San Trancisco last year there were approximately 2,300 civilian complaints against the police The city pays over $1 m illion per year in claims against the police. In one outrageous recent incident, for example, tw o officers claims that a man on a bus made an obscene finger gesture at them. The police ran onto tlie bus, dragged the man into the street, and beat him. The two police- la s t week I began this article on natural childbirth and the Oregon Gentle Birthing Project workshop by Michel Odent, M D Today I will concentrate on the philosophy and practice o f Dr. Odent Dr. Odent, presently on a world speaking tour and sabbatical, has de livered thousands o f babies in as nat ural settings as possible. While he delivers the babies in a state hospital, he has done much to influence this en vironment to favor a relaxed expe rience. There arc many differences from the “ n o rm a l" hospital birth that can be expected at Pithivier hospital From the initial visit the mothers know that their birth will not include drug unless absolutely necessary (i.c. " C " section). The entire process w ill emphasize healthy and relaxed a tti tude both for the expectant mother and throughout the birth team. The colors o f the walls are earth brown and cream, the lights in non-surgical rooms are less intense and may dim to complete darkness as per the m oth er's wants. A hot tub is available to help relaxation and case discomfort during early labor. The entire environment em braces Dr. Odent’s understanding o f a gentle and healthy birth space. A d ditional stress, stimulation and/or interference by the birth team w ill, according to Odent, interfere with the hormonal and protaglandin secre tion which help read the mother's uterus and birth canal for delivery. His practice is one that assumes a liealthy birth w ill occur, until it be comes obvious that intervention is necessary. Dr. Odent said in his recent P ort land workshop: "W h a t they leach in med school is not im portant,” as it changes yearly. He writes in his book, Birth Reborn: The medical establishment repeat- edlv cites the "risk fa c to r " — the legitimate concern f o r the safety o f mother and child — to ju s tify the wholesale "m edicalization" o f the birth process and to discredit all alter natives, whether home births, b irth ing centers outside the hospital, or in- hospital maternity units such as Puhi- vjers. But it is not at all clear that this approach — which involves the wide spread use o f sedatives, a rtificia l hor mones to stimulate labor, epidurals and other anesthesia, forceps, and the daily performance o f caesareans has lowered the "nsk factor, ” since much o f this medical intervention actually introduces new risks More over, this emphasis on high-nsk cases poorly serves the interests o f the vast m ajority o f women, who hase "n o r Adam I add. N. D m a l" pregnancies and deliveries Unfortunately, most doctors are fa r more interested in sickness than in health Thev assume that good health is merely the absence o f illness. -Is a result, doctors and medical students frequently address obstetrics only as * it pertains to pathology, thev spend most o f their time preparing fo r all the aw ful things that could go wrong during pregnancy anil childbirth Students learn a ll about placenta /irevia and acute toxemia, but bv the time they are doctors, thev hase learned little about the physiology o f normal labor and are ignorant o f the perfectly common factors which might m odify the process without being cause fo r alarm or intervention The end result is that b irth itself, every both, <s seen as a potential problem While Dr. Oden does perform “ C ” sections when needed, his hos pital's rate o f under 7 percent o f total births is around one-third the U.S. average. Other areas o f medical inter vention are even more remarkably diminished: episiotomies arc rare (vs 90 + percent o f U.S. deliveries) and forceps have not been used at Pithiviers since 1963. forceps, which, he writes, "belong in museums” are basic to the practice o f having a wo man lie supine (on her back) rather than in more natural equating or supported position. The filia l unique aspect o f Dr. Odem's practice is his pre natal pro gram. Unlike current concepts ol pre-natal care. Dr. (Went minimally emphasizes lab work, and shows a nearly complete disinterest in n u tri tion. The primary pre-natal program is the weekly singing session in which expectant mothers and fathers sing and interact with other parents, young children, grandparents, etc., in a session designed to broaden the “ nu clear fa m ily " and encourage the real ity, as shared by his fam ily fam ily, that birth can be a natural, healthy experience. Next week: A local m idwife's view Vote YES PCC 3-year Serial Levy August 13 Measure Number 26-1 Jimmy Smith Boycott called off Portlanders Organized for Sou thern African freedom (POSAT) called o ff its cultural boycott o f jazz organist Jimmy Smith after receiving an eleventh hour communique staling Mr. Smith had been removed from the cultural boycott list, a representa tive for l ‘< )S A I s.mi The United Nations’ Centre Against Apartheid informed POSAT that M r. Smith's name had been re moved from the register but the U.N. had made a mistake and had not placed his name on the list o f those pledged not to perform in South A f rica, POSAF said Furthermore, POSAT said, "S m ith is now involved with Artists and A th letes Against Apartheid in trying to convince others to apologize and not perform there again." POSAF said the organization was sorry the mistake had occurred. _____ point. Portland Observer ___________ '.«I ¥ H ' • S Nothing succeeds like failure f ■J r Oregon NrW Publishers Asso» sinon H C iH I™ si «• *‘r The Portland O tnrrser IU SPS 9»G 8t?i a published Thursday bv f« ie Publwhmg Company. Inc . 1463 N i XiMings worth Portland. Oregon 97211, Post Othca B o . 3137 Portland Oregon 97206 Second class postage pax) at Portland Oregon The Portland O bwrser was eslatrfished m 1970 C I» M W S x f» Iw Subscriptions m aster member M W p W »15 00 per year m the Tn County area Post Sent) address change» to the Portland Observer. P 0 288 0033 Bo« 3137. Portland Oregon 97208 er Xttocitiion - founded IM S A lfre d I Henderson, E d ito r/P u b lish e r A I H dhams, General Manager N a tio n a l A d v e rtis in g R e p re s e n ta tiv e A m a lg a m a te d Pub iiahara inc N e w York