^ 0 * 2 . Portland Observer, September 4, 1905
'Economic recovery" nearing end
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Rev. Falwell biggest phoney
by Jerry G a rn e r
In that same sermon, Falwell preached that a
"curse” was put on Ham, the progenitor o f the
African, or Ethiopian, or colored race. According
to Falwell, Moscow was behind the Black C iv il
Rights movement in this country during the 60s.
In 1985 Falwell is also saying that the U.S.S.R.
is behind the struggle for Black equality in South
Africa.
The real Rev. Jerry Falwell was a segregationist
during the Black C iv il Rights movement. Says
Reverend James Price, an ordained minister and
professor at Lynchburg College, "F a lw e ll did a
great deal o f harm to racial harmony in this com
m unity. He announced the establishment o f an
all-W hite school in the Spring o f 1968. Through
out Falwell’s preaching, he stirred up suspicions
about church and political leaders who were sup
porting integration.”
The real Reverend Jerry Falwell believed in
"M a n ich cism ," the simple division o f the world
into good and evil. This view explains Falwell’ s
support fo r the repressive Pretoria government.
His belief that a curse was placed upon Ham, and
that evil Russia is behind the cursed Hamites’ re
sistance to A p a rth e id in South A fric a . Thus,
Apartheid is better than communism.
Now that you have met the real Reverend Jerry
Falwell, I will now answer the question, How can
Falwell support the system o f Apartheid? He is
a phony!
Reverend Jerry Falwell, leader o f a Christian
organization called the M oral M a jo rity, recently
visited South A frica . During his five-day visit to
that country, Falwell met w ith P. W . Botha,
South A frica ’s racist President. On returning from
his visit, Falwell called Black South African Bish
op and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu
a phony. Falwell also announced he would launch
a campaign to head o ff sanctions against Pre
toria's Barbaric m in o rity government. Falwell
stated, "he w ill urge millions o f Christians to buy
Krugerrands," the gold South African coin, "and
to reinves, in the country.”
Any person w ith decency must ask this ques
tion: How can a man like the Reverent Jerry Fal
well, who claims to represent God, support the
most racist and repressive government since Nazi
G erm any's A d o lf H itler? Before I answer the
above question, I must first introduce the real
Rev. Jerry Falwell.
In 1958, Rev. Jerry Falwell preached a p ro
segregation sermon from the Thomas Road Bap
tist Church. This is what he said from his pulpit
regarding the Supreme C o u rt’ s decision o f 1954
outlawing segregation in public schooLs: " I f Chief
Justice W arren and his associates had known
God's word . . . I am quite confident that the 1954
Decision (Brown vs. Board o f Education) would
never have been made."
'
E D IT O R I A L /C O M M E N T A R Y
Along the C olor Line by Dr. M anning M arable
The "econom ic recovery" which
helped (o reelect Ronald Reagan near
ly one year ago is showing unmistak
able signs o f nearing an end — possi
bly within the next six lo nine months.
Economic growth is continuing, but at
a rate much lower than predicted by
Reagan A d m in istra tio n economists.
We may have already begun what
some analysts term a "g ro w th reces
sion" — a period o f continued growth,
but with increased business failures,
sagging consumer confidence, and
gradually rising unemployment rates.
What are the root causes and signals
that a growth recession has developed?
There are many factors, all interrelat
ed, which are sowing the seeds o f a
future economic crisis:
First, the lack o f real income growth
o f American consumers Although in
flationary trends have been low, real
income has also plummctted. Accord
ing to Joel Popkin and Company, an
economic consulting firm , m ajor un
ion contracts averaged wage increases
o f only 3.7 percent in 1984, and are
projected at 3 4 percent fo r this year.
Non-union wages are expected to
nsc only 4.5 percent in 1985. In the late
1970s, economic grow th was largely
sustained by mass consumer b o rro w
ing. But this avenue to recovery has
been almost b lixke d Consumer debt
is still soaring at a 20 percent annual
rale, but the ratio o f consumer debt to
income is at an all-time high. Millions
o f households wallowing in debt w ill
be forced to curtail expenditures for
consumer goods. U ltim ately this
means cutbacks in production, factory
lay-offs, and increased unemployment
rates.
Second, " re a l” interest rates are
still tix i high. During the recession o f
1980, real interest rales — the actual
interest rate minus the inflation rate —
was 0.2 percent. Today, real interest
rates are over 4 percent. The banks
and financial institutions p ro fit from
the surplus, but the rest o f us have to
pay more in real dollars fo r home
mixtgages and consumer loans Inevit
ably this retards household spending,
and directly leads to production cu t
backs
Third, continued massive buildups
and waste in the military. Com pared to
any other fo rm o f capital spending,
fewer jobs per dollar are created by
this sector. When the Pentagon paid
the Grumman Aerospace C ixpixation
$659 apiece fo r ashtrays, and $404
apiece for socket wrenches, the Am er
ican taxpayers were the ultim ate vic
tims If the Federal Government spent
the identical amounts o f money for
the education facilities and personnel
as fix guided missiles, more than three
limes the number o f jobs would be
generated I he Reagan Adm im stra
lio n ’ s obsession to have a “ first
strike " nuclear capability has directly
destroyed milions o f potential jobs in
healthcare, housing, education, and
other human services This waste o f
fiscal resources directly adds to (he
unemployment lines.
Fourth, the continued transfer o f
production capacity abroad, usually to
low-wage nations in the Third W orld.
By exporting jobs, the corporatuxis are
able to take advantage o f lower paid
workers and to obtain larger p ro fit
margins This process has also become
a p o litica l threat to force Am erican
wages down — factory owners and
managers demand increasing worker
concessions The results in both cases
are the actual export o f thousands o f
jobs, and the reduction o f household
income for domestic employees. This
again slows consumer spending, and
adds to unemployment.
Fifth, the continued restructuring o f
the economy. Black economist A n
drew Brimmer recently noted that the
total number o f Black unemployed
fell from 2.4 million in 1982 to 1.8 m il
lion at the end of !9H4 Blacks "landed
more than one in six o f the new jobs
created by the strong pace o f economic
growth during the last two years,"
cited Brimmer U nfortunately, Black
workers frequently obtained new jobs
in the growing selective services sector
at distinctly lower wages than they had
earned prior to the 1982 recession.
Black employees are still heavily repre
sented in sectors — such as heavy
industry — which are experiencing
long-term contractions. And although
the overall Black jobless rate is below
15 percent annually, this still means
statistically that nearly three out o f 10
Black adults w ill be unemployed at
some time during the year.
Perhaps the greatest "econom ic
tim e -b o m b " o f Reaganomics is the
massive fiscal deficit. A t current pro
jections, the Federal debt will reach be
tween $2.2 trillio n to $2.5 trillio n by
1990. As former Budget Director Dav
id Stockman now freely admits, the
1981-83 budget cuts were designed to
permanently cripple the welfare state.
Given these deficits, the Federal gov
ernment would be unable to launch
new programs for jobs, education, and
human needs, no matter whether a
Democrat was elected president in
1988 Over the long-term, the legacy o f
Reaganomics may provoke a future
crisis o f social and economic unrest
which is far greater than the present
dilemma o f the growth recession.
Dr. Manning Marable teaches p o
litical sociology at Colgate University,
Hamilton, New York.
Did PCC's board give best man the j'ob?
by Nathaniel Scott
John H. A nihony, Portland C om
munity College's (PCC’s) second pres
idem, recently resigned Io assume the
position o f fo u n d in g president ai a
com m unity college in the Dallas I t.
W o rth area A n th o n y 's resignation
prom pted P C C ’ s hoard o f directors
to name Executive Dean James Van
Dyke interim president.
Before leaving PCC A nthony
recommended an interim president as
his replacement. The question is: did
the board take his advice?
From the standpoint o f experience
and achievement, PCC's hoard ol di
rectors did not choose the best q u a li
fied person fo r the joh. the question
b why?
W hy was D r. Paul W illia m s, the
moat qualified person, not even con
sidered fix the job?
Is it because he is Black? and did
the hoard make its final choice when
they made the interim appointment?
Williams became P C C ’s firs t vice
president in 1981. He came to PCC
lio n , A n th o n y created a confusing
dilemma.
VanDyke's dean replacement at
Sylvania campus has already been
mad*. That seems to indicate that
the board has made its final selection.
On the other hand, i f they carry
out a search. PCC’s board o f directors
could create a situation similar to what
Anthony laced when he became the
school's second president in 1980
f resh fro m Cayuga C om m unity
College in A u b u rn . N .Y ., A nthony
never lived down the feeling ot being
an outsider
then again, one has to consider
the time clement
I he process o f fin d in g a replace
merit for Anthony could take upward
of a year. In the meantime PCC is left
with the second, if not the third best
choice.
Paul W illiam s deserved better than
what he got The question is: w ill
PCC's board o f directors rectify its
mistake?
w ith two years o f experience as vice
president and dean o f instruction at a
community college in San Diego, ( A.
Previous to that p o sitio n, W illiam s
had been dean in the San Diego com
munity college area for six years Alto-
gether W illiams has 12 years o f man
agerial experience.
He says no one asked him any ques
lions concerning the interim position
Furtherm ore he states: ‘ ‘ I assume
that it's an interim position and they
will he going out for a search."
W illiam s believes he has made sig
nificant accomplishments over the past
four years.
He said, " I f I make an application
I think they ought to consider my
application."
Moreover, he added. “ Yes! I plan
to submit an application."
Roy I indsay is the college's other
vice president. He said: “ No, I was not
offered the jo b but I had made my
preference known I w on't be seeking
the position.”
By creating the executive dean post
Letters to the Editor
Stack Amencu
Il is August, 1985. This is the fifth
of U N ITIES letters to Black America
To date I have received little support
front my fellow Black Americans. Yet.
I do not despair. It took me years to
know and understand the need for
Black U nity and what to do with that
Unity once it is achieved
I ASt month I said my greatest tear
a igmxance My fear is well founded.
Already I can see it rearing its parasitic
head.
This month's letter will deal with
to topics. One, U N IT Y itself, and
two, the Black Media
Il you have read any o f my previous
letters you should by now know that I
ask for Black U N ITY When I ask for
Stock U N IT Y . I am not asking that we
must all think and act the same We
are as diversified as any other race o f
people, yet we must for the future o f
Black America reach an understand
Ing. An understanding o f U N ITY and
Leadership
rz
i
i
H . Trammell
Slandardhearer
P O. Box 5287
( ompron, ( 'A 90224
by Steven Bailey N. D.
Health Care in the New Nicaragua
Purl one o t a two-part series
by t 'hervl Smallev, N. D
Nicaragua has been in the news a lot
lately , but more often than not news
stones reflect the attitudes and actions
ol out government toward the Nicara
guan political situation Only rarely do
we hear about the battles going on
w ithin that country to improve the
quality ot life , education, and health
tor tlie Nicaraguan people Earlier
this summer I had a chance to spend a
month 111 Nicaragua to see for myself
what I had heard so many conflicting
stories about As a naturopathic phy
sician, o f course, I had a special inter
est in health cate developments there.
Since the end o f the revolution in
1979, huge steps have been taken in the
fields o f health and education. The
money spent fo r health programs
has increased nearly 600 percent since
the late I97()’ s. Since 1979 most a t
tention has been focused on the coun
tryside, where there had been very little
available in the way o f health care.
It's been estimated that 90 percent o f
all medical facilities and personnel be
fore 1979 were in the cities serving only
10 percent o f the population.
The Sandinista government has
been guided in its health reforms by a
set o f basic principles adopted when it
came to power in 1979, including:
— Health care is the right o f every
individuals and a responsibility o f the
state.
— Health care will be made available
to the whole population, geographical
ly, economically, and culturally.
—The community ought to partici
pate in all health acuities.
Ivan Tercero, a V ice-M inister o f
Health in Managua, says, " O u r suc
cess is an achievement not o f the health
m inistry, but o f the people. The mas-
■81
P O R TW N D OBSERVER
C lTV
U N I IY needs the ear o f Black
America O nly the Black Media can
reach that ear. W hite America w ill
never say anything that is truly in the
interest o f Black America Iheretorc,
as I continue to say, we must lake
care o f ourselves.
The Black Media must jo in me in
my e ffo rts to bring about a sense o f
oneness in Black America The Black
Media must put U N IT Y into the
hearts and minds ot Black America
How? I leave the how to the proles
sionals.
U NITIES August, 1985 letter comes
to a close w ith my humble, yet pro
found thanks to the M inneapolis
Spokesman and Recorder, a news
paper fo r a better Black America A
newspaper with vision. To its publisher
and e d ito r, I say, “ continue to
m arch."
What do I mean when I say Black
U N IT Y ? I mean u n ity o f w ill. One
ness o f purpose I mean undivided in
our direction. Unity means solidity in
our e ffo rts and so lid a rity in our re
solve. I mean Unity for the sale o f our
children unborn.
It is crystal clear to anyone that
w ill take the time to look. The future
o f Black A m erica lies w ith in Black
Am erica. W hat must be done, we
must do. Black U N ITY is the first step
in a never-ending journey. I ask Black
America to take that firs t step w ith
inc. I ake this first step with me fix I fie
sake o f our children, and for ourselves
today.
I have been asked what do I want
from the Black Media? I w ould ask
that those learned Black men and
women o f the Media discuss among
themselves the merits o f Black Unity.
I would have them consider the truth
ot U NI 111 S first five letters, this being
the filth (others available on request,
if any were missed).
Healthwatch
•
sive campaigns are done by the people.
You can talk to Nicaraguans and ask
them what they did in the campaigns.
Ihey have given immunizations, and
they feel proud when they see the re
sults o f their work. They have gone lo
workshops after w ork and on week
cuds That's one o f our policies — to
broaden popular knowledge o f health
anil not to have it just as a privilege for
a m inority.”
The first steps taken after the revo
lution were to identify and control the
m ajor causes o f disease and deaths in
the population. Nationwide cam
paigns against polio, malaria, rabies
and dengue fever involved the training
o f tens ot thousands o f com m unity
volunteers I he leading killer o f in
fants and children had always been de
hydration from diarrhea, and w ithin
months alter the revolution over 250
rehydration units had been set up in
clinics and health posts all over the
country. Tens o f thousands o f latrines
have been distributed in an e ffo rt to
remove one o f the major sources o f in
testinal parasites. One ot the first steps
taken was to p u rify the municipal
water supply o f Managua, the capital
city.
The next major goal was to develop
a workable system fo r educating the
health workers needed to cary out the
new programs. Since 1979, over 4,(XX)
new health workers have been trained
(in acountry o f only 2.8 m illio n peo
ple). The number o f nursing students
has increased six times, and medical
students, five times. Local com m uni
ties help to choose who will study, and
financial barriers lo education have
been largely eliminated
Popular
Health Councils have been formed in
all geographical areas, both to identify
the local problems and lo help o r
ganize the community in campaigns to
solve them.
I he results have been impressive. In
fant m o rta lity has dropped by one-
third. P olio has been v irtu a lly eradi
cated, and measles, tuberculosis,
whooping cough and malaria have
been reduced by from 44) to 90 percent.
And all o f this has been accomplished
by this tiny and very poor country in
spite o f constant attacks from the U.S.
supported anti-Sandinista guerillas
The Nicaraguan war against these
"c o n tra " forces uses up 40 percent o f
the national economy — money which
could be spent on hum anitarian pro
grams. Since 1981 the contras have
waged a war not so much against the
Nicaraguan arm y, but against the
material base o f the society. Rather
than attack military centers, they have
targetted plantations, villages, schixils
and clinics. Since 1981 they have a t
tacked over 50 rural health clinics and
posts and have killed and kidnapped
doctors, nurses and paraprofession
als. During the lime I was there a doc
tor and nurse in N .F . Nicaragua were
kidnapped and their clinic destroyed
by contras.
There are many international vol
unteers in Nicaragua now — health
professionals and others — giving
their tune and expertise. Their hope is
that, as foreigners and witnesses to the
situation, they can bring international
attention lo Nicaragua and make it
more d ifficu lt for the contras to carry
out thie war on civilians.
fTo be continued next week!
D o cto r Cheryl Smalley is a 198J
graudate o f the N a tio n al College o f
Naturopathic Medicine in Portland,
and recently returned fro m a self-
supported trip to Nicaragua.
Portland Observer
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