Page 2, Portland Observer, October 30, 1905
ED ITO R IAL/O PIN IO N
Arbitrator ruling an insult
to Black community
The ruling by A rb itra to r Paul H anlon, rein
stating the tw o officers who sold the “ D o n ’ t
Choke ’ Em, Smoke ’ E m " T-shirts is another in
sult to the Black community.
H anlon's ru lin g last Wednesday means that
officers Paul Wickcrsham and Richard Montee
can return as police officers after they were fired
by M ayor Bud C lark fo r selling the T-shirts in
the downtown Justice Center on the day o f I.loyd
D. Stevenson’s funeral.
Stevenson, who was married and the father o f
five children, died when police applied the carotid-
artery hold on him in A p ril during a disturbance
outside o f a convenience store. A public inquest
ju ry ruled that Stevenson’ s death was the result
o f crim inal negligent homicide. Later a M u ltn o
mah County Grand Jury refused to return an in
dictment on any o f the four officers involved in
Stevenson’s death.
This angered many Portlanders, especially
Black Portlanders. The Black community’s anger
was justified, when one examines the history o f
the behavior o f individual officers on the Portland
Police Bureu towards Black citizens. The opossum
incident, the Special Investigation Division scan
dal, the k illin g o f A lberta fate and the T-shirt
incident. Besides the above, law-abiding Blacks
must contend w ith the d a ily harassment by a
group o f individual officers, who use their badges
as shields to commit criminal and racist acts upon
the Black community.
Hanlon's ruling reinstating the two officers did
not take in to consideration the feelings o f the
Black com m unity. I f it had, he would not have
ruled the way he d id. M r. H anlon would have
seen a community that has been victim to exces
sive use o f force, racism, and harassment by in
dividual police officers for years.
This lack o f justice for Black citizens in Port
land has reached a critical stage. City officials, the
criminal justice system, and the police cannot ex
pect the Black community to continue being vic
tims o f bad police officers. The reinstatement o f
W ickcrsham and Montee has proven to many
Black Portlanders that their rights are not as im
portant as other citizens living in the City.
Ora I . Nunley, President o f the P ortland
branch o f the National Association fo r the A d
vancement o f Colored People (N A A C P ) stated,
“ It is an outrage that the decent citizens o f Port
land have no protection against a small group o f
ignorant, misguided and sometimes evil in divid
uals who, after pinning on the badge o f public
authority and swearing to uphold the law, abuse
the public's trust.”
fo r Hanlon to say the firing o f two officers by
Mayor Clark was excessive, further proves his lack
o f consideration to the feelings o f the Black com
munity. I he selling o f the T-shirts by Wickcrsham
and Montee on the day o f Stevenson’s funeral was
a sick, and appalling act. Such behavior warrants
dismissal from the Bureau. To entrust these two
officers with authority and a weapon is even more
appalling.
Especially when Mayor Bud C lark, Chief Pen
ny Harrington, former U S Attorney for Oregon
Sidney I ezak and M ultnom ah C ounty D istrict
Attorney Michael Schrunk all testified to Hanlon
that the actions o f Montee and Wickcrsham were
a serious offense.
Mr. Hanlon ignored the statements o f these o f
ficials and the entire Black community. Instead,
he insulted the Black community further when he
returned two men to the Portland Police Bureau,
who have proven they are unfit to serve the public.
And in the process, inflamed an already volatile
relationship between the police and the Black
community.
Portland could find sister city
in its own back yard
Northeast Portland residents could learn some
thing from P ortlan d ’ s adoption o f a new sister
city — they might be able to solve some o f the
area’s problems by starting a sister city movement
o f their own!
“ Albina Inner Northeast” fits the description
o f an underdeveloped I bird W orld com m unity
that could benefit from the kind o f attention and
aid that came (o Corinto, Nicaragua.
Unenunployment approaches 50 percent, many
women are so poor they turn to p ro s titu tio n ,
schools are understaffed and underbudgeted,
streets are in disrepair. Infant mortality is as high
as some Third W orld countries, and illiteracy and
the high school drop-out rate are climbing.
Welfare mothers wonder how they are going to
feed their children and pay the bills as the bread
winner leaves the area to look for work People
are liv ing in garages, hi cars, under bridges. Some
families live eight or more to a room.
Busineses owned by rich white people from
outlying aeas (Beaverton is a foreign country) milk
the community for profits that are invested o ut
side the community much as corporations milk the
Third W orld W hite businessmen come into the
area to exploit the community in another way by
engaging in sex for hire.
Drug pushers and pimps with criminal records
take over the street corners and lie in wait for the
elementary schixrl children. Children turn to drugs
and crime because they see wasted lives stretching
out ahead o f them, and because they feel they
have as much right as any American to the things
they see on television.
Racist police respond to problems in the com
n iunity w ith massive force — they choke and
xhixit first and ask questions later
In short, residents ol “ Albina Inner Northeast"
live in the kind o f crisis conditions that caused
Corinto supporters to get on the bandwagon. Per
haps an "A lb in a Inner Northeast" sister city coin
imttee could form and begin educating the wider
community about the crisis. Children could gather
school supplies, dixtors and nurses could organize
medical supplies and health care, there could be
garage sales, dances and dinners for die new sister
city.
Committees could be formed, articles written,
and sister church, sister school and sister clinic
ties could be established.
City officials and prominent citizens could visit
the proposed sister city and view the conditions
At the C ity C o u ncil, M ild re d Schwab could
screw up her face at the thought o f a city program
that helps the ptxn instead o f the rich. Bud Clark
could say he likes the idea but also that we need a
new policy before he votes for it.
Like C orinto, "A lbina-Inner Northeast” could
become sister cities with towns in England, H o l
land and other countries. The new sister city might
benefit, like C orinto did, with an education and
job training program financed by a foreign gov
ernment.
Portland Observer
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P O Bos H 37. Portland. OR 972QB
To the Editor,
To the Editor,
I he N A A C P is dismay cd and cha
Wickcrsham and Montee are cops
grined al the arbitrtaor's ruling in Ihc
out on the loose. These tw o men are
case o f the P o rtla n d police o ffice rs
armed, dangerous, and may be roam
fired for violation o f bureau rules and
ing our com m unity again alter Nov
engaging in conduct unbecom ing a
4th A rbitrator Paul Hanlon and the
professional police officer II is an m u
P ortland Police I nion have given
rage that the decent citizens o f P o rt
them the license, once again, lo spread
land have no protection against a small
their poison ot racism among the
group o f ig n o ra n t, m isguided, and
more susccptable ol the Portland Po
sometimes evil individuals who, alter
k e l-orce.
pinning on the badge ol public author
I fiese two are the office’ s who sold
ity and swearing to uphold the law,
I shuts with the legend "D o n ’t I hoke
abuse the public’s trust I his kind o f
'I m. Smoke 'I m " with a drawing ol
arrogance undermines the p u b lic ’ s
confidence in the crim inal justice sys
tem
lo r the a rb itra to r to tin d that the
In the Editor.
union contract between the city ol
lerrv G arner's a rticle on Bobby
Portland and the Police Bureau does
Seale's debate with a Bills Bob vahoo
nnot permit city officials lo take war
AtnAAAaner deserves some fu rth e r
ranted action against m isbehaving
comment and c la rific a tio n Garner
police officer raises a serums question:
slated "W h e n a woman tro m the
who is in charge of the Portland Police
«evolutionary ( ommunisi Party ques
Bureau, the chief, the assigned com
Honed the sincerity ot Seale's dedica
missioner, the M ayor, or the head ol
lion to the cause ot nationalism. Scale
the policeman's union? In every coun
became angry and gave the woman a
try. stale, or cits anywhere in tlx- world
spirited le ctu re .” I d o n 't th in k this
in which the police are permitted to be
clearly captures the actual question
a law unto themselves, the rights ol
jvosed lo Seale We stated that lie was
A l I the citizens ol that jurisdiction
p ro m o tin g the most dangerous and
are jeopardized
worst reformist illusion in saving the
Portlanders ought to think about
issue m South A lnca was "one man
the kind o| police force it has Just a
one vo te " when the real issue on the
lew weeks ago, the cits a u d ito r dis
agenda is a revolutionary national lib
closed that ilegal and unw arranted
eration struggle to to ta lly eradicate
ads ol Portland policemen have deal
the system ot apartheid, taze it to the
Is cost the cits Most jvolice oltices are
ground and build on its ashes a new
intelligent, decent human beings who
and liberated -Xnzania (South XI,teal
woik hard .it enlorcing the law and up
We simply asked Seale to defend Ins
holding the public trust vested ill them
statement in light ot what the right to
But ii is apparent that over time they
vole has mean, lo r Black people in
have become trapped in a system
this country Seale's " s p irite d lee
which protects those tew individuals
lu te " was more ol the nature ot a po
who iu ii amuck P o rtla n d 's mile
luteal lire ,n a n whose buckets have
ixndent police bureau, which dex-s not
run dtv
even show respect to r its chief, no
( )bjec11velv, tw o toads ate posing
longer best serves the interest ot the
themselves hi South Alnca I he road
people ot P oillund I lie Bureau must
ol constitutional reform or tlx- révolu
be brought under control Public o lfi
Honaiv road I u to rtu n a le lv , tins
cials w lio ate accountable to the gen
second more realistic. and uigentlv
etal public must be able lo manage the
demanded load was attacked vicious
police bureau as they do other bureaus
Iv bv Seale How temai kable to see
ot the cits Some kind ol process must
a ,evoluttonal v struggle turned into a
be established lo protect the repula
civil lights movement' IH-siruig a "re
lions o l intelligent, dedicated police
plav ol the 60s" is a retrogtade trend
officers, llie good name ol the dtv ot
coming tro m a man who has
P ortland, and the rights ot the law
lea,lied to live on his knees and like it'
abiding citizens
South Africa is a state whose tuilda
We simple must recognize the la d
mental basis is the exp lo itatio n and
that no one is safe when the local
opptession ol BI.ick masses Xlote
police are not accountable
than a w oid
apartheid
is a bat
I tie N X Xl P invites all people ol
banc system used to organize sexictv
giHxlwill to tom m an e llo rt to bring a
in South Xttica. iindei which an en
sense ol decency, ie s jx \t, and fairness
lire nation and the vast m ajority ol
lo the practices ol the Portland Police
people, the Xnzanian people. ate held
Buteau Silence is the hallmark ot the
ptisonei bv tin white m inority ruling
coward, the unin fo rm ed , or the un
class In short, it is a naked system
concerned
ol b tu ta l national oppression jusli
OR \ l X( X / / >
lied through a whole web ol pseudo
President. X I I ( P
theories ol white supremacy and en
to,ced bv laws and guns I his last
veai has seen impaialleled struggle in a
wo,Id situation a tew drumbeats awav
ttom w orld war I he snuggle is ap
lo the I ditor,
proaching
a turning jx»ml with definite
I he Oregon I egislalure accoiu
jx'leulial to c.itaj'iill i, lo a whole new
pllshed two tilings durine the last ses
level It is possible that a lu ll Hedged
sioii tiles passed a sales lav piopos.il
and generalized aimed conflict where
amt tlies et anted themselves tinge
the question ol state jxiwe, is inimedi
taises in pas and allowances I he
atelv on hand
m short, a civil wa,
voters took c ite ol the sales lav ill no
could break out Promoting "one
uixerl.lin terms XX i now have the op
man one v o le " as the wav forward
I'oituniiv to take cate ot ttic- unreason
is a deceptive notion ol the greatest
able pav increases
m agnitude I he system has proved
We can c o lle d signatures on an
it is bevoud reform I o preach win
initiative petition which would revoke
rung equality and emancipation within
the p.iv taises ol the legislature I Ins
petition also lim its the length ot the
legislative session bv placing a limit ot
120 class on the number ot days lo t
which legislators mas collect legixtalive
session pet diem lor the tegular legis
lative year, and I'O days tor the bi
ennium
I his shortened legislative session
not only w ill cost less, but w ill open
legislative services lo more qualities!
i hegomans who now refuse to consul
er service in the legislature because ol
tlx- tune awav from |ob ot busiix-ss It
w ill help Oregon return to a "citize n
legislature" bv eliminating some o f the
incentive to make legislative service a
lull tinx- profession.
t h irty eight states now lim it the
length ol legislative sessions Oregon
should be next You can help bv re
questing an in itia tiv e p e titio n trom
Oregonians in Action, 1511 I Bum
side. P ortland, OK 9?2I4 or calling
211 I2H
E K W K l A/VS
President
Oregonians in Action
lo the Editor.
I he I mled States has actively sup
ported racism and colonialism in
southern Africa the I S has violated
the I X aims embatgo as well as its
own sell ptoc laimed support lor lui
man dignity and sell determination
Whatever the rationalizations which
are otte re d bv XI, S tuart P ,ingle,
I S sup|x>rt lot South Xlrica racism
ami colonialism is obviously necessary
to protect the investments oi the same
American corporate interests which
also wield influence on I S domestic
jx'lxv
II American investment were re
directed awav trom South Africa, the
I lined States w ould not merely end
its support ol racism, but would also
co n trib u te sig n ifica n tly to the eco
noniic development and well being ol
the rest ol Xlrica Instead, millions ol
private American dollars (low into the
Sonth African economy
already an
affluent society tor its ruling caucasoid
m inority
wbile m illio n s ot Black
a smoking revolver I his was done on
tlx- very day o f the funeral o f the Black
citizen who had died as a result o f a
|x>lice applied sleeper hold. The rotten
apples ate back in the barrel and tree
once again to promote their sick and
simplistic solution to handling Black
suspects.
Black citizens need to be on the
kxikout lot these men, they are armed,
dangerous, and w ill be wearing blue
uniforms
V If ( / OPE I ll's
the system means telling people a lie
that is contradicted by hundreds ot
seats ol Instore and bv present day
reality.
Perhaps Seale is lo be a new
“ po in t" man tor the elite strata among
Blacks, whose service lo imperialism
demands they prom ote the line that
Blacks have a stake in this system and
must lig h t (and die, to gel their fait
share In Seale’s home town
Phillv
the American dream lo r Black
jxxiple has a price tag an entire neigli-
borhood tazed while a Black mayor
supervised the massacre ol Alt )X I
adults and child,en on ( fsage Avenue
Seale, bv the wav, has yet to de
iiounce this’
Bobby’ s w o rld wide cynicism lo
those ot us who haven't learned not to
hate oppression and haven't capitu
laled
to "w a k e up and smell the
cottee" and "com e to grips with tile-
teal w o rld "
would be laughable tl
they weren’ t so dangerous Does he
know how really old he' become ’
B obby’ s so lu tio n o f "c o m m u n ity
c o u p s " going to South X ttica to
"reason" with Botha bungs to mind a
similat statement ot his m I ' f t l "W e
need tins com m unity co n tro l ot the
ixilice. because it we don't have com
lllUIHtS AA ontrol ol tlie police, we will
not be able to c u rta il c ivil war in
America " W hether in America ot
South Xttica, , evolution is not a cost
Iv alternative, but a welcome resolu
tion to a hlcxxlsucking sy stem
Bobby your re fo rm tra in has no
Hacks |, is not going anywhere be
cause it has now he,e to go. No waters
o, pte.ictieis will evet topple the racist
ai'.n l held tegime nor its I S God
lathers. Genuine icvoluiionarv leadet
shqv is on the to p ot the list on the
summons im the Xiizantan people
And this is not lust a nightmare ot in
Hated and in fla ta b le Black political
tirem en like Seale 1 lies ate night
mates ot the I S inlets as a vvholl
as thev Ian- the p io s |x n that the tires
ol rebellion in the bantustans and
townships ot Xnzania w ill inflam e
ttie "b a n tu s ta n s " and townships
i. ■ Xnierxa I he Anzanian pet»pk
are not shedding then blocxl to replace
the ptesenl regime with a new form ot
colonialism w ,th a tew Black laces
ixistcd on top We owe the Anzanians
much I lies have taught us much and
given us a feeling ol strength in these
d ifficu lt tunes Our hands and licatts
go out lo them as we continue out mu
lual struggle I o the |X-o|'le ol Xnzania
we say (.() I OK 11' XXI XNDI X'
A7 IO / ( //O X 1 AZ> < O \1 \H X /X /
/ ’ \R I I, Portland( hapler
P O Bos W /
Portland. < >R V?2tlh
Phone 28R 10 4
XI,leans aie threatened bv starva
non
I he challenge posed to Hie I luted
States bv South Africa is neitlie, eco
noniic nor military It is essentially a
moral challenge Is the I tilled States
piepated to continue sacrificing t(il
legitimate human rights and aspir.i
lions ot the 25 or so million Blacks liv
mg in South A fric a and N am ibia to
the convenience and p ro fit ol Xme,
ic.in corporate interests? I he South
African government is an international
txtriah
American support to r the racist
policies o f South A fric a is just one
tacel ot a general foreign policy pos
lure which is consistently insensitive to
the rights and aspirations ol mdepeu
den, Xttica Both diplom atically and
e conom ically, I s policy tow ard
At,ica has been characterized bv neg
led or bv support tor repressive mi
nority regimes
PR / I V // ( HI R O M I