Page 2, Portland Observer, December 4, 1985 E D IT O R IA L/O P IN IO N Distribution of resources will reduce burglaries According to the Portland Polite Bureau, Pori land ranks th ird in the nation in residenn.il burglar ies (one in 12 houses vs ill be bur glarized). I aw enforcement officials anil cite leaders blame the high rate o f residential burglaries on several things. Some ol them are: • I he laik o i |uil space that is necessary to in carcerate those w ho are found guilty of burglary. Mans burglaries aie esen eommil- ted by a group of burglars. • lire willingness of e ili/e io to bus s i.« * 1 it property, therefore creating a market for stolen items. • Drugs; often burglarie arc commit!« support drug habits • ( areless hom eowners; 2<> p e i i c n t ol •: residential burglaries that occui in Portland is file result of the door being left unlocked Although each of file above confiibuies to tl< City's high incidence of ie sidenii.il bur glai u- . there is another cause that is seldom discussed by law enforcement authorities and politicians I hat is the unequal distribution o f resources in society I or example, m 19K0 20 percent ol the nation p o p u la tio n , in terms ol wealth, owned ap proxunately 76 percent ol all the wealth I In means that the rem aining HO percent ol the population have orris 24 percent ol the nation’ s wealth to distribute among tliemselves. I tie division ot the remaining 24 percent results in even lurther inequities I or example, the b o t­ tom 4o percent ot the population owns only 2.3 jXTcent ot the total wealth According to the recent census figures, the in­ come gap between the rich anil poor has been in ­ creasing ilurm g the last several years. I his d if ­ ferential in wealth Ix'lweeii the haves ami the have nols lesults m crimes such as lesidenlial burglaries. I ower noitheasl Portland, between I nion anil Ktill \veiiue, has the highest rate ot burglaries in tin ( itv. I here is a g n a t concent r at ion o f mmoiities in this aiea Poverty, prostitution, drug dealuii’ and unemploy merit also run high m this location t I In unem ploym ent rate lo r Black adults is estimated to be around 35 percent; around s5 percent for Black youths.) Residential burgl.iiics are not com m itted by esc utives ear mug S3 5, (MX) a veat I hey are com m ilted most frequently by in e iitbcis ot the economic undctilass who have been historically, econom ically, socially and iiiltm a llv excluded from legitimate access to the benelils ol society. I n lil elected o t liiia ls address these social problems, residential buiglanes w ill continue to rise not only in P o rtla n d , but also in cities tliiougliout the nation EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Education woes due in part to sex discrimination O ne o f the reasons w h y p u b lic education lias exixm cnccd hard tim e in Ihe pasi several years is due to sex d is c rim in a tio n in wages pa id to in slru ciors w ho leach in pu blic schools and in s titu tio n s o t h ig h e r le a rn in g T ra d itio n a lly in so u e iv, jobs held bv w om en and e th n ic m in o r itie s are usually pa id lo w e r wages Ilia n |obs he ld by w h ile m ales X classic illu s tra tio n o t tins can be seen in Ihe teaching profession C r itic s o l p u b lic e d u c a tio n state that p a il ot rile leason wliv ihe system is n 't e d u c a tin g c h ild re n p ro p e rly is due lo u n q u a lifie d teachers in lire classroom s I hey cite the results ol llie stale ot Arkansas teas tier s' com pelcncy exa m in ation le u percent ol A rka n sa s teachers ta ile d tin exam Arkansas is ihe tirs l slate lo ret,litre it- leas hers to lake a competence text. O thers sax lh a l ihe pax ot leat hers is low and th e re fo re m ans q u a lifie d illdtv u liia ls seek a a ie e i mt id v «»1 educai ion 1 lie lea -on w liv Iv ivhei s’ salaries ate so love n ip .n e d li 1 fheir ixluc.ilion .il background due to lik ­ high pete l in a g e s ol leu ale - wl in arc teas hers m p u b lic sc h o o l at id ID stltlltlOIIS W age disc r im iu a tio ii ba e l . Ml ( \ has been a m n s t . iiil p m b li*111 ID society I Ile l e , etti c o ilip a ia t’le w oilli law sull a g n in i < III c o n Di vi situ i ol M ie tili Id u c a tio n by women p io te in s i mi i xall)pie I x id e m t r o n i llie iii.il re x e a le d tim i m ale p i o l e s s o t s w e ie p a n i in n i I I I , i l i temale piotessois B ecaii-e le.tclim g i ' basicallv a Iem ale p: ' l o m n . ss a aie kepi low I tie s o n iti Ila- th è lo w e sl p e ic e n tagc o t filale teac Ilei S o u th ( a ro lin a lias only IH p e rc e n l o l te a c h e rs w tio a r e m a le , I m u s i.im i, I ‘» p e i c e n l . ( n-oi g ià a n d M ississippi, only 20 per s e n i . H is to ric a lly , Ihe south ha been I w ill salt her I lorence Stic is 77. she lives m I astern O regon, amt she has been a c a n d id a te lo r n u rs in g home sate since I9H2 t lorence sutlers Iro m emphysema, diabetes, a rth ritis and other ailm ents She must receive continuous oxvgen N evertheless, she si ill lives in hei tidx older hom e in a slow m o w n area o n lx a h a lt b lo c k Iro m a g io . e ix store She enioxs television am i reading Hom e H e a lth w o rk e rs , a ho use kee per, and Ir ie n d ly v is ito rs help w ith shopping and other things she no longer can do lo r tier sell I lorence. and thousands o l eldei Is O re g o n ia n s lik e he r, have a v o id e d placem ent in nursing homes b e ca u se o f an O re g o n p ro g ra m o th e r slates now are cops mg We recognize the need foi nursing homes lh a l deliver excellent m e ilic.il and personal care H o w e v e r, mans e ld e rly O re g o n ia n s need help m is w ith cooking, cleaning, sho pp m i and so fo rth not w ith ro u n d the clock medical .m ention As a re s u lt, in I9H0 we be. lin e p ion eers in e n s u rin g th a t e ld e rly Medicml recipients neither wi nt nor slaved in , nursing homes it rhev could be properly eared tor elsewhere W e w a n te d lo h e lp pe op le lik I lo re n ce sla y in th e n o w n hom es, w hile we place others hi non in s iiiu lio n a l settings such as residenli.il c .u e oi aduli tosici - ai e hotnes H9, and Xllolhei < »ioc o r n a s| s an excellent I scili cali Ilei Abac.ul lave . changed cxum plc ut how lune Ila lo i e ld e tlv M e d ie .o d re. p ie n ls Xbigail had livetl u ni ad i loxlet caie lioine, in whu li a I amile lv vpicallv | caics lo r tiv e o i tewei i Ideile pi i Ils lid lin i she t e li, b i ,'k e lin e i ; ì s |v n l some lune in lite In p ii.il ed VX hen lic i o lo n i'i i i c| h o s p ila h /a lio n , she w.is m oved io a n u rs in g lio n ie I n e m l tuie k al Ihe I os lei houle t ig ni ed Ihe w lice le li.u t bound A bic.n l w i■uld siay il ic ii per m .in e iillv. and lh .it ilice w o uld nvvet set' Ilei agalli H o w e v c i. V big.nl saliteci Ilei in d e p c n d c m e . lo llo w e d l ei d i s t i l i ’ ' length She avlviee. and le b m li tu • in ca lle le i) ih e n u rs in g In het frie n d s N o v c m b i i . l i t u i n iiig al lite tosici hom i cal s w o u ld lle lo i e. Ilei 11 le n ii lutee been a i c u i.ili ( I l i c i ' l he im i siile ho ule ehe nu h l (lave leti I o lle live siales hast 'llow ed ihe lead o l ( »regoli, Ihe lo late ili Ihe na ilo n Io ievince in n u b i 'I nursing home residente I tic ' . ««) ( »legonian- • have kepi out o l nursing homes si tins e llo r t began is a b o lii eq u a l Ihe lo la l population o l New p >i i Bel o ie w e began ili ta le o l eIde11v M e d ic a being a d u n ite li lo m usi gì ow mg m oie ihan lev ■., Il ori, the ■Mung the ( 'olor / me b\ Dr Manning Marable •'S c a p e g o a tin g ” and p o litic a l in ­ tim id a tio n are u su a lly a " n o r m a l " [vart o l Am erican society and politics. In p re v io u s in sta n ce s, the v ic tim s fre q u e n tly have been p e o p le o f c o lo r B la c k s , H is p a n ic s , A sia n s, N a tiv e A m e ric a n w h o have been h o u n d e d fr o m th e ir jo b s , o r v ic ­ tim ized bv police surveilance and o p ­ pressive tactics. Hut the latest chapter o t p o litic a l ha ra ssm e n t an d the hysterical m a n ip u la tio n o f p u b lic in ­ tolerance focuses on people at flu te d w ith A c q u ire d Im m u n e D e fic ie n c y Syndrome, or A ID S Ih e A ID S issue m ust be v ie w e d b o th as a p u b lic health problem and as a c iv il liberties concern w ith grave p o litic a l im p lic a ­ tions. ( u r r e iitly the re are over 1 4 , XM) VIDS victim s, and approxim ately 201) new cases are diagnosed each m onth Most o l the victim s have been ho m o­ sexuals. in tra ve n o u s d ru g users, and re c ip ie n ts o t c o n ta m in a te d b lo o d M ost p ro m in e n t c iv il rig h ts leaders, Black religious figures and politicians have been al best reluctant to discuss VIDS, or to address ihe broader tin p ile .i,io n s o l the disease w ith in the Black c o m m u n ity A t least one p ro m in e n t Black jo u rn a lis t recently c h a ra c te riz e d A ID S as p u re ly a "white m an's p ro blem " <»tie (actor b e h in d th is is the re a lity o l h o m o phobia, o t anti gas and anti lesbian bias, w h ic h a ffe c ts m ane A t r o A m ericans k n o ttie r elem ent is the lack ot a ccu ra te in fo r m a tio n a b o u t VIDS among Blacks, and a failure to com prehend that those u ttlic le d wuh this disease mas becom e v ic tim s o l lie.le,ica l political repression 1 li c e ’s still b c lic l" among Blacks lhal VIDS is a w hile m ail's disease,'' observes D i VV avne ( ueaves, d u e l ol Ihe di v i .io n o l i n lee lio n s al H ow a id I nice' itv H ow ever, " A ID S is color b lin d K c ii'iit data , eveal lh a l one lo u r lh o, all VIDS victim s are A lro V ineiic.iiis In M a rv la n d alon e, lo i *|l 1 Ik* lb»noni id sv fio o ls , s tu d e n ls ’ and U \ h he» s’ salaik ( h u e '.late li ci ’ l. it ut cs a n d a d in m isii .i lo i n o| Icar ning itis i il ut inns CC.ISC w i> d i c i iiD iit.itioD a g u in s t I he q u a lità n i t c in vile tc .k b e i cdlk.H D • t, in publiv u t o il i it i o n s u ili i' ili ( h ild lc il Ih gel betie tt.il bi (»lliiiiic rc.isOD.ihlc iik c iiin c s . q u a lih ili O lkC ag.llD CIUCI in d I v k h i.fl (.411 cl s II i c d ik a h n n In o id CI tOI iflls IO t \ ( DI , ICsi3Ulk.Cs Dkisl be Iliade .n a il.ih le bs siale and h k .tl o ff tc tl ' » in u iik ip a lih c s 1 lic ss le n i »»l fu n d in g p u b lk sdh»ols i s toialls inadequatc II sccids lhal s|x\ tal clcs I h m is aie licld nio n th Iv. ID O id e i lo keep sehools t i o i l i I believe that c o n fro n ta tio n in anv d i.ile c tic .il sense means lh a l there is c o u ti adic iio n g o in g on VV hv la be l Bi o llie i I .11 la k ha il " V nli S e m itic " ’ V n li S e n iitis m , " is ih e m ost ob n o x io u s no un in the d ic lio n a iv o l m odern p o litic s Z io n is ts have been cunning enough to e xp lo it this loose t e iu it o i then ow n be ne lils Ih e v 'v e closing Sv Ik k < b u t a sscalths n a ilo n li, »ukin ' i has i lo ho ld special clcw I hmis tn • u in. " il io in o n d i in (»idei d e s c iib e d V n li S e m ilis in to be the m ost d re a d e d so cia l and s p ir itu a l disease o l the non le w ish m a n k in d V n li S e iiiile . w hether m an or m o il to rein.n n open s le i, is one w ho w it lio n l except io n luites all the Semitic laces I can't even name a single I uro|x'.in non lew who evei haled die Semites VV ho haled the V ssviians, I g y p tia n s . B a b y lo n ia n s and die I ’ hiX'iiictails in ancient tunes ’ VV ho . woi king dav and night to sub jugate and deslrov the M u s lim s and ( hi is,i.ins o l the M id dle I as, ’ n,im b u ■ 'l o v e t "y ( Iregoluaiis No one has lo teli a taxpayer about li., t r ic li' ■ m n . , osi . ot lh a l kin d o l g i o w i h io n e e s tim a le is th a t th is pi o c i an a e ed I U ic o n $12 m illio n this seal alone) N o i doe- a n e m ic have lo te li Ihe li end o l an e lde ilv person sellai ili d e p e n d e n t heine does lm m o i ale or can do lo i longevity Dottale and m olale aie no, Ihe sole reason lo i this p ro g ,a m ; co m m o n sense, too, is at wotk V lth o iig h o ttic i de veloped conn lues ivpic.ille institutionalize no more than I oi 2 percent o l then eldeilx. an Vinci I. all's chances o l s|\-pdm g some tune m a m using home run as high as -k I percent We ow e success o l ih e O re g o n pi c ia n i not Olile lo o u i ow n incciim le. bn, also lo Ihe llld o u u l.lh lc pu U ol jx-ople liki V bi gai I w ho lie ,o im p ro v e I heir chances o l liv in g out side a nursing home Me.inw Inle, even th o u g h I lorence is I iv iiic al ho m e, she has tro u b le k c e p iiu / " 'hi I ill tor B io th e i I a rra k h a ii know s, a man w h o tosses w o rm s in Ihe riv e r is n 't iiixessanlv a Iriend o l the tisli VII the lis li w ho lake him lo i a Irie n d , w ho th in k the w o i in 's go, no hook in it, usu.illv end up in the liv in g pan. A ll these tilings dangled betore us bv so called liberals posing as a Irie n d and b e n e la c to rs have tu rn e d o u t to be n o th in g b u t ba d to m ake us th in k we're m aking progress B oth e, I a r r a k h a ii teaches us the knowledge o l our ow n selves, and o l our own people Ih e N ation ot Islam cleais us up m o ra lly , rnentallv and s p ir it ii. illv and re fo rm s us o t the vices that have blinded us here in the W estern society The N a tio n o l Islam stops black men fro m g e tting d ru n k , stops th e ir dope a d d ic tio n it thev had it. stops nicotin e, gam bling, stealing, lying, cheating, fo rn ic a tio n . care Stale o ffic ia ls have also begun to use A ID S as a ju s t if ic a t io n fo r v o id in g basic c iv il lib e rtie s In m id N o ve m b e r, fo r instance, New V o tk State H e a lth ( o m m is s io n e r D a v id Axelrod declared that "in v e s tig a to rs " w o u ld use "w a rra n ts to go in to hotel r o o m s " to h a lt " d a i.g c .o u s s e x " practices lin ke d w ith V ID S "S o m e hotels max be the p rim a ry venue fo r th is k in d o l h ig h ris k a c t iv i t y , " A x e lro d asserted Ih e in h e re n t dangers o l this policy are sell evident, I hom as S lo d d a rd . a leader o l New V o i k ’ s ( iv il I ib e rtie s I n io n , ex plains "O n ce the governm ent enters the business o l re g u la tio n o t sexual c o n d u c t, the te m p ta tio n is a lm o st ittc s is tu b le lo i i, lo c o n tin u a lly ex p a n d its d e sire and c a p a c ity to regulate Some people even live ill h o te l roo m s It's a b h o re n l th a t the slate peer in to activitie s ta kin g place in the bedroom Now that it's begun, was to "s h o o t the q u e e rs." W elch's u n s u c c e s s fu l c a m p a ig n was based largely on scapegoating homosexuals and appealing lo the electorate’ s most ir r a tio n a l lia r s Vud le g is la tio n is c u rre n tly being proposed b e fore the New V o ik I itv ( ou ricil which w ould " b a n " a ll persons w ho have V ID S , in c lu d in g teachers and any students, Iro m the public schixils. We are witnessing the p ro life ra tio n o l A ID S re la te d v io le n c e , b o th v ig ila n te and in s titu t io n a l, w h ic h threatens not only those a fflicte d w ith the disease, but many others Blacks, m o re th a n any o th e r A m e ric a n s , should know that po litica l intolerance and b ig o trv w h ic h m asq ue rade s as b e n ig n p o lic ie s in the " p u b lic in ­ te re s t” are a n th e m a to dem ocracy W e, to o , have sons and d a u g h te rs w ho are A ID S victim s, and we must take a m ore assertive stance against every fo r m o t p o litic a l harassm ent and a b rid g e m e n t o l c iv il lib e rtie s a im e d a g a in st any o th e r m tn o rttv g ro u p s S ca p e g o a tin g gays and lesbians is no solution lo the Iragedv ol VIDS Dr. Manning Marable teaches p<>~ lineal sociology at Colgate Cniversity, Hamilton, Hew York a d u ltr v , p r o s titu t io n , ju v e n ile delmquencv I th in k o l this whenever som ebody talks a b o u t in v e s tig a tin g the N a tion o l Islam W liv investigate B io d ie i I a rra k h a ii’ I hex should sub sidize him I le's cleaning up the mess He's saving die G overnm ent m illio n s o l d o lla rs , ta k in g black m en o i l o l w e lla te , sh o w in g them how to do something lo r themselves I lie M ilita n t. Mar xist I eninist class a n a lysis, negate o u r n a tio n a lis m I believe the basics o l M a rx is iii on this question can be staled in these mam p o in ts I I hex s h o u ld give un co n d ilio n .il support to all sections o l die oppressed p e o p le in the s n u g g le against then oppressors, including the u n c o n d itio n a l rig h t o l the oppressed to sell determ ination 2 I Ins does not negate the im p o rta n ce o l n a tion alist demands that do not exphcitlv call lor the d n w n la ll o l c a p ita lis m . ’ I ikew ise. being the m ost e x p lo ite d , w orkers and other oppiessed classes o l the oppressed nations are die best lig h te rs lo r n a tio n a lis t dem ands 4 M arxists can and should support and p a rticip a te in n a tio n a list m ovem ents o l oppressed peoples lh a l a te not based on the n a tio n a l c a p ita lis t elem e nts, u t iliz in g the m as a kev we.i|ion in die light lo i socialism I he M ilit a n t I d ilo r 's v tew Hows fro m a m is c o n c e p tio n o l M a rx is m , lo ste re d bv fa ls ific a tio n o l I e m u 's ideas on n a tio n a l lib e ra tio n f r o m a I e n in is t p o in t o f v ie w , s u p p o rt to B lack n a tio n a lis m is a p r in c ip le d revo liition .irv position I be s u b je c tio n ol A f r ik a t , Am enkans m the I S has been basic p lo ila t io n o l B la ck and p o o r ca u ca so id w o ik e rs at the p o in t o l p ro d u c tio n . I, covers every facet o t the lives o l a ll p o o r p e op le in th is co u n trv I very in s titu tio n is used to m aintain this oppression I lie overall n a tio n a l o p p re s s io n o f a ll p o o r people, and Ihe class e x p lo ita tio n ot Biask woi kers are mdissolvable I he N a tio n o l Is la m , un de r the le a d e rs h ip o l B ro th e r I a r r a k h a ii demands complete V trikan Vmerikan c o n tro l over die e co n o m ic, p o litic s , c u ltu r e , e d u c a tio n and every o th e r sphere ot the I d e o l Black people. Il lecogtnzes that we m ust relv on out o w n p o w e r to g a in th is In its re vo lu tio n a ry to n n , as advocated bv M a lc o lm \ . it proposes a p ro g ra m to i mass lib e r a tio n O b v io u s ly . Mar xisi I enim sis w hose m ain a m i is to destroy capitalism and im perialism can on lv d e fin e a m ove m en t o t op pressed p e o p le lo r such goals a$ a r e v o liitio n .ir v , movement. not re a c tio n a ry l o r a M a r x is t, the fir s t ru le o t p o litic s sh o u ld be w ith the masses we a te e v e ry th in g , w ith o u t th e m , n o th in g M a rx is m le n in is m is science o t s tru g g le w ith u n iv e rs a l p rin c ip le s w h ich can apply to everv movement I he three m ain o b te ctive s o l the N a tio n o l Is la m has been sell d e ie rm in a iio n , p o litic a l po w e r, and la n d to r e co n o m ic c o n tro l P oor w orkers, m tu rn , are concertied w ith tob related issues, such as insurance, health and re tire m e n t b e n e lils , lay o ils , sa la rie s, and the wage p ric e freeze, not owning Dr Jamil t hernvec to the existence o l capitalism here lo r over t o u ' h ii rid red vears I his op p re sxio n is m o re th a n s im p le ex Portland Observer Tb« fhtfiiam t < thsrrw r IU SPS is putllishari «vwy Thurvlay by I Pubhshmg C(»n<>af)y I ik 1463 N I KrMHiga worth Portland f)r«y(X' 9Z211 Post Off*.« B<»» 3137 PortlarKl Omgoo 977TR Second f lass i»e»d At Portland >» lousekeepe: ' because her she is trem i' lo im plose he, behavior. lu other wold., neither Abigail nor I lo,elice is giving up on her sell Vini we, as O re g o n ia n s , are not eie mg up on oui eldei Iv disease are supposed to be given m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t an d receive "h o n o r a b le discharges " H o w e ve r, anyone w ho adm its d in in g an A ID S scree ning th a t he o r she has used drugs or is a homosexual w ill be auto m a tic a lly d is c h a rg e d . G ays and lesbians discovered outside the A ID S scree ning process m ax be c o u rt m a rs h a lle d , fin e d o r im p ris o n e d M any can receive d is h o n o ra b le dis charges, w h ich w o u ld m ean the loss o f a ll veterans’ benefits and hospital where does it sto p ? " Ih e greatest danger in the A ID S c o n tro v e rs y is the a b h o rre n t c o rre la tio n being made between sup pre ssin g the rig h ts o l gays and lesbians and the steps needed lo halt the spread o l the disease O ne M assachusetts legislator Iasi m o n th claimed that a child in his district had c o n tra c te d A ID S b e ca u se a n A ID S victim "d e lib e ra te ly " donated blood O th e r p o litic a l c o n s e rv a tiv e s are m a n ip u la tin g the le a l o l A ID S to d e le a l lo c a l and state gav rig h ts le g is la tio n In H o u s to n , fo rm e r m a y o ra l c a n d id a te 1 o u ie W e lch stated that one wav to com bat A ID S To the Militant Editorials, Nov. 22, 1985 prickly p c i' m. ill's m ak e s it difficult lo be around her How ever, I lorence nuclei s ta n d s she w ill go to a nursing ho ne it she lo.es her hoiisekeepiTs, so exam ple, 116 or the 222 A ID S cases to dale are Blacks, (.ueaves also notes that 107 o f 191 children below age 13 w ho have been diagnosed w ith A ID S are B la ck A b o u t h a lt o f a ll B lack A ID S vicims arc homosexuals, and 3H percent have been drug users I he po litica l dynamics o l the A ID S p a n ic have esca la te d d ra m a tic a lly Several m o n th s a g o , the D efense D e p a rtm e n t a n n o u n c e d plan s to screen a ll 2.1 m illio n m ilita ry person tK'l for A ID S Those fou nd having the Letters to the I'diior tesi s. »»n EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY h i ( io ve rn o r I H M uch AIDS and the Black community Tb« uses t IW I O /*• MEMBER 4jsoc/«f'on - Founded 1M5 >r Hand ( H>\r'\ rr w as est Airshed tn 1971) Subscriptions 115 00 (jer yee» m the Tn County erne Post m aster Send adrlrms < b«r»ym to the H o lla n d (> b \r r \e r P f, 288 0033 Boa 3137 Portland f>agon9720R •Mtred I Henderson, Editor Publisher A! Williams, Cenerai Manager N a tio n a l A tT v a ititin q R apraaaotaTiva A rn a lq a m a ta d P ubhshars Inc N e w Yorb f t