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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1985)
Page 2, Portland Observer, December 11, 1985 Healthwatch E D IT O R IA L /O P IN IO N Governor and unions lack respect for Dr. King « G o v ern o r Vic Atiyelt and several state e m ployees labor unions recently revealed their lack ol sensitivity to thousands o f Oregonians’ el torts to honor Dr. M artin l uther King, Ir. (»os. .Atiyeh announced that Dr King’s holiday on Ian. 20, will not be a paid holiday lor state employees Atiyeh m ade the announcem ent alter several unions, including the Oregon Public I mployees U nion, f ederation ol State and M unicipal I in plovees, the A ssociation ol I ngineeiing I ’m ployees, the fe d e ra tio n ol O regon Parole and P robation ( )l liters, and the <)regon I ducation Association at Hillcrest and M a d aren I raining Schools refused to trade Lincoln’s holiday lot Dr. K ing’s holiday. Only the O regon I ducation AssiKiation, which represents the schools lor the deal ami the blind, and the( )regon I icensed I’rac tical Nurses Association agreed to trade I incoln's holiday lor Dr. King's holiday. (»os. Atiyeh blames the unions and the unions blame Atiyeh Both ( »os. Atiyeh and those unions sshich opted not to trade holidays in order lor Di. King to be honored share the blam e equally. Atiyeh has proven in the past that he is insensitive to the aspirations ol Black ( Hegonians living in the state ol Oregon and abroad. Gov. Atiyeh seloed HB-2001, a measure that would have dismsested by Steven Hailey N D Help for endometriosis sufferers Oregon money from South Africa. Atiyeh’s a n nouncement that state employees want to be paid on Dr. King’s birthday is pure hypocrisy , since the governor ap p o in ted the Stale C om m ission ot Black Affairs to encourage activities on King’s bir thday, while state em ployees are w orking. Atiyeh's timing tor the announcem ent was also bad, since community leaders and union represen tatives are working towards a resolution. lire union's action was just as shocking as the governor's. Instead ol supporting efforts to honor a great American, who stixxl lor what this nation is supposed to be, the union was living to get an additional paid holiday. M embers ol the I ederation of State and M unicipal I m ployees should be especially ashamed ot then actions. Dt. King was killed in M emphis while representing members of that union against the ( itv o t Mem phis. ( fregonians should be outraged by the actions ol both Gov. Atiyeh and those labor unions. Both the governor and the unions lack respect in honoring Dt. King in a maimer deemed fitting for an individual who gave his life lor the betterment of the entire world. I urtherm ore, the actions by the governor and the unions dimmish the memory ol I)i. King. I asi week I m et w ith D o rs ie H athaw ay, President ot the P ortla nd Chapter o l the N ational L n d o in c tn o sis A sso cia tio n I he E n d o m e trio sis A s s o c ia tio n is a g ro u p w h ic h is at te m p tin g to ed u ca te and o tte r a referral network tor women suitering Irom I ndometriosis I ndom etriosis is a disease affecting wom en in th e ir re p ro d u c tiv e sears I he root o l the name comes fro m the w o rd " e n d o m e tr iu m ” w h ic h is the scientific name tor the tissue that lines the u te ro u s and is shed m o n th ly during the menstral cycle I he disease is a con dition in which this tissue (the endom etrium ) is found in areas ol the body outside the uterous I he inigra lion o l this tissue results in "n o d u le s " which, like the uterous, respond to the m o n th lv h o rm o n a l changes, but unlike the uterine tissue, when mcnsiis conies there is n o w h e re fo r the blood to exit and may result in inter nal bleeding Along w ith the nodules and bleeding are com m on sym ptom s ol low b.uk pain, increased cram ping, pain during sexual activity, pain eatlv m the cvcle which worsens up Io men struation heavy and irregular bleeding and o fte n in f e r t ilit y W h ile these sym ptom s are com m o n, one or more mav be absent in in dividu al cases W Inlc endom etriosis was relatively unseen in the 19 ,0s and 40s, it has become a fa irly com m on condition in recent years. I or this reason the I n dom etnosis Association was form ed w ith the goals o l "e xch a n g in g m for ination about I ndom etriosis, ottering m utual support and help to those at le vie d by e n d o m e trio s is , e d uca ting the p u b lic and m e d ic a l c o m m u n ity a b o u t the disease, an d p ro m o tin g research related to e n d o m e trio s is " ( Iro m I d u c a tio n S u p p o rt Research handout o l I n d o m e trio sis Associa lion) D o rsie becom e in v o lv e d w ith the Association because o l her ow n con cents w ith endometriosis She has had w hat is te rm e d "c o n s e rv a tiv e surgery" which means the removal ol at tested tissue w h ile preserving le i tihlv I his is a tvjve o l treatm ent that sail dim inish sym ptom s vet still allow the w o m a n to have c h ild re n I Ills tre a tm e n t is ce rta in ly not a guatan teed cure, as even in to ta l hysterec loins Ihere is still about $ percent o l Oregon Legislature pay raises I o the I dllnr In ,i tune when m any < hegonians lie as sept mg cuts in pav anti benefits, i, stems that our legisl lure assembly mav have been somewhat insensitive in raising then salaries In la s t, as a lo im e r m em ber o l tin O re g o n l.tg is la lu r e , I wav a p p a lle d at the exorbitant pav raise w hich legislators gave them selves d u r in g the last session I he depressed O re g o n economy tails tor belt tightening, not la,tenuig salaries at this tune W it h a lm o st no p u b lic ity , lee is la tois i.tised then base salaries, which they receive 12 m onths each ve.u. by N i - • the session, they u p |x d then m onthlv alai it's in t lin i steps, rent lim e $9tl| in laiiu aiv l u x ' In a d d itio n , thev approved a taise I i o iii s l m to s.ji«i |>,.| m onth in then 1 r ---- EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY , Portland Observer ■ Mo The f*iv/llund (th srrvrr lUSPS 959 6801 iA » v*y TburvU y by F « * Putofcthmg ( om ptny In* 1463 N F KfMwxjs wvtxtb Pt>r1l*<w1 Orwgon 97211 Post Offw •» B oi 3137 Portland ( 972TB Second claw postaya p » d at Portland Oregon Tb« > ,v »•x.vnA-wf ' *» /» *•* MEMBER r »e» w m « M a tta to ri m 1970 Sober rations 115 00 pa» yaa» m tha Tn County araa P o tt m aster Sand a»tdraaa < ha»»ym to tha burikind O tnervrr. P O B oi 3137 Portland Oregon 972TB Alfred ! Henderson, / ditor Publisher • *tf •«A • "» di » tto c itl'O n ■ Founded IM S Al Williams, (tenera! Sian,mer 288 0033 N a tin n n l A d v e rtis in g Repr m e n t Alive A m a lg a m a te d Publisher» Inc N am Y od, v our sell w ith know ledge Y o u may not le e l th a t you can c o n tr o l the disease, but you sail make con tro lled choices about how it is tre a te d ." One source o l in fo rm a tio n is the Lndotne trio s is A sso cia tio n l ite ra tu re and contact sources sail be obtained Irom I ndometriosis \ssoviation, I ’ O Box 9 2 ltC . M ilw aukee. W isconsin 51202 Ihe re is a local chapter w hich holds regular meetings, and is developing a re fe rra l n e tw o rk lo r tre a tm e n t and support protessionals in the area I he n a tio n a l address w ill d ire c t you to liK.xl contacts Letters to the Editor I lie I Ibservei m7< nines letters in the editor I etlers should be typ e d nr ne atly p rin te d a n il sooted w ith the a u th o r 's name a rid address /addresses are n o t u su alh published) r w om en w h o e xp erience a re o ccu r rence o l sym ptom s O th e r com m o n " m a in s tr e a m ” th e ra p ie s in c lu d e horm onal therapy to alter the e lle cls ol estrogen on the endom etrial tissue I he h o rm o n e s d ru g s used in c lu d e e s tro g e n p ro g e s te ro n e p ills , p ro g e ste ro n e a lo n e and or a le s to s te ro n d e tiv itiv e (D a n a z o l, l vclouieri) Side effects are a problem to r som e w o m e n , a n d c o m p le te removal o l symptoms is not com m on. W h ile a sin e has vet to be fo u n d , IXnsie recommends wom en to " Arm expense a llo w a n c e when not in session, plus a raise in ctailv pel diem when in session 01 c o m m itte e iix v lin g s trom $44 to $$(). and added a special a llo w a n c e o t up Io S i ' l l m o il,lily to, larger districts ( In top o l this pav. members emov sin h pel q iiis ite s as 11 ee r e s id e ill i . i I phone service, paid medical and den la l in su ra n ce to r the m em ber and f a m ily , p a id tile and d is a b ility in s iiia iic c . lu lls paid e n rollm en t in , tie Public I mployees Retirement System, and th e n spouses mav tlra w up Io $2.t*>i per m on th durin g sessions lor serving as the sta ll member ( lie g o il has always opeiated on the c o n c e p t o l a " c itiz e n le g is la tu r e " , co m in g tog ether as a p u b lic service d u rin g legislative sessions, and then re tu rn in g to th e n fa rm s , |obs o i business W ith total pav tor the bien m um n e a rin g $ 1 '.,tn < t plus up to $12.000 to i the spouse when serving as the s ta ll m e m b e r, we are ap proachm g a professional legislature, where an increasing number o l |X'ople w ith little or no poor w o tk experience serve in the le gislature as their only jobs. I am w o rk in g to collect signatures on the in itia tiv e pe tition to tepeal the unreasonable pav raises I tie tx 'lilio n alst> lim its the number ol days legisla to rs may c o lle c t per d ie m lo r legislative sessions to 120 class in ix ld num tx'ted seals and I ' l l lor the legis lative biennium AAe need sour help to collect N1.161 valid signatures Petitions mav be obtained horn the sponsoring org an izatio n, ( hegonians in a c t io n , 1511 I B u rn s id e , P o rt la n d . O R 97214, or bv c a llin g 211 1211 Smeerels. Hernard iHudt Users Il e reserve the r iy h t to ed it to r length M ail to Portland Observer. P O H<>\ I I P Portland. O K9720N PassinArt reviews I o the ! d ilo r P a s s in A rt, m o v in g Ir o m one g e n e ra tio n to a n o th e r d is p la y in g meaning o l culture, art and history A local Black theatre gro up I I’ assm .Art) has once again taken works Iro m two B l.it k p la y w rig h ts and created on stage images, sym bols, and feelings firehouse t u ltu ia l (e n te r AAeshould not let ignorance in te rte re w itli our su p p o rt o l the local th e a tre g ro u p , I'assui Art relating to our blackness I liese tw o one act plays e n title d H ost l) o You D o , by I d B u llin s , directed bv I lance Bailev and I unrn H o u s e o t a \e v r o , bv Adticnne ken ne dy, d ire cle d by M ich a e l I G ra n t, ate voiicei lied seriously w it Ii relation ships a m i tin- im p a c t o t the w o rd Black m on, nine, w ill, p o litic a l and spuilual values, w ith the reality ot our snuggles in its lu lli's i sense , Uteri tunes w h ite lo u rn a lists have extreme d illic u lty in review ing plays w iili such intensity and meaning V a co n scio u s B la ck w o m a n w ith a passion to , the theatre and kno w in g H om a personal ex|X'irence what con d ilu te s a particular perspective in the w o ik s o , Bullins and Kennedy. I was not s u rp ris e d , but d is ,ta u g h t a lte , leading the reviews ot the plays in the I tre i orn ari and B illa m e tle B <•»•( Antelope petitions I lie, e w as ev id e m Iv not an under st.Hiding toi whom thev (B ullin s and kennedv I w rite, wtia, determules then inteies, as w riters, and whetlie, there is a d ille te n c e between the types o l events, ch a ta cte rs, them es, etc tha t Black m ale and tem ale w lite rs select in o rd e r to d ra m a tiz e the ir stories Mso. the tevlews seemed construed to w a rd s d e s tro y in g I lie tru th in the messages ot both plavs I ot example, bv assu m in g the B la ck c o m m u n ity no, the cast unde,stand the plavs and the message the w iiters ate attem pting to convev in their wo, ks N o s|X'cilic exam ples o i evide nce was given to support the accusations written Black writers and critics are acting on tile old adage dial one must speak tor oneself it one wishes to be heard 'sincerely, (tirial Wood / , , the E d ito r AA e w o u ld lik e to express o u r thanks to all tlie jx-ople ot Oregon tor then help in circu la tin g tlie pe tition s and a lso th e n fin a n c ia l assistance. AA i t I io i i i vo u . we c o u ld not have hoped to a c c o m p lis h o u r go a l o t disincorporntion AAeare now asking you to please send in a ll the p e titio n s w ith signatures you have gathered, in case som ething indorsee,, happens in tlie tillu ic I tils w ill enable us to know tiow many signatures we w o u ld s till need I tie AA asco ( otintv ( o u rl has ap p o in te d Io n , new c ity c o u n c il mem Ix'fs ( ine ot the tits, issues of (tie new citv cou ncil w ilt be to place the issue o l d is in c o ,p o r a ,io n on the M a rc h ballot / hank v to a ll o f you, hrn arid lean ( )prav Give w £ SUNSHM 1 \5e ale realizing that no one else can oi w ill sav what tie or she has to say, and that silence condemns the silent to m is re p re s e n ta tio n and neglect I angston Hughes im m o rta liz e d this idea in verse, and hix words are most a p p ro p ria te to r the B la ck w rite rs , then creations and critics: someday som e bixly’ll stand up and talk about me. Atnl w tite about me Black and fx 'a u lifu l \n d sing about me. And put on plavs about me' I reckon it 'll be Me m vself' Aes. I t 'll be me. I encourage tlie co m m u n ity to at tend the fin a l weekend , I X*i I ’ I 5 ( o f the tw o plavs a, the In te rs ta te American Heart Association
